HPS Leadership Best Practices Journal™

Leveraging 360-Degree Feedback to Improve Leadership Performance

There are several fundamental components that must be present for any 360-degree leadership development initiative to be successful. Some of these include:

• Commitment from the CEO and senior management team is combined with an understanding of how exemplary leadership behaviors contribute to bottom-line business results.
• Competencies assessed in the 360-degree instrument are linked directly to desired behaviors at all leadership levels of the organization (i.e. from CEO to front-line supervisor).
• Competencies are aligned with the organizational vision, mission, values, and short-term/long-term business strategy.
• Competencies support and are aligned with the organizational culture and foster performance improvement at the individual, team, and organizational levels.
• The 360-degree instrument is validated and developed by a reputable source which has a solid research-based foundation.
• Confidentiality and rater anonymity is maintained without exception.
• Feedback is provided by competent professionals possessing demonstrated knowledge and experience in the business environment and a thorough understanding of human behavior.
• Strengths are acknowledged and continue to be leveraged; development opportunities are identified with clearly defined developmental plans and resources including timelines for completion.
• Developmental resources are made available on an individual and aggregate basis. Some 360-degree instruments include built-in developmental resources with no additional investment required.
• Participants are required to create an individual development plan which must be reviewed with their manager to ensure alignment with performance objectives and developmental needs.
• Lateral Coaching™ (see article in next month's issue) and contracting are leveraged throughout the organization.

Once the 360-degree feedback has been reviewed and discussed with a qualified feedback provider, it's time to begin the developmental process. Here are five essential steps to consider when building individual development plans:

Step One: Analyze Feedback

• Areas of agreement
• Areas of disagreement
• Strengths and Improvement opportunities

Step Two: Plan Development

• Identify competencies that are essential to success in both current and future roles within the organization (i.e. development is a process and not an event). Be deliberate about developmental planning, especially for high-potential key talent at all levels of the organization.

Step Three: Identify Goals

Effective development plans:

• Motivate and energize
• Are specific and measurable
• Are challenging yet attainable
• Lead to improved performance
• Include a behavioral-based description of the desired results or needed change
• Link to key departmental goals and business drivers

Step Four: Build in Accountability

• Development plans are reviewed with and approved by the participant's manager or supervisor.
• Development plans are reviewed and discussed at regular intervals by the participant and their manager.

Step Five: Follow Up

• Thank your 360-degree raters for their feedback and participation.
• Celebrate strengths and acknowledge improvement opportunities
• Leverage Lateral Coaching™ and contract with your peers, direct reports, customers and others to help you work on your development needs and offer to do the same for them.

Effective leadership development programs represent a good investment of time and resources. While the cost of any leadership development initiative is a factor, be wary of off-the-shelf or generic instruments that are abundant in today's leadership development market. These seemingly inexpensive instruments are often pitched by inexperienced consultants as a package that includes an assessment, interpretation of results, and perhaps one or two follow-on coaching sessions. While the initial price tag may be appealing, you just might be heading for another flavor of the month or perhaps something worse that may impair leadership effectiveness and business performance.

Human Performance Strategies is proud to be affiliated with and offer all 360-degree leadership development tools developed by the prestigious Center for Creative Leadership. Please contact us to learn more about how to improve leadership performance in your organization.