Are You Using Professional Assessments Professionally?

How is your organization using professional and leadership assessments?

Self-assessments, 360 degree feedback, assessment centers, and other similar tools are widely used in the workplace. What's your experience with them?

A lot of information is generated during the assessment process. I was reviewing some feedback that was coming in for a client and realized that there are many good uses for it. We may not always be taking the best advantage of the information and the potential process. So. . .

Would Some of These Help You and Your Organization?

Assessment feedback, by definition, is given to the subject of the assessment. That person is often asked to reflect  and decide what, if anything, to do with it. That's fine. Making changes is a choice. But here are some other ways to get the most from the data. You may be doing some are all of them now. If not, here are some thoughts that I hope you will find helpful:

1. In the case of 360 feedback, encourage the recipient (I'll use the word "Manager") to get together with the group that generated the data. It's an opportunity, at minimum, to acknowledge the time and energy they put into the activity.

Suggest that the Manager share the themes and take-aways from the data. 360 activities have some of the same dynamics as surveys. Participants want to know what happened with their input--and what will change as a result. This is a chance to do just that. And, if the Manager has misinterpreted something, the group can add clarity.

Yes, I know that the feedback is anonymous, blah blah. However, the act of inviting the respondents to come together also invites a deeper level of candor. And the fact of the matter is: These are people with whom the Manager has to work. Sooner or later it will be time to increase the honesty of conversations. This is an ideal framework in which to do that.

2. A Good Reason For A Good Conversation with "The Boss."

If you're the Manager, make an appointment with your boss. Tell what you think you want to do differently. Ask if the boss sees the data and your intended changes in the same way. Or differently. Here's the principle: Giving straight feedback is difficult for a lot, if not most, people. Including the boss. If you provide the data and ask for suggestions, you've done the work that your boss my find tough. It may be the most meaningful conversation you've had with that person.

3. A Good Reason For a Good Conversation with Your Reports.

If it's a 360, some or all of those folks provided feedback. I wouldn't call a departmental meeting and declare "Let's share." I would do one of these two:

• Make it a point to informally share what you learned and are working on with each person. Do it in the course of normal conversation.

• If you have a full group meeting coming up soon, take 10 minutes to talk about the assessment, the process, what you learned, what you are working on, and what kind of support you need to do those things. The payoff? You get help. You set the model that getting feedback and doing assessments is a valuable activity.

4. Self Assessments. Any or all of the above will be helpful to validate your self perception. We have ways of deceiving ourselves on both scales: positive and negative. Have the conversations that will give you an accurate picture.

Let's assume that you--or whoever is being assessed--will use the info for development. Here's the payoff you don't want to miss: the data provide an "objective" reason to have a "subjective" conversation. When you rally around the information, you are in an arena that's focused on performance factors and not necessarily you as a person. (That may be a result. Why not find out while you still have time to make changes?).

Most of all: an assessment offers  a legitimate reason to have the kind of conversation you've been missing.

Go for it!

Comments

[Jim Stroup]

Effective managers extract all the value they can out of limited assets - particularly those that draw large costs and carry great risks. The assessment process has those latter characteristics. When it is used in the limited manner you decry, management is just checking off boxes and gaining little benefit at all.

But by following suggestions such as you offer, managers find ways to bring the process to life not just for the object of an assessment, but for all who are involved in it.

One of those ways that occurred to me as I read this post is that such an approach will extend well beyond the personal development aspect of the issue (which is worthwhile enough), and even beyond the team- and environment/culture-strengthening side of it (which is exceptional.) It inevitably would go to integrating the thinking, general behaviors, and specific actions of individuals and groups within the organization with its strategic and operational aims. A natural reinforcement of the strategy-execution link.

Thanks for some really great ideas, here.

[Joanne Bintliff-Ritchie]

Steve, all good ideas. I've used each of them personally and found them very useful. Additionally, as Jim points out, our clients find the aggregation of this data very useful at an organization level. It can help identify leadership strengths, weaknesses and needs which can be used in developing strategies, plans and programs for Leadership Staffing and Development. In addition to survey data, we use it to populate a Leadership Effectiveness dashboard, so the organization can set goals and monitor progress.

[Steve Roesler]

Jim,

You caught the real essence with "integrating the thinking, general behaviors, and specific actions of individuals and groups within the organization with its strategic and operational aims." That's one of the clearest and most concise descriptions I've ever seen when it comes to characterizing the purpose and value of assessments.

Many thanks for that addition to the topic. I hope our readers will use it to "sell" the true benefits and outcomes of the process.

[Steve Roesler]

Joanne,

Pleased that you took time to highlight your 'Dashboard' approach. Was just working with a client group creating a custom Dashboard so that everyone would have an "At-a-Glance" snapshot of the info that was most important.

Keep up the good--and important--organizational work!

[Dan Murray]

Hi Steve,

Great insight as always Steve. So much of this really depends on the culture of the organization. I've seen several instances where the results of a 360 were used as 'marketing' (using the positive responses to highlight how wonderful I am) rather than 'market research' (valuable insight on how I am being perceived).

[Steve Roesler]

Dan,

That is one heck of a line: "the results of a 360 were used as 'marketing' (using the positive responses to highlight how wonderful I am) rather than 'market research' (valuable insight on how I am being perceived)."

I've never written about that but now that you've pointed to the issue, I think I will. Expect to see your quote:-)

[Dan McCarthy]

Steve -
Nice tips for how to get the most out of a 360. You're right on - a 360 is only the start of self-awareness, a conversation starter.

[Steve Roesler]

Dan,

Let's face it: a lot of managers want and need information that's categorized and structured. It helps them initiate important conversations that can be difficult to put together on their own.

[Mike King]

Great comments and discussions here everyone. I love the fact that how the value of the conversion is so evident here that it can tie in with really any process, not just 360 feedback. Does a manager really need a reason though to spark these conversions? Sad to think so.