A 360º feedback report is designed to provide an individual with awareness about the impact of their behaviour on other people. It helps them see what they do that is effective, what isn't and what could be more effective.
You could argue that increased awareness is - in itself - enough to justify the investment (but try telling that to your Finance Director).
Sure, some individuals need very little encouragement to act, but for many others, using awareness to do things differently requires a little help.
And that help doesn't always need to be a training course. In fact we think it rarely does (that'll grab your Finance Director's attention).
But to make the coaching effective, we recommend a two step approach.
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Step 1
Within a day or so of receiving his/her report, the individual meets with a line manager, coach or consultant to discuss the contents.
The objective of this 1.5 hour meeting is to enable them to freely express their thoughts and feelings about the feedback. As simple as this may sound, it is a critical step in moving from awareness to action.
It's about exploring what is important in the feedback, and why it is important to them. It's not about what they are going to do - that comes next.
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Step 2
Having had a week or two to reflect on the previous conversation, the individual and coach talk again for one hour. This time, the objective is to identify one clear goal and one course of action that they want to take. It's about finding small, but significant changes that make a difference and are achievable. It's not life changing, transformational stuff (whatever that might be). It's a quick, solution-focused approach that builds confidence in the individual so that they become more capable of managing it themselves in the future.
Further meetings, either face-to-face or over the telephone may be required - but this should be the exception rather than the rule. Informal, spontaneous and quick conversations are often all that is necessary to provide the encouragement to carry on.
*As we said, it's not rocket science. We're not aiming for the stars - just something a little closer to home. |
