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About
360-Degree Feedback:
Many of our clients have requested information
on 360 degree feedback. While there are as many definitions of this
term as there are consultants, we define it simply as a performance
review that includes the input of peers and subordinates. In this
exercise, each team member reviews every other team member. Although
360 degree feedback is generally considered to be time consuming,
the process described below takes only one hour.
Before
You Get Started:
The feedback session should be done with
teams that have worked together for a while; we don't recommend
it for initial meetings. Also, if there are major issues that must
be resolved between individual team members, this may not be the
best technique.
Give
your team some advance notice of the meeting and convene in a conference
room that will be completely free of distractions and interruptions.
A ringing cell phone can destroy the atmosphere.
"Rules
of Engagement:"
To minimize hurt feelings, it is important
that all participants adhere to the rules of engagement listed below.
Typically, we project these rules on the wall during the meeting.
All
comments must be phrased in a positive manner. For example:
- Negative:
You stink.
- Positive:
Everyone would enjoy spending more time with you if you used some
type of
deodorant product.
- No
recipient rebuttals are allowed. For example, you're not allowed
to say, " I am not too analytical and I can prove it with
this spreadsheet."
- The
recipient can ask qualifying questions such as, "Can you
give me some examples of how I humiliated you in front of the
CEO?"
Follow
These 7 Steps:
Step
1: Each team member is given a stack of index cards equal
to the number of team members (actually n-1).
Step 2: One person is selected to be reviewed.
Step 3: On one side of the card, each team member lists
three traits or characteristics that they like about the person.
Step 4: Next, each person flips the card over and writes
three traits or characteristics that need to be improved. (Steps
three and four should take about two minutes)
Step 5: Each person reads both sides of the card aloud
to the person being reviewed. (About one minute per person)
Step 6: The cards are passed to the reviewee.
Step 7: Steps two through 6 are repeated for each team
member.
A
Great Experience:
Our clients have experienced significant
benefits from this exercise, including:
- Morale
boost, as beneficial traits and characteristics elicit praise
from peers
- Group
verification of individual strengths and weaknesses
- Individual
awareness of positive characteristics and improvement areas
- A
new license to provide more frequent, informal, constructive criticism
- Increased
trust among team members
Copyright
© 2001-2003, Beacon Hill Technologies. All rights reserved.
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