FAQ
Frequently
Asked Questions
can be broadly grouped as follows:
360
FACILITATED®
The
Leader/Manager Model
What
is the Leader/Manager Model?
This
is a framework developed by Peter Farey in the UK and based
on more than 5 decades of research into leader and manager behaviour.
It takes Transformational Leadership (changing the future
and beliefs) as 'Leadership', and Transactional Leadership
(maintaining the present) as 'Management' (this is derived from the work of James MacGregor Burns). It shows how
there are People and Task components to both Leadership and Management, making up 4
quadrants. It defines 20 Areas of Behaviour (5 in each
quadrant) by means of 100 best practice items (see Peter Farey's very readable article
"Mapping
the Leader/Manager").
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Why
do you encourage organizations to use the Leader/Manager
Model?
The
Leader/Manager Model allows teams to raise every kind of
topic or issue that might concern them. It covers the areas of
Leadership and Management for both People and Task. This
holistic approach makes it easier and faster to identify all of the issues,
whatever they may be.
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Where
do your behaviours come from?
Peter
Farey in the UK collected more than a thousand examples of
'best practice' behaviours from his research and the
organizations that he worked with, and then culled the list
down to the 100 items that would best illustrate his
Leader/Manager Model. Later research allowed him to identify
the 40 "most used" items for the shorter
questionnaires.
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Can
we change the questionnaire?
US and International spelling are available for all questionnaires and materials. The questionnaire can be customised but this is not usually necessary.
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We
have our own competencies - how will they fit with the
Leader/Manager model?
Any set of
management competencies will map onto the model. However,
specific skills (finance, technical...) may not. These can be handled using
additional questions.
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We
have to ask questions about legal/financial/technical skills
- can we do that?
You
can link in any additional questions you require.
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Why
is the measurement scale important?
Research and experience over many years shows that managers often become defensive when appraised by
their 'boss'. Appraisal by their staff or peers can arouse even
greater defensiveness. To minimise that possibility, Peter
Farey created a scale where the respondent simply suggests
'more' or 'less' of best practice leader and manager
behaviours. It does not state whether the manager is
'strong' or 'weak', 'good' or 'bad' in any way.
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Is
there any research on this? Benchmarks?
International
norms are available. They are not intended to compare
individual managers, since this is not designed as an
appraisal process, however, they are useful for groups of
managers or organizations wanting to benchmark against
others. Most importantly, managers and groups can measure
their own improvement.
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The
facilitation process
Why
do you think facilitation is so
important?
When
a manager receives a 360 profile they can realy only guess at what it could mean. Our experience shows that
even with the best questionnaire and debriefing of the
manager, no one can be certain about the real issues that were
of concern to staff when they ticked the boxes. So why not
ask them? To get real answers in a short session requires
expert structured facilitation - carefully geared to the
protection of anonymity. Our facilitators regularly find themselves impressed by the level of communication and the power of change that they engender.
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What's
so unique about the process you use?
Some
of the things that make 360
Facilitated®
unique are:
-
From start to finish, the process does not appraise
managers but simply gathers suggestions for change. This is
less threatening, more specific and actionable, and more
likely to be used for real change
-
It encourages discussion over the full range of
Leader/Manager behaviours. Experience shows that any set of
organizational competencies will be a subset of this and can
be mapped onto the Framework.
-
By not threatening managers it avoids defensiveness and
encourages cooperative change, for manager and
team
-
It uses fast facilitation and problem solving techniques to
get teams to agree on the central issues and then resolve
them in cooperation with their manager
-
Teams learn from the process at the same time as
managers.
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How
much support should the manager receive?
As
much as you can give them. They may be in a new environment,
or working with staff who are unsympathetic, unaware or
lacking in skills. Also, the managers may not have had
adequate training. The object of this exercise is not to label managers but to support
them in their development. It will pinpoint specific
areas where there is need for change. When this is done,
managers begin to reach their true potential. Of course, the
staff equally require support in dealing with their
manager.
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Will
this link to professional development?
As well as improvement, action
plans are often about learning - for both team and manager.
In the final manager Debrief, the manager contracts with the
facilitator/coach for his or her learning and
development.
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Why
do you say this is "learning on the job"?
It
isn't just the managers who are involved in this process.
This is learning for everyone - how to give feedback
positively, how to identify and solve problems effectively,
how to work as a team... And all in the context of improving
the job. It is a form of Action Learning. It's what they
should be doing anyway, but doing it better than
before.
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Can
this be a part of a learning program?
Action
plans and learning contracts made with the manager and team
will fit with a broad learning program for the
organization.
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Is
there a link to performance appraisal?
Yes
and no. This process is definitely not performance
appraisal. In fact, the profiles are the property of the
manager and received in trust by the facilitator.
However, the action plans that result are signed off
by the manager and are monitored. Their completion is
definitely a performance management issue, whether it is the
manager or the team who is ultimately responsible. Furthermore,
the team session offers a good opportunity to agree on how
the team and its members should measure their
performance.
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Are there situations where feedback is useful without team facilitation?
In our view this will only be when the manager is in a learning and development program,
including coaching/mentoring and receiving full support. See Coaching and the 360 Leader/Manager Profile™.
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Does your work link to Appreciative Inquiry (AI)?
It certainly does. The questionnaire itself and major components of our facilitation process have always used Positive Psychology and building on Strengths. The structure of 360 Facilitated® fits well with any AI program. A specific AI questionnaire designed for coaching is available: "AtMyBest".
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The
organizational climate & change
What
do you have against manager appraisal?
Nothing!
We merely ask what's the purpose of the appraisal? Do you
just want to put a number on a manager, or is your real
aim to improve results? If you want results then you
want the manager on-side, dealing with reality, not putting
energy into defending him or herself. Does this mean we
can't appraise? Not by any means! However appraisal should
be on the basis of mutually agreed performance indicators,
and 360 Facilitated®
is one way to arrive at them. See also performance
appraisal.
In essence, we want to achieve a climate of cooperation and
contribution, rather than one of "pinning the
blame".
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Do
you expect leadership from everyone?
Yes,
at one time or another - at least when the need is there.
While leadership must begin at the top, it must also be
present at every level, and staff/teams are often the best
people to ask whether they are getting enough (or too much!)
leadership.
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Does
this process develop leadership?
Of
all the processes that develop leaders, getting frank and
fearless feedback from those you lead is considered to be
about the best. The principle is fundamental to assessment
centres, but in the case of staff feedback, the context is
undeniably the real world.
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How
can anonymous feedback get you to an open
environment?
Where
there exists any level whatsoever of fear, the full and
frank expressions of ideas and feelings can only be achieved
by guaranteeing anonymity. However, our experience of the
facilitated team session is that during the process,
anonymity usually ceases to be an issue. Openness is the
first outcome of this process. In some cases it takes a little
longer.
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Aren't
there dangers from 360 feedback?
Frankly,
yes - judging by the number of hurt managers resenting their
appraisals, and the number of failed and collapsed '360' programs, that is true.
And that is why we don't appraise. We offer a very low
threat feedback process and facilitate the result with
positive direction and great sensitivity towards all
parties. As to peer appraisals, they can easily turn into
"peer shopping" and trading scores. That is why we suggest
dealing with staff feedback first and then, as everyone
becomes more confident and open about the process, take up
the peer feedback. It can be gathered either at the same
time or later, and we have a special process for facilitate the peer group and build the sense of teamwork.
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Is
it essential to have top management lead off?
Only
if you want to be truly successful! At least you must have
the head of a division give the lead to his/her people. In
doing so, they send the fastest possible signal that they
are not perfect and are prepared to learn from those they
lead - so everyone else please do the same!
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Our
managers aren't ready for it - what can we do?
Not
ready for what exactly? It's surprising how quickly managers
turn around when they find you're not proposing '360
appraisal'. But if they are still worried, we have a number
of 'soft entry' interventions ranging from Peer
Feedback
through Team
Feedback
to the safest bet of all, just Self
Feedback.
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What
happens if we can't guarantee anonymity?
Better
stay away from this - or possibly you could use one of the
"soft
entry"
points to get started. But until the climate changes, your
organization is at risk from lack of trust.
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We
have a problem manager - can we start with
him/her?
Definitely
not! That just sends the signal that the program is for
'poor' managers. At least take the whole group of managers -
and begin with the best ones to build up
confidence.
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The
suite of Leader/Manager questionnaires
How
many different kinds of questionnaire do you
provide?
There
are currently many sets of Leader/Manager questionnaires, covering staff,
'boss', self, peers, teams as appropriate. There are both 100 and
40 item versions of each.
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Does
this work for Self-Managed Teams?
The
process works very well for SMTs. After all, they have to
fulfil the functions of leading and managing if they are to
be effective as a team, so the model applies very well. The
Team & Self-Management questionnaire is available in 100
and 40 item versions, also a version for Managed Teams.
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How
important is peer feedback?
Usually
very important, but often confused by competitiveness, mangement view, 'group solidarity', personal factors, lack of knowledge or just lack of
interest. Of course, issues such as these must be cleared up
if peer groups are to function well. Peer Feedback usually
follows Staff Feedback. 100 and 40 item matching questionnaires are
available, or the Staff-Peers questionnaire can be used to
gather both kinds of feedback simultaneously.
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What
about cross-functional teams?
Peer Feedback profiles are often used for teams but the Team & Self-Management questionnaire is an option that requires just the one profile. The Managed Team questionnaire may be more suited where teams are not expected to self-manage. The Team
questionnaires do not give individual peer feedback but
individual issues will emerge during facilitation.
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Isn't
a hundred items too long?
Some
people have thought so, but this has rarely been raised by
those actually doing the questionnaire. The reason is that
the items are short, sharp, specific behaviours, and you are
not appraising, but merely saying 'more' or 'less' or
'the same'. The 100 items allow people to respond on a wide
range of behaviours and there is less requirement for
comments at the end (though plenty of space is provided).
Respondents mark as 'no change' or omit the items that they don't require, so that this
operates as an automatic gap analysis.
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How
do you deal with language difficulties?
You
may prefer the 40-item questionnaire, which is simpler
to use where English could be a problem. Or you can give assistance to
those filling in the longer questionnaires individually or
in groups.
The questionnaires can be provided in other languages.
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What
if our managers are too apprehensive about feedback from
staff?
Sounds
as though there's a definite need for it! Check our
"soft
entry"
strategies.
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Are
the questionnaires available in languages other than
English?
Currently
available in French. There has been some translation into Spanish.
We plan to implement Indonesian. If the
interest is there, we will work with you to obtain an agreed
translation - or we can simply set up your custom
questionnaire.
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What about US
spelling?
We use US spelling in questionnaires and materials for our
US clients.
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Can you customise what people see?
We can include your logos and corporate colours at no extra cost.
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Outcomes achieved
What
outcomes should we expect from a 360 Facilitated®
program?
The
immediate outcome is openness and dialogue. Next to that
comes contribution and agreement on Where, How, When, Who -
in other words performance improvement. And of
course learning and learning contracts. There are many
indirect outcomes to be expected (see measures).
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What
kinds of organizations can benefit from 360
Facilitated®
What
kind can't? Well, you have to have a minimum of three people
to give feedback, that's true, but really, wherever people
work together they will benefit by improved leadership,
communication and teamwork. That's our belief - and our
experience.
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Will
this help create a Learning Organization?
The
number one failing of the Learning Organization concept is not to
harvest adequately the learning and then distribute
it to where it is required. 360
Facilitated®
pulls in a great harvest of ideas, usually more than can be
implemented immediately. By prioritising the needs, we can
distribute the ideas and suggestions to where the need is
most urgent. And of course, a Learning Organization will
only function with openness and collaboration.
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How
does this support Quality programs?
360
Facilitated®
and the 360 Leader/Manager Profile™ (the
instrument for coaching and development) have been Endorsed as "gap
closing" by an Australian quality organization. 360
Facilitated®
has been endorsed by the New Zealand Business Excellence
Foundation.
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How
can we measure what we get?
We
have devised some specific measures of ROI that we can
discuss with you. Reduction in suggested
change, and increased alignment between
levels of management are the most easily measured by
our programs. Others range from the value obtained from
action plans and learning
objectives through to secondary effects such as
reduction in turnover and absenteeism, and increase in
productivity and quality.
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Will
this bring about a culture change?
A
program that is is carried throughout the organization and
maintained consistently, with full ongoing monitoring of
action plans will get major results because it affects every
individual positively.
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Getting
started: consulting & Accreditation
How
long have you been around?
Leaderskill
Group has devoted almost three decades to innovation in management skills
training, including eleven years of 360
Facilitated®
(previously Upward Feedback®).
We launched our first Internet direct printing profiles in February
1999. Peter Farey, doyen of upward feedback in the UK,
launched the first program (probably first in the world) in
1974, later deriving from this experience the Leader/Manager Model and scale that we use today.
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Do
you have a network of consultants working with
you?
Our
Associates have worked with us for up to 20 years and more. We are
represented very widely in Australia and New Zealand and
also in UK, South Africa, India, USA, Canada, Middle East and beyond. We provide surveys for a major Australian Graduate School of Managment, for the University of British Columbia, Canada, and have associations with other Universities.
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Can
we get accredited to do this ourselves or do you have to do
it?
We
are always pleased to pass on the technology. We accredit
good facilitators to run our programs (see Accreditation).
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Who
uses this?
Australia:
clients in the private sector are from Finance, Insurance,
Pharmaceuticals, Air Transport, Manufacturing, Food
Wholesaling, Building Construction, Information Technology,
Health. Public Sector clients are in
Federal, State & Local Government, Emergency Services
& the Military, and MBA programs. Schools have also taken part.
New
Zealand: clients are in Insurance, Manufacturing,
Construction and the Community.
UK:
includes Banking, Finance, Utilities and Government. Dorset
County Council with 20,000 staff and 150 managers produced a
video.
USA,
Canada, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Europe
(continental): a growing range of clients.
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Can
we assess our requirements for a 360 program?
Wise
to do so! For this reason we provide a free
assessment tool
that will allow you to consider the factors involved and
take measures to ensure that your program will be
successful.
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Coaching/Development and the 360
Leader/Manager Profile™
Do
we require accreditation to use the 360 Leader/Manager
Profile™?
Accreditation level 1 is provided. This profile does not require facilitation of results with the
team but is designed for managers and others who are in
development/ coaching/ mentoring programs and want feedback
that will help them focus their development. It is now in its eigth year of use by a major Australian Graduate School of Management for its Executive MBA students.
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Who
fills out the 360 Leader/Manager
Profile™?
The
manager or other Participant can have from 3 to 12 staff
and/or peers plus up to 2 'bosses' and self. The
questionnaire is based on the 40 'most used' items from the
100-item questionnaire.
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Can
managers/other participants process their own
results?
When
required, the client/facilitator can choose this option for
Participants in the survey. The facilitator can also change
the option for an individual manager when
necessary.
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Can
this be useful in an MBA program?
It
is already successfully used in two major Australian
universities and in others overseas. Besides giving students a focus for their
studies, it gives them experience of feedback as an aid to
personal and professional development.
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Operating
the website
How
would we process a manager on the
website?
You
pay a small, once only, establishment fee giving you access to the Consultant Control Centre and optional customisation. You also pay for a given
number of Participants (managers or others). You
(the facilitator) enter the type of Survey you would like to use and the names
of the Participants (which can be managers or others, or
teams) or we can do this for you. Passwords are emailed
automatically. Each Participant then accesses the
Participant Control Centre and emails the Respondents they
want. Respondents log in and complete their questionnaires,
you and/or the Participant can monitor this until all
responses are received. The facilitator then prints the profiles. You can
retain or delegate to us whatever level of control you
wish.
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Is
the manager in charge of getting their
feedback?
Managers
usually take the responsibility for emailing their
respondents, monitoring the number of questionnaires
received, sending reminders, and then 'processing' the survey when complete. Facilitators print the profile. Adjustments can also be
made as details change. All data input remains
anonymous.
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What
about processing a large number of managers?
The
website caters for large numbers of managers but if
requested, we can input and email large numbers for you,
and then let you take over and manage the process.
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Can
we run the whole process ourselves?
The
entire process of setting up surveys, emailing managers, resending passwords,
reminders, deleting or changing respondents is fast, straightforward
and in your hands to whatever degree you choose.
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How
long does it take to process a manager?
Most
of the time required is in waiting for respondents to
complete questionnaires. The actual processing is
immediate.
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What
do clients require for Internet processing?
Basically,
each Respondent requires private uninterrupted access to the
Internet for 10 to 20 minutes (depending on the
questionnaire). Browsers should be recent versions of Internet Explorer or
Netscape. Older browsers can also be used
with some slight limitations.
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Can
we do this with paper questionnaires or
email?
Certainly.
We mail/email you the materials, you return the completed
questionnaires. We input the data to the website where you can monitor progress and even print profiles, or we send you the profiles in hard copy or
PDF.
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Can
we mix paper, email and Internet responses?
Yes, as above.
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What
about privacy and security?
This
is a secure website (transactions are encrypted). Your privacy is fully respected (see our privacy policy).
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CUSTOM
SURVEYS
DIY
Surveys
Can
we use our own questionnaires on your
website?
You
may input your own questions with whatever scale(s) you want,
determine the question groupings you wish to use and even who sees which questions. You can even have a comment box next to every question if you want. Our Custom surveys are highly flexible and meet any need you are likely to have. The output is in radar and bar graphs in high quality PDF.
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Can
we customise the questionnaires with our own name, logo and
introduction?
Yes
you certainly can. At no extra charge we can include your
logo(s) and colours. Additional customisation on request.
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What about US
spelling?
We provide US spelling pages to our
US clients.
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Will
the website handle any kind of
questionnaire?
Just about.
Try us!
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Can
we use any assessment scale we want?
Yes.
Even ones that vary from question to question!
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Can
we gather responses from any groups we choose - associates,
project teams, customers...?
You
may gather from up to six groups and you can group the
questions in any way you want, even having different questions for different groups.
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What
about other languages?
Questionnaires
and instructions can be input in other languages - we even host bilingual surveys!
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Off-the-shelf
surveys
Do
you have other ready to use surveys for specific situations?
We
do. We have surveys and high-level expertise available for areas such as Trusts, Boards of Directors, Corporate Governance, Organizational Trust Matrix, Sports Leadership, Call
Centres, Communication Skills, Teamwork, and Team and Organizational Climate. Please contact
us about your interests (contact 360
Facilitated®).
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Self-assessment
Instruments
Do
you have instruments to measure a manager's
style?
We
do. In addition to the Consultancy Roles and Types
instrument (free on the website) we have the Leader/Manager
Types™ and the Team Types™ instruments which can be linked to profiles.
We can also add to profiles pages that show Indicators of Emotional Intelligence Behaviour. These are built from our research into behaviours that have always formed part of the Leader/Manager Model.
The Leader/Manager Types™ and EI tools are very helpful in the debriefing sessions with managers.
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