Transcript 360 degree feedback advice to line managers

360 degree feedback:
facilitation advice for line managers
This is an illustrative briefing pack for line managers preparing
to run feedback sessions for their teams using TPMG’s
orbitPLUS.
Clients are invited to customize this for their own briefings. It
may include options that as a client you will not be using but are
included here for completeness.
There are separate files for HR and system managers, which covers progress
and management reports and for general briefing for all participants. See also
TPMG’s white paper “360 Degree Feedback – Facilitating Feedback ”
It is structured in 4 parts:
•360 feedback
•360 feedback results
•Interpreting the report
•Coaching & facilitation
360 feedback
Why 360 feedback?
• improving performance begins with self-awareness
• 360 is a powerful tool in raising an individual’s awareness of their
strengths and weaknesses and their impact on others – reinforces
strengths – builds self esteem
• it prompts questions such as: do I continue doing this, stop doing
this, try new ways
• it’s the best way to see the individual’s full contribution and their
development needs
• feedback may be “perceptions” but perceptions matter - they
influence how colleagues behave towards the individual, e.g.
– if someone is generally seen not to listen and not to act on
ideas from colleagues, it is likely that those ideas will dry up or
be channelled elsewhere
360 feedback
360 – the benefits
• a fuller and more accurate picture of the individual’s
performance “in the round”
• improved or changed behaviours/performance in the
light of the feedback
• better communication
• increased recognition (by individuals and the
organization generally) of the significance of
“relationship” skills – moving towards greater trust and
openness
• contribution to a culture shift (usually prompted by the
top team initiating a feedback process for themselves)
360 feedback
Perception matters!
• perceptions are real because their
consequences are real
• we are viewed
– not by what we are, but by how people
perceive us to be
– not by what we say, but by what people hear
– not by what we do, but how we appear to do it
360 feedback
Tips for giving feedback
 Start with the positive: “I really appreciate how you make time to
listen to staff concerns”
 Be specific - “the way you handled that situation was really helpful”
 Focus on behaviour which can be changed: “it would help me if
you gave me a one page summary of your reports, with key
recommendations and actions”
 Offer alternatives: “it might have helped to put X at her ease if you
had spoken to her first before the team meeting”
 Describe rather than judge or evaluate (“you often appear to get to
a conclusion, before I have fully described my proposal” not “you are
a poor listener”)
 Own the feedback : “It seems to me that ...” is less judgemental
about a person than “You are...” and recognise what the feedback
says about you
360 feedback results
Results: summary chart
showing scores at cluster level
as chart and table.
360 feedback results
Results: top 5 and bottom 5 items
for the individual, according to
average scores from respondents.
360 feedback results
Results:
list of significant differences
between Self and Line Manager’s
perceptions;
and
list of significant differences
between Importance &
Performance.
360 feedback results
Results: summary
chart showing gaps
between Importance
and Performances at
cluster level as chart
and table.
360 feedback results
Results: comparing the
individual’s scores with the range
of scores from others in the
group.
360 feedback results
Results: detailed results at
statement level.
360 feedback results
Results: detailed results at
statement level.
Comments for each Competency
shown at end of section. May
show some merger of comments
from small respondent groups.
360 feedback results
Results: final comments
– grouped by
respondent category.
360 feedback results
Results: final comments
– grouped by
respondent category.
360 feedback results
Results: List of people
invited to give feedback
Interpreting the report
Opening questions
• read the advice on the front page
• opening questions:
– overall: is this a picture of yourself in the round that you
recognise? what are you pleased to see?
– which specific results indicate that you may have:
• particular strengths to build on and use more widely
• particular development needs
– what concrete examples have been provided in the feedback?
what do you make of them?
– any surprises that you need to dig into?
– how does this picture square with other data that you have
about yourself (e.g. from other development programmes)
Interpreting the report
Follow up questions
• questions (cont.)
– what are the 2 or 3 things you are (most) concerned about? what
is the data saying about those?
– how do you think you might address them?
– what actions will have the most impact on them?
– how will that help your capability and performance in the team?
– who do you need support from in taking forward these actions?
• closing questions
– looking a year ahead, say, how would you like to see the pattern
of that chart change? how will that help your overall performance?
– what are you going to say back to the providers of your feedback
to indicate what you have taken from the exercise and what you
are going to do about it?
Coaching & facilitation
Principles of coaching
•
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•
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aim is always to improve performance
belief that the subject’s potential is greater than current performance
learning is essential to improving performance
in order to learn people need to
– be aware
– focus attention
• a coach is not a teacher – but coaching can combine specialist know-how
to help the subject to find own solutions
• coaching is essential because new organizational structures and working
styles require:
– far more trust, sharing of responsibility & delegating of action
– far less micro management and face-to-face direction
Coaching
skills
Helping
someone
solve their own
problem
Listening
to understand
Reflecting
Paraphrasing
Summarising
Solving someone’s
problem
for
them
Asking questions
that raise awareness
Non-Directive
Making Suggestions
Giving Feedback
Guiding
Advising
Instructing
Telling
Directive
from Myles Downey
Coaching & facilitation
Your role as 360 facilitator
• meeting to last 1-2 hours
• explain your role (e.g. “your Research Assistant to
help you get the most value from your feedback”)
• introduce and explain the format not the content of the
report – 5 minutes
– answer any questions about how the report is structured etc.
– ask the individual to read it – do not discuss the content until
they (like you) have had time to digest it (usually takes 20-30
minutes to read – suggest where possible you sit outside and
await their call)
• discuss the individual’s conclusions from the report
and discuss development plan.
• treat the meeting as a coaching session – using your
coaching skills
Coaching & facilitation
Coaching tips : ask the right questions
• open: to open up the discussion
• to gather information – “what has pleased you most about this
feedback?”
• to assess feelings – “what do you feel about trying out that idea?”
• to drill down – “what makes you feel it will be difficult?”
• clarifying: to review, check understanding
• “what was happening in that meeting, what were colleagues doing
and saying”
• probing: explore in detail
• “might you have expected fewer problems coming through from that
department, what might explain the increase?”
• closed: to direct and close down the discussion
• to clarify or confirm – “is it the case that…?”
• to gain commitment – “are we agreed then….?”
Coaching & facilitation
“What a Star!”
– the challenge of the high performers
• stars set their own high standards
– items that might seem marginally below their high par may be
significant to them
• stars like and need feedback
– any discussion is likely to be focussed and productive, with gains
for the individual and colleagues
• stars make ideal mentors
– likely to be a benefit both to them and those being mentored
• stars show the way
– they can provide powerful role models and roads to improvement
for others
Coaching & facilitation
Feedback: avoidance!
•
Attack – the question, the
process or the respondents
– I don’t get on with these
people
– must be a mistake here
– the questionnaire was too
long/short
– what will HR think of next?
– I’ve been stitched up
•
Denial: “it’s not my fault”
– the questions don’t apply to
my role
– they don’t work with me
enough to know
– I am what I am
– no time to talk about this now
•
Rationalise: explaining the feedback away
• I knew this all along
• my respondents interpreted this question differently
• the reason for this score is...
• OK, but there is nothing I can do about it because...
Coaching & facilitation
Traps for the coach to avoid - 1
• identifying with or defending the instrument – it is their
report
• defending the data – it is their data
• directing rather than prompting the interpretation of the
data
• feeling you have to have the answers
• telling the subject what to do
• undue or premature interruption
• feeling you have to fill the silence – people will be
thinking
Coaching & facilitation
Traps for the coach to avoid -2
• talking in generalities in action planning – focus on
specifics e.g.
• not “improve delegation skills” but e.g.
• “agree with staff clear performance standards for tasks, agree the
quality measures and a picture of “what success will look like”; ask
staff to summarise what they plan to do, to check for
understanding.”
• arguing to win or give an answer to every objection
• over-use of the “why” question (invokes reasons,
justifications and excuses)– use “what” (builds awareness)
– not “why do you think they say that”
– instead “what is happening in those circumstances – what are they
doing/saying, what are you doing/saying? what are they telling
you?”
Coaching & facilitation
Development
options
• Role enrichment
• Mentor others
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Role enlargement
Coaching in the role
Benchmarking
Team assignments
Projects
Role rotation
Transfer
Acting up
Understudy
Coach others
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Networking
Community work
Secondments
Self study
Professional development
Role play
Team building
Skills training
Seminars/conferences
Development centres
Focus on priorities
• the Domino effect – if we improve on
those the rest will fall into place
• long lists are unlikely to work and, with the
Domino effect, should not be needed
Coaching & facilitation
Managing the process: the basics
• location – private room, not overlooked, away from
distractions, mobile phones off etc.
• time – usually 1-2 hours
• seating arrangement – sit at right angles (not opposite)
• put at ease – put them centre stage – their data, their
plan, their opportunity
• explaining your role – e.g. “research assistant – to help
you get the most value from the data and a sounding
board to help you reflect on what it means and what you
plan to do”
• reading the report – let the subject read it in peace
before discussing
Coaching & facilitation
Facilitator’s checklist - 1
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have I prepared properly?
have I explained the purpose of the feedback?
have I explained my role – what I aim to do and not do?
have I explained the purpose of the session?
have I agreed a timescale?
did I think about how to start the session?
did I ensure the subject took responsibility for their own
feedback?
Coaching & facilitation
Facilitator’s checklist -2
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how well did I focus on detail rather than generalities?
how well did I focus on priority areas?
did I help subjects in gaining clarification from others?
how well did I handle any conflict?
how well did I deal with feedback avoidance?
how well did I help participants convert needs into action
plans and development plans?
 did I know when to stop?