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Will an established program of performance appraisal speed the acceptance of 360? Not always. The introduction of 360-degree feedback is often perceived as a major change in the work life of an organization, even when formal performance evaluation has been practiced for years. Unlike traditional appraisal, coworkers may be rating each other, and managers themselves may be on the receiving end of feedback from direct reports. People commonly feel nervous when they are about to receive feedback of any kind. Multi-source feedback is usually perceived as far more accurate and credible than single-source feedback. It's like holding up several mirrors to a person's workplace performance. The information is so detailed and objective that it is hard to deny. People inevitably discover they need to make specific changes in behavior. So, even if people are used to receiving feedback and believe that 360 will benefit them, they may feel somewhat anxious about the information they are about to receive. However, familiarity with periodic, formal feedback can be helpful. While 360 may be new to people, they are not likely to worry excessively or resist the process if they are already used to some form of feedback. Ideally, leaders - and even employees - are familiar with basic communication skills, such as giving and receiving verbal feedback. Resistance is common when no formal feedback mechanisms of any kind are in place. For example, many small businesses and nonprofit organizations have not yet adopted a formal performance evaluation system. But even in larger organizations, the culture may not require coworkers--or even bosses--to confront others about performance issues. People in such environments may consider the process of giving feedback to each other uncomfortable, unnecessary and possibly even disruptive. Also, if the experience with performance appraisal has been negative, people may associate 360 with the dread, resentment or cynicism caused by the old system. Many authorities, including Edwards Deming, discredit the traditional appraisal process. Indeed, this method has rarely proven to be effective. If your organization doesn't have an established, formal system of performance appraisal, it's not necessary to create one. A more effective first step would be to provide training in verbal and written feedback skills. These skills enhance the power of 360-degree feedback.
Article Source: http://www.articledestination.com
Dennis E. Coates is CEO of Performance Support Systems, author of MindFrames, a brain-based personality assessment system (www.initforlife.com) and co-founder of the Train-to-Ingrain alliance (www.train-to-ingrain.com, info@train-to-ingrain.com, 800-488-6463), which delivers a reinforcement-centered approach to learning and development that achieves permanent, measurable improvements in workplace behavior and positive impacts on business results.
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