‘Full circle’, ‘Multi-rater’ or 360° feedback, has become an important tool in developing leadership skills in many organizations. This provides a summary of feedback from managers, subordinates and peers around, below and above a manager, to describe their key leadership and management skills. Feedback is usually collected and compiled into graphical results and written comments. This enables participants to compare their perceptions of their leadership skills with what the people in their work environment actually think.
Full circle assessment, used in leadership development programs, training needs analysis, succession planning and performance appraisal, is used to identify areas that managers do well in, areas they need to improve on, and to put in place action plans to improve their management skills.
This feedback model helps managers confirm their strengths, identify leadership blind spots, determine habits/behaviors/styles that may be having an adverse impact on others, and establish a developmental action plan.
Improving Leadership
Every organization seeks ways to improve its leadership. Common methods used involve performance appraisal feedback, reading books, self-help DVDs, job rotation, MBA programs, or ongoing coaching. One of the most effective methods available is the 360° feedback because it is specific and targeted to each manager.
Experienced, skilled coaches are an important in helping participants understand their feedback and putting in place effective improvement strategies. Organizations that use 360° feedback should select and train coaches who have excellent interpersonal skills and experience in coaching, and who also have good skills in developing leadership. This means they will have the know-how to develop leadership competencies, (e.g. strategic planning), and also be able to help a manager deal with a range of complex issues such as poor employee performance, influencing upwards and managing work-life balance.
Cultural sensitivity
Some research studies have shown that people of different nationalities have different perceptions of power, autonomy, the role of a manager and the amount of risk they should take. Individuals in Asian countries, such as Singapore, may rate their managers differently. The idea of subordinates evaluating their boss may not sit easily with Asian cultural norms. Subordinates are not comfortable in criticizing or rating their managers and may have a conscious, or unconscious, leniency bias, so that they rate their managers higher.
The 360° results can be confronting for some managers, especially those who over-rate themselves. Some managers can lose confidence in their skills as a result of receiving low ratings. Some take the results very personally and may assume that staff or colleagues bore a grudge against them and therefore discount the results. Experienced coaches need to be provided soon after a manager receives harsh feedback, so that they can view their results objectively.
Dr Ron Cacioppe is a leadership and development consultant with 30 years’ experience working in business, government and non-profit organizations. He has also held professorial positions at leading universities.
