our services | 360° feedback

We believe that 360° is a human, rather than statistical, process that must encourage positive participation in on-going development. 360° feedback assists leadership development by acting as a catalyst. We find that people usually have an inkling of their development needs, but seeing the feedback crystallises their understanding and provides an impetus to do something about it. 360° feedback is a powerful tool for compelling people into action.

our approach

People tell us that our 360° process is the best they've seen. Here's why:

We start with strengths. A feedback report with a ‘harsh’ message is likely to de-motivate and achieve very little in terms of development.
We avoid numbers. Numbers and rating scales can get in the way of the developmental discussion – diverting attention from the wider themes and developmental implications. We've removed the rating scale from our survey. In our 360° survey you pick key strengths and development areas from a list.
We focus on key themes. Too often people say “It’s a bit hard to know where I should focus my development efforts - there’s a lot to take in.” People are more likely to achieve if they are focused on 3 or 4 key development priorities. In our survey people comment on just the priority strengths and development opportunities. The resulting report is rich in qualitative information. Our feedback is clear, targeted and specific.
We involve the person’s manager. The development process can easily flounder without the support of the participant’s manger. In our process the next-level manager is included right-up-front by asking them “As the person’s manager, how will you know if this development process has been successful? What would you see them doing differently if this process were a success?” The answers are included in the 360° feedback report to help focus development planning.
Our process is part of a wider developmental cycle. Too often 360° feedback is a one-off event, with little in the way of on-going support. Our 360° questionnaire is only one part of a process that also includes:
- Feedback Reflections. After the participants have reviewed their feedback report they complete a Feedback Reflections form that asks them about their reactions to the report and what they would like to talk about in the coaching discussion. These comments are sent to the coach to help tailor the developmental discussion.
- Kick-Off. Our Kick-Off tool helps integrate the development plan into the day-to-day work environment by emailing a ‘thank you’ to each feedback provider. This is critical because it demands that participants make a public statement about their development objectives – helping to gain the support of their peers, reports and stakeholders in achievement of the development goals.
- Message-In-A-Bottle. Our Message-In-A-Bottle tool encourages participants to regularly review progress on their development plan.
- Light-touch. Participants can follow-up their 360° feedback with Cerno’s Light Touch. Light Touch is a special 360° feedback survey that, rather than obtaining feedback on the capability areas, elicits feedback on the participant’s development objectives. Specifically, “Has the person progressed? What improvements has he/she made? What does he/she still need to do differently?” The Light Touch process reinforces developmental progress and helps to truely make the 360° feedback part of an on-going cycle.

360° coaching service

Cerno provide a full developmental planning service that ensures the 360° feedback is a catalyst for development. Our skilled facilitators avoid backward-looking “who said what?” discussions and lift the focus to a forward-looking “what does it mean?” in terms of moving to the next level of leadership.

The most critical success factor in the feedback process is the skill and experience of the coaches themselves. The coach ensures that the feedback process is a positive and constructive experience. Cerno’s people have extensive experience at assisting managers to identify development objectives (our consultants have given competency feedback to over 3,000 managers) and have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the managers themselves.

We maximise the time spent within the coaching discussion by encouraging people as much as possible to evaluate their 360° feedback prior to the discussion (using the online Feedback Reflection tool). This means that we have more meaningful discussions that not only help people to identify their development objectives, but also specify what success looks like, determine how they will overcome potential developmental barriers, and map-out practical strategies for creating new work habits. The focus of the discussions is primarily motivational, with our coaches helping people to understand the significance of their development areas in relation to other leaders at their level, the potential flip-side of their strengths, and challenging them to stretch their leadership aspirations.

After the session, the facilitator drafts a development plan on the person’s behalf. The development plans provide tailored development strategies that reflect the motivation, skills and career aspirations of the participant. We encourage people to take ownership of their development objectives through discussions with their manager and using the Kick-Off tool (see above) to communicate their objectives with their survey participants.