To make strategic decisions in such diverse areas as marketing, production, compensation, and training, organizations require accurate metrics about the effectiveness of their employees.

They need answers to the following questions:

So we know the true state of our human capital.

So we understand our trend lines.

So we know whether to focus training efforts on everyone, or on specific groups that need it most.

So we can market our abilities in those areas.

So we can avoid promoting those areas until skills have improved.

So we can design skill development that will do the most good at the least cost.

So we can recognize and reward them, and leverage their capabilities.

So we can bring their strengths to bear on our most important areas.

Good employees don't leave organizations, they leave supervisors. So the answer to that question will go a long way to guide improvements in supervisory skill, and stem the outflow of good employees.

So how might you find answers to such crucial questions? Survey your customers? Create a task force? Hire a consultant? Conduct time and motion studies?

None of the above, if you use 360-degree feedback, because answers to every one of those questions are already waiting silently within your feedback projects.

To give this data a voice, and provide valuable strategic information to your executives and directors, and leaders in HR, training, and OD, just generate a group report that aggregates the data from your individual 360-degree feedback results.

Would you like to increase the effectiveness of your 360-degree feedback?

Ask yourself this question: Which group is likely to respond best to critical feedback - those who feel judged and disparaged, or those who feel appreciated?

The Criticized

We know that when people experience a lot of criticism, they become rigid, resist change, and develop a fortress mentality.

If someone gets upset with them, they focus on what's wrong with the other person.

They become the chronically "stuck" members of the organization, their vision limited to defending their turf.

The Appreciated

On the other hand, people who feel appreciated, respected, and valued have the mental bandwidth to accept challenges and run with them.

When these people discover that someone is upset with them, it spurs them to action, to discover how they can improve the relationship.

And when they receive constructive feedback, it expands their vision, helping them consider how to improve their performance.

What This Means For Feedback

In standard 360 reports, subjects may receive largely critical comments – or at best a random mixture of critical and appreciative. It's just good luck if they see enough positive comments early on to help them feel confident in confronting the inevitable criticisms.

Yet you can structure your 360 so it conveys appreciation right off the top, telling the subject in effect, "We respect your skills and contributions. And here are some ways in which you can improve on your performance."

How To Lay It Out

First, title the initial heading in your questionnaire something like this: "Abilities We Appreciate" or "Skills and Capabilities".

Then enter a request for appreciative narrative comments that get at the subject's strengths. Examples: "What do you most appreciate about this person, and why does it matter?" Or "Give an example of when this person displayed highly ethical behavior [or showed good leadership, or improved the atmosphere in the organization, or inspired others]. Why do you think this was valuable?"

Follow this with your standard competency headings and numerical questions.

Beginning with appreciative comments will send a crucial message to both responders and subjects: "The person being assessed is an important member of our team. So no matter what improvements we might suggest here, we're starting from a point of appreciation and respect."

This decade's corporate scandals illustrate the benefit of using 360-degree feedback to scan people and organizational practices for danger.

In every company that has hit the headlines because of integrity problems, there were individuals who recognized the issues ahead of time but had no secure way to voice their concerns.

Given their silence, the pretense of official corporate numbers ruled the day.

If they had aggregated the results of confidential 360-degree feedback, those organizations could have charted their corporate health earlier and more accurately, alerted boards of directors, and put remedial measures in place.

• The integrity of your leaders
• Their level of competency
• Whether they adhere to codes of ethics
• Whether the organization is out of control

The process requires foresight but surprisingly little additional effort. Here's a 3-step plan:

1. Assess the right people

Make sure your 360 project covers all the senior management of the organization, including the CEO and CFO.

It's important to let participants know beforehand that their results may be seen by others, as part of the aggregate report.

2. Ask the right questions

All you need to do is ask focused questions like this: "Does the person being assessed carry out accounting and audit measures rigorously and transparently?"

The uniquely confidential nature of the 360-degree feedback questionnaire makes it safe for responders to provide valuable intelligence.

Your questionnaire will not only elicit priceless information, but also convey the unmistakable message that your organization is committed to integrity in governance.

3. Aggregate the results

Just as an individual's report reveals much about her/his strengths and weaknesses, a report on the group can shed light on those corners of the organization where integrity is strongly or weakly practiced.

It can predict whether the organization risks becoming the next victim of critical headlines by alerting you, for instance, to persons who may be rated high on business acuity but received lower scores on ethical or financial issues.

Remedial action based on 360-degree feedback can help save them and the organization from scandal and loss.

Next time, I'll share a sampling of questions that will focus your 360-degree feedback on personal and corporate integrity.

As you know, there's an mistaken tendency to undervalue HR and OD professionals.

360-degree feedback vendors sometimes contribute to this when they suggest that their off-the-shelf questionnaires have been universally "validated". The implication is that your unique skills are not required.

Just plug and play.

But the truth is that an HR or OD professional who designs a 360 questionnaire brings knowledge of the organization and people that a one-size-fits-all approach cannot match.

When you validate a questionnaire for your particular organization, you answer questions like this:

Do the questions fit the organization?

As an insider, you're uniquely positioned to select valid questions, meaning those that shine a light on the strategic needs and challenges of your workplace.

Will the answers lead to action?

A valid questionnaire is one that communicates clearly to your recipients what they are doing well and where they need to improve, encouraging them to make changes.

You're in the best position to design a questionnaire that speaks to the people of your organization.

Are the questions clear and unambiguous?

HR and OD professionals have the specialized knowledge to assess whether the questions are valid within the culture and expectations of responders.

They generally follow these two steps:

First, put yourself in the responder's place. Choose questions that they can answer without straining to figure out their meaning.

Second, test your questionnaire on real people. Again, you add value by locating representative individuals who will tell you whether they understand the questions and can readily answer them.

As an example, we provide Panoramic Feedback users with an excellent library of carefully-designed questionnaires. But because every setting is different, we encourage everyone to rewrite them. We recognize that words can have sharply different meanings in different contexts.

Theoretically you could save effort by not validating your organization's questionnaire. But would you install new equipment or introduce new work processes without this kind of careful preparation?

To make your 360 more effective and your workplace more productive, trust your own wisdom.

Just tick off a few answers, jot down some comments, and you’re finished the feedback. 10 minutes max. Piece of cake.

Yet if providing feedback was that easy, why do so many delay, delay, delay?

Why do some tick off the middle choice for every question?

Why do some soft-pedal their critical comments, while others hammer at them like nails?

We should never under-estimate the level of concern felt by feedback providers.

Anxiety beforehand

Ahead of time, many people worry about the feedback. They're thinking really fast:

"Will s/he accept what I say?....Will s/he be upset, embarrassed, humiliated, vindicated, triumphant?....Will s/he figure out who said what?....Will there be retribution for critical comments?....Can I be honest and kind at the same time?....If I’m too kind, will I feel like I’m selling out?"

Challenge during the process

If it were easy to provide feedback in a form that the other person could truly “hear”, responders would offer it every day.

That's why they're doing much more than just ticking off answers. They're managing a constant stream of thoughts.

"Should I balance the positive with the critical, or just say what needs to change?....If I soft-pedal my feedback, will s/he take it seriously?....I've been so mad for so long, and now I've finally got a chance to let her/him have it!....If I sound angry, will her/his back go up?....This is taking a long time to figure out....Maybe I’ll put it off till tomorrow."

Concern afterwards

Even after they finish providing feedback, people don’t just go back to work. They wait for the other shoe to drop.

"Is s/he going to acknowledge the feedback we’ve all given?....Will the mood be chilly or appreciative?....Will the feedback actually make a difference in her/his behavior?....Long-term, will we gain or lose by providing feedback?....I'm feeling surprisingly vulnerable."

Addressing these concerns

With so much activity taking place under the surface, it's pretty amazing that the feedback process leads reliably to increased growth, confidence, and productivity.

That's because responders are generally well prepared. Our challenge is to smooth the path by addressing their concerns.

So next time, I'll offer you some hints about preparation.

Jigs, reels, and waltzes flowed out over the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts last weekend.

I happened upon half a dozen fiddlers, a guitarist, and pianist, at a jam session that was much like a shared learning workshop. They ranged from grizzled professionals to young children.

The sole non-musician in the room, I was captivated by the sheer joy of listening, and intrigued by their commitment to growth.

The music was punctuated with personal stories, and requests for help with their challenges.

A fiddler told the others she wanted to learn to play chords, to accompany the melody line. So while everyone else played melody, the pianist called out the chords to her: “C sharp…now A…D…A…C sharp.”

You can see where I’m going with this. They were motivated not to shame or outshine each other, but to learn to play better. Their chosen method was to get feedback from those around them, and practice doing things differently.

Partway through, a late arrival introduced himself with a twinkle in his eye, “Hi, my name is John, and I’m a recovering fiddler.” Not missing a beat, the rest of the group responded “Hello John”, a spontaneous imitation of an AA meeting. They made no secret of the fact that they were looking for support with the musical issues in their lives.

I noticed that these two hours were free of criticism and full of encouragement. “Oops, I messed that up,” announced a player, without embarrassment, at the end of a jig. “That’s OK,” replied another, “The more you do this, the better you’ll play.”

For these musicians, developing their skills during that Berkshire weekend was part of a seamless lifetime of learning. They let go of their egos, refusing to compete against each other, alternating generosity with a greedy eagerness for feedback.

As we enter this autumn in our places of work, I do hope we can encourage each other to minimize competitiveness and ego, in favor of a lifetime commitment to feedback and self-development.

It is a mere accident of birth that the majority of 360-degree feedback questionnaires are in English.

It happened because 360 spent its gestation among the English-speaking populations of the US, Great Britain, and Canada.

Plus the fact that English has been, till now, the language of both trade and the Internet.

Spanish, French, Romanian, Chinese….

But increasingly, other world languages are showing up in 360s.

Spanish, for instance, because it's the second language in the US and a major force in the world. French because it's an official language of Canada.

Norse because Norway has a significant 360-degree feedback history. Romanian, Czech, and Hungarian because of the startling growth of 360 in those languages.

Japanese because Japan's trade is focused on achieving high productivity. Chinese because China is attempting to develop a top-quality leadership group in a fraction of the time available to other cultures. And so on.

That's why many international organizations see the value of presenting 360-degree feedback in other languages.

"But our people speak English!"

It's tempting to say, "We'll just do it in English, because everyone in the company speaks English." But this misses a crucial limitation of surveys, which is that the more comfortable people are in responding, the more generous their responses and the more clear their feedback.

So yes, it's true that your colleagues know enough English that you don't have to learn their language to converse with them. But that does not mean that they will interpret the wording of your questionnaire like a native-born English speaker. The subtleties of language may trip them up.

As well, it will take them more time to respond, and they'll fatigue more quickly, which means that by the end of their second questionnaire, they may have little energy, or confidence, to provide those all-important narrative comments.

And if they have to comment in English, well, they may just decide it's not worth the effort, and skip it. Or they may fear that their imperfect use of the language will identify them.

So if you have non-native English-speakers in your group, it's worth the time and effort to offer your 360-degree feedback program in their languages, as well as English.

Our family dinner this week was set on a table as long as the continent.

Ten of us gathered in Toronto, and on the west coast our daughter and a friend joined us via Skype.

We balanced a computer with a camera on a pile of phone books, on a chair at the end of our table, so she could see and hear us, as if she were sitting here. At her place, she put her computer across the table from where they were sitting.

We ate and talked together for several hours. Sometimes, at their end of the 3000-mile table, they chatted with each other, ignoring us. We did the same. Exactly the way it is at family dinners when everyone is physically present.

If we'd attempted such a connection a dozen years ago, it would have cost $50,000 and required an army of technicians. This week we did it for free, with no techies, using the Internet.

It was the most lovely, and natural, high-tech experience I've ever had. This sparkling event allowed the seniors at our table to see how beautiful their granddaughter is today.

I mention 1998, a dozen years ago, because that's when the first successful 360-degree feedback system appeared on the Internet. It was Panoramic Feedback, which instantly became and remains today, a world leader in multi-source feedback.

Admittedly I'm boasting here, but I'm also thinking about you and your work.

The technology you would have used, back when we released Panoramic Feedback, was the best and most convenient form of 360-degree feedback anywhere in the world. But, from today's perspective, you would have found it pretty clunky.

If you're now a 360 user, you're experiencing a highly streamlined version of our system. And I'm working with our developers to adopt new technologies that will make it more intuitive, responsive, engaging, and natural for you.

Curious, isn't it? Improvements in Internet technology, providing solid benefits to users of 360-degree feedback, also contribute to our family's 3000-mile meal.

About the phone books? Well, we don't use them to look up numbers these days, because it's faster to use the Internet. But they're a perfect new technology for holding up the computer.

A shoe must fit the foot. A bolt must fit the nut. And in today's climate, new hires have to fit the organization.

Although companies have begun hiring again, there's a change in what they're looking for.

Their increased focus on costs means they're not willing to wait for new employees to learn their culture and gradually fit in. They have to hit the ground running.

Fit reduces waste

Fit means more than a certain set of skills.

If the new hire fits in, with the best blend of skills and character, there's less likelihood of wasted initiatives or conflict with colleagues.

Organizations can't afford to invest months, molding upper-level managers in particular until they fit. They see issues like motivation, management style, leadership, values, and ethics as crucial.

Fit and hiring

We ran into this issue when we designed the questionnaires for our new MY360 Degree Feedback product. It is designed to help capable unemployed people and recruiters find each other through a 360-degree feedback report.

So we included "fit"-type statements like these, inviting responders to mark their agreement or disagreement:

"Displays a high level of self-awareness regarding her/his strengths and areas for improvement"

"Acts ethically and responsibly, even in situations that are ambiguous"

"Takes responsibility for her/his own reactions, rather than blaming others"

360-degree feedback based on such questions gives employers an immediate impression of whether the applicant is likely to fit their culture.

This is not an issue of judgement: right or wrong, good or bad, skilful or not. It is simply about being suitable for a particular organization.

Re-examine your 360-degree feedback questionnaire

Times are changing.

Because fit is closely linked to success within your corporate culture, now is the time to re-examine your 360-degree feedback.

Check whether it features questions about the qualities, not just the skills, most needed for your organization's success.

(P.S. If you're a Panoramic Feedback user, look into our library of sample questionnaires for many more "fit"-related questions.)

In the previous column, I proposed abandoning the delusion of "industry norms" for 360-degree feedback. I suggested that we use the results of our own 360s to provide locally valid normative data.

This week, I suggest we ditch another great illusion: the notion of "industry validated" questionnaires.

No question, you do need your questionnaires to be valid. They must ask the right questions in the clearest form, to provide meaningful 360 results.

The validity illusion

But there's no such thing as a questionnaire that's valid throughout an industry.

Ask one worker whether her boss manages their team effectively and she'll respond in a heartbeat: "Totally. We all feel empowered."

Another worker, in another setting, will ponder and reply, "What team? We're not playing sports here."

For the second employee, the question was not valid. She might need a question that addresses the boss's fairness, or trustworthiness, or clarity, or vision, to elicit a meaningful reply.

Validate locally

The key to validity is to design questions that make sense to your particular employees, based on your organization's needs, in the current economic climate, in your specific cultural and regulatory environment.

Such questions will be valid (meaning that they will attract a meaningful response) no matter whether you're a small-town plant, a multi-national giant, or a government department.

Want some help?

Not everyone is a natural writer. If you use the Panoramic Feedback 360-degree feedback system, most of the work is already done for you.

You can download hundreds of unambiguous questions designed by professionals. Simply select those that address your organization's needs.

How will you know if they're valid?

Forget about so-called industry norms. Your most crucial task is to validate the questions locally.

First step, examine them yourself. Do they reflect the goals of your organization? Do they fit your environment?

Second, ask a sample of your people to read them, and tell you what they see. Do they find the questions clear, meaningful, and relevant to their workplace?

Third, revise as needed, and get feedback on your revisions.

That's how you develop a meaningfully validated questionnaire. That's how you invite feedback that will help your people grow and your organization prosper.

COMMENT

"This article is spot on. We fight against the validity illusion every day. Glad someone in our industry finally set the record straight."

Joe Vance

EchoSpan, Inc.

When I think ice cream, I always think vanilla. Actually, I love chocolate mint, tartuffo, and butter-pecan. But say the words "ice cream", and I'll imagine vanilla.

When we put MY360 Degree Feedback online a few weeks ago, we had only one flavor in mind: to support talented people who lost their jobs to the recession.

We wanted to help them draw the attention of overworked recruiters to their excellent resumes.

But it turns out there are half a dozen other flavors of MY360, for people who don't have access to 360 through their organization.

Last week, an academic user sent us her perspective. She said, "I am the chair of a large academic department which is undergoing an administrative review this year. I thought it might be useful to have a reflective look at my leadership as part of this process, and MY360 was perfect for this purpose."

That got us thinking about some of the other groups who might find it useful:

• Executives who don't get honest feedback because of their rank
• Individuals who want to change jobs or careers, and may need to improve their skills
• People who want to make the case for promotion or re-assignment within the organization
• People who want to accelerate their work with a career coach
• Anyone who recognizes that they need to see their skills more objectively
• Everyone actively committed to self-development

The academic said she appreciated the "honest, concrete feedback" she got so quickly. "It will be extremely useful," she said, "Not only for the review, but mainly for my own self-development as a leader and person."

Our focus is still on unemployed people who want to draw the attention of recruiters to their special capabilities. But it's great to catch a taste of the other flavors of MY360 Degree Feedback.

Do you know unemployed people whose job applications get no attention because they look like hundreds of others?

Millions of people are competing for the same handful of jobs. They're frustrated and demoralized.

At Panoramic Feedback, we saw that 360 degree feedback assessments could make well-qualified job-seekers stand out for recruiters.

But there's a catch-22. Most people have access to feedback only if they are already employed, by an organization that uses 360s!

New individual focus

We're proud to announce that's changed.

Our solution is to make 360s available to job-seekers directly, at a price they can afford.

This week we launched MY360 Degree Feedback, which allows them to initiate their own assessment whenever they need it. It takes only minutes to set up online

We think it could introduce profound change to the recruitment process.

Recruiting benefits

The primary beneficiaries of MY360 will be people seeking new or improved jobs.

They'll be able to enhance their resumes with a feedback report that says "Open me first" to employers.

At the hiring end, it will help recruiters do their job more quickly and effectively by highlighting those who, in the judgement of others, have strong skills.

Currently, they're drowning in look-alike applications, naturally cynical about self-serving claims, and desperate for authentic data.

MY360 will identify those high-value candidates who show flexibility, appreciate feedback, continue to grow, and are highly regarded by colleagues.

Skills Development

MY360 will also support the traditional use of feedback: for self-development. It will tell workers how their skills are viewed by those who know their work best, guiding and inspiring them as they set about expanding their skill sets.

MY360 will help coaches do their best work, supporting their efforts anytime their clients need external feedback.

Please take a look

If you'd like to know more, check out my-360-degree-feedback.com.

I hope you'll share the link with anyone who is struggling to find appropriate employment, and those who recruit them.

And please contact us, if you have comments or suggestions for improvement.

As the recession winds down, the casualties include a lot of dedicated HR professionals.

They've experienced the pain of letting good people go. They've watched their own colleagues disappear, and worried that they might be next.

They've encountered people they would be firing in a day or two, and longed to shout that the sky is falling.

They've endured many a hostile glare.

It hasn't gotten any better

Even at home, some find it hard to relax. Their sleep is disturbed, their appetite affected.

Though they desperately need the comfort of family, sometimes their fuses are so short that they push their loved ones away.

The recession has stolen more than job satisfaction. It has taken their peace of mind.

The cost for the organization

The HR work space has been damaged.

Productivity is often lower. Stress has increased between members of the department. Respect for leaders has diminished.

And commitment to the organization has slipped.

Help those suffering from stress

The first response should be to recognize that some are experiencing serious stress as a result of traumatic experiences.

They may need to talk with someone caring and impartial, a coach or psychotherapist, so they can release the pain they're carrying.

Confronting collective feelings

Many HR departments harbour systemic guilt and resentment. "This is not what we joined HR to do," people say. "Someone else made us do this."

It is crucial to deal with this collective distress, so the department can regain its balance and work effectively for the benefit of all.

The executive responsible for HR should bring everyone together, with no other purpose than de-briefing the past year.

It will be helpful to have a facilitator present, so the leader (who may also be carrying a lot of feelings) can participate as a member of the group, rather than trying to manage its unpredictable moods.

Good News

Healing in HR is inevitable.

When people's concerns are acknowledged and responded to, it will come all the faster.

Over the last couple of months, our 360-degree feedback development team has been hard at work creating a questionnaire for a new product we're launching.

Along the way, we made the questionnaire too long, then too short. We added questions, and subtracted many. We requested narrative comments, then re-wrote requests that were redundant or confusing.

It took some time.

But it's been a great process, and reminded me of the 5 key principles of questionnaire development.

1. Don't rush the fermentation

You don't need many hours per day to crush grapes or develop a questionnaire.

But it's important to schedule the process over a longer period of time, so you can get feedback, re-write, re-test, and re-write again, to create the best questionnaire ever.

2. Keep your eye on the core

The best way to develop an effective 360 is to focus on the core competencies of your organization.

Which competencies have built your reputation? To outperform, which do you need to encourage? What capabilities make your organization unique?

Once you've listed half a dozen competencies, make them the headings for the questionnaire, and write 4 or 5 questions about each one.

3. Cheat early, cheat often

There's no reason to start from scratch, when there are lots of good cheat sheets already out there.

For instance, we provide over 1000 well-tested questions to users of our 360 system.

They import, edit, adopt, adapt, mutate, transmogrify, and ignore them, and sometimes simply use them for inspiration. It's all good.

4. Invite a crowd

You need only a couple of people to design a great questionnaire.

But proper testing takes a crowd.

Your engineers read things differently from managers, and line workers differently from professionals.

So clarify those phrases that confuse or bewilder your testers. Your questionnaire will soon make sense to everyone.

5. Bless the challenges

If you chose your testers well, you'll get lots of feedback.

Some replies will surprise, some dismay. ("We tried so hard to make this perfectly clear, and now they say they don't get it!")

It's the challenge every good writer faces.

Grapple with those comments, and gradually you'll become better attuned to how others see your words.

Next time around, you'll write better, and easier.

I spent last weekend with Freida, the newest member of our family. She's four months old and gorgeous.

The memory that stands out is a plump, smiling, dark-haired baby who was looking at me. Really staring, for minutes at a time.

On our previous visit her eyes moved at random, rarely settling on me or anything else.

Now she's able to really attend. My heart melted, to be the focus of attention for someone so fresh and new.

Truly looking

Thinking about our visit later, I realized how rare it has become for us adults to truly look at each other.

Sure, we may co-exist in a certain space, whether the office or the kitchen.

We may talk, do tasks, share plans, design programs, but there's a distinct lack of attention to the human being behind those tasks and plans and programs.

We see each other only well enough to avoid stepping on each other's feet.

That look

Meanwhile, we're all hungry to see that light in the eyes that says, "I get you. I really see you."

Maybe that's why there's so much talk these days about face-time.

Maybe it's what drives us to think, "Don't treat me as a function who accomplishes certain vital tasks. See me as a human being, with aspirations and needs, with a headache or a joy, with anticipation or dread."

Feedback says I'm seen

Which may also explain why the idea of feedback has become so important in recent decades.

Feedback can be an informal remark over the kitchen table. ("You look great, but straighten your tie before you go out.") Or it may be a full-fledged, corporate feedback process.

Either way, it provides relevant information: where I'm doing well and where I could improve.

Crucially, it also tells me that someone sees me, really attends to how I'm doing.

We're all wired to want that kind of recognition.

Which takes me back to Freida

In her pure, infant way, she really saw me.

Now I'm looking forward to staring back into those big brown eyes, and saying "I see you too, Freida."

I was 12, visiting a cottage and looking for adventure, when I first met Pete the water-skier.

While my family was chugging along in a beat-up old tub, Pete was racing around the lake behind a big, fast boat.

I was thrilled when he invited me to ski with him. He even taught me to drive while he skied. We had many good times that sunny summer.

It all ended one day when I failed to check behind me during a turn. While I watched for obstacles ahead, Pete was sinking into the water.

I can still feel the unexpected jolt as the tow rope suddenly tightened. The handle broke, flying out of his bleeding hands.

I turned the boat to pick up Pete. He called me an idiot, dropped me off at the dock, and we never again skied together.

Nowadays, the law says you cannot tow a skier without a spotter. No driver can be expected to keep an eye on the water ahead and the skier behind, at the same time.

For safety, you need another pair of eyes.

That's equally true in our careers. Many of us rely on our "spotters" to give us essential feedback.

Whether we're talking about good, honest friends in the workplace, or a formal 360-degree feedback program, spotting has become even more critical during this recession.

Most people are totally focused today on what's coming at them. They're doing everything they can to manage their jobs and sustain their employers.

They rarely have the luxury of looking around to make sure everything is ok. Like the kid driving the boat, they can't see what they can't see.

Sometimes it takes another pair of eyes to notice when they're courting disaster.

Their spotters can warn them about destruction they're leaving in their wake, and that gives them a chance to do something about it.

Equally, they need someone to notice where they are brilliant. People are working so hard, so worn out, that they're often oblivious to the good they're doing.

Spotters can offer re-assurance, a little appreciation that staves off burnout.

In these times of stress, we owe it to our people to encourage every opportunity for frank, caring feedback.

Just imagine, if I'd had a spotter that day, Pete and I might still be water skiing together this summer!

As jobs and hope evaporate, frightened people are turning to coaches, some of us professional, some gifted amateurs.

Here are a few reminders about how to be most effective as a coach.

Put Aside Your Own Preoccupations

You may believe that things will get worse, or better. Your relatives may have suffered, or prospered. You may be personally fearful, or optimistic.

But in the coaching moment, none of that is relevant.

Leave it all aside. Nothing breaks empathy like, "Well, in my case..." Or "That reminds me..."

Focus On The Person

Rivet your attention on the person before you.

Listen attentively to their words, but note too what's happening physically: their face, their hands, their posture.

You'll begin to see the subtle ways in which they are different from any other person you've coached.

You'll gain helpful hints about what's happening inside them, including fears they may not express in words.

Maintain The Dialectic Of Rationality And Empathy

To be an effective coach, your mind and heart need to work together.

Never doubt that your questions, suggestions, and guidance are valuable. Your task is to think beyond the moment, to imagine how the person can effectively secure their future.

But your ideas will mean nothing if the person does not sense that you "get" them: empathically, warmly.

To be empathic is not to lose yourself in another's pain but to acknowledge it and show that you understand.

Draw Out Their Wisdom

Share your ideas, but don't rely on them.

You'll do more good helping people to express and refine their own solutions than by attempting to convert them to yours.

And that takes a distracting load from your shoulders, not having to be the font of all wisdom.

Attending to the other person's ideas offers an unintended benefit.

By working out their own solutions, taking ownership of their issues, they feel their power grow, and kindle their own hope.

Hope counterbalances some of their fear, freeing up their energy for success.

Which makes you a great coach!

At the age of nine, Jimmy was a faster bike rider than most of the kids in the neighborhood, a competent softball player, and a decent student.

One summer day, he and I set out with a couple of other kids to have an adventure. At the curve of the river, where centuries of erosion had cut away the clay, was the cliff we called Blue Banks.

Usually, we swam in the river, but this particular day we started teasing each other. "You're scared to climb the cliff." "No, you're a big chicken yourself!"

At first, it was easy to scramble up the slope, but as we moved higher, the cliff face became almost vertical. Fifty feet up, looking at the sparkling blue river below, my stomach was suddenly queasy.

Beside me, Jimmy's handhold broke away, the clay clattering down Blue Banks. With tears in his eyes, he moaned, "I can't go up and I can't get down. I'm scared."

We argued with him, "You can do it!" But he was paralyzed with fear.

So the rest of us scrambled to the top, ran to find an adult, and lowered a ladder. Jimmy grabbed a rung, and quickly climbed to safety.

Getting Unstuck Restores Confidence

The day after our climb, Jimmy was still the fastest bike rider in the neighborhood, a competent softball player, and a decent student. There was nothing inadequate about him. He simply got stuck on a particular cliff.

The challenge, for those of us who work with people, is to help them extricate themselves from situations that make them appear, and even feel, incompetent.

How Feedback Helps

Training and development are among the best ways of lowering a ladder. The recipients still have to do the work, but now there's a tool to support them.

360-degree feedback is especially valuable because it clearly identifies the things at which they excel. It reminds them to stay committed to the skills that have made them successful, and identifies areas where they need further development.

So when everyone is urging you to cut back on your support for people, keep the faith. There are a million Jimmies stuck on cliff sides out there, some of whom who could be propelling your organization to greater success.

All they need is a little help getting unstuck.

This is a week of hope for new beginnings.

As Barack Obama begins his presidency, we're all hoping it will restore the US to a position of respect, strength, and responsibility.

With our world (not to mention our personal investments) consumed by a devastating financial crisis, faced with climate change, terrorism, and awful tensions in the Middle East, we need an alternative to despair.

But to embody hope is too heavy a weight for any one person, even someone as impressive as the new president.

Because of our special roles in HR, OD, training, and consulting, we can share the task.

I'm not suggesting we pretend that everything's fine. At his inauguration, president Obama emphasized the need for hard work and pragmatism.

But we can highlight the positives, in this generally unhappy time.

Upgrading Skill Sets

Perhaps the greatest positive is also painful: this crisis will require many people to upgrade their abilities, or learn radically new skills.

It will be hard on folks who were relying on a comfortable future in, for example, manufacturing.

But ultimately it's a gift, a crisis that shakes us out of our illusions of security.

Those who invest their energy in self-development will find themselves much more secure in this changed world.

Change In Organizations

The pain of this period is not felt by laid-off employees or small stock-holders alone.

Look at the demands being placed on auto manufacturers, once so reluctant to build greener cars. Or the banks and financial regulators, forced to upgrade their standards.

Look at the CEOs who won't receive obscenely large bonuses this year.

Not only are they being forced to change, but because of those changes, we will all live in a better world.

Helping People Feel Hope

The most effective way to convey hope, for those of us who work with people, is to listen and empathize.

Those who face the multiple challenges of self-development need to know that we understand and care, that we have faith in them. That will go a long way to encourage their hope in these new beginnings.

Last Spring, two cute baby swans hatched on the shore of our bay. Soon they were swimming, somewhat tentatively, behind their glistening white parents.

But as the cygnets grew into adolescence, nearly the size of the adults, something was wrong. One of them was light brown.

How to explain this? No other swan on the bay is anything but white.

While I can't figure out how Brownie got his coloring, his presence in the society of swans intrigues me.

Appearance Doesn't Matter

Brownie possesses the same skill set as his paler cousins.

He dips his long graceful neck into the water to find plants and insects for dinner, just like they do.

He swims efficiently, seems to be fond of his sister, will probably mate for life, and should survive for 40 years. In all respects but one, he's a very ordinary swan.

Appearance Is Everything

I'm very fond of Brownie. I always look for him. He's my ugly duckling in reverse.

I find him "interesting", and maybe that's patronizing. But it's human nature to judge a book by its cover. We all agree that appearances are deceiving, but we rely on them instinctively.

We'd like to think ourselves indifferent to differences. Color, gender, orientation, culture, or ability shouldn't matter, we say.

But within seconds of meeting someone new, human or swan, we've pretty well decided how we will regard them.

Self-Awareness Is Essential

It's critical to notice that we're making these mental assessments. Otherwise, we're powerless to control them.

Without intending to, we will continue to reserve our highest respect and offer the best opportunities to people who look roughly the same as us.

(Unless, of course, they are tall, exceptionally good-looking, culturally similar, or superbly dressed. They'll probably get the benefit of the doubt.)

By the way, I've noticed that the local swans are not nearly as perceptive as I am. To date, they seem to have failed to notice that my good friend Brownie is the wrong color.

Voice on the phone: "We've decided to use 360-degree feedback as part of our strategic plan!"

A sudden shift to anxiety: "But we're not sure what to ask. Can you provide us with questions?"

"We're happy to give you hundreds," replied our sales associate.

"We've got questions for leaders, board members, managers, in finance, manufacturing, government, healthcare, IT, sales, and a bunch of others.

"But there's a catch...."

The catch is that you'll get the full benefit of 360 only if you ask the right questions.

So don't just adopt our lists of questions. Adapt them.

Here's how to develop an excellent questionnaire.

1. Be Clear Why You're Using 360

There are plenty of excellent reasons to use 360.

Which will drive your project?

• Gain a competitive advantage
• Prepare staff for the next big push
• Change the organization's culture
• Create a thirst for growth among those distracted by day-to-day demands
• Reward motivation and disrupt complacency
• Guide those who are unsure where to focus growth efforts
• Reduce training costs through focused delivery

2. Decide What To Ask About

You can't assess every skill, so ask about those that reflect strategic needs.

• Where does our organization have a critical need for renewal: skills, attitudes, values?
• Which ones need development right away?
• Which will be required for success in the next two to five years?

3. Build Your Questionnaire

Start with 40 questions where people can respond on a scale of, say, one to ten.

Re-write them to reflect your organization's identity and culture.

Add requests for unstructured comments. (Many people learn better from comments than numerical answers.)

4. Don't Go It Alone

Get more eyes on the project. Ask colleagues to:

• Help you cut back to 30-35 questions
• Sharpen the focus of questions where they have special knowledge
• Spot problems that you might not notice (groan!) till the day after the questionnaire appears online

Nice catch!

Now you know how to develop a superior instrument for 360-degree feedback.

I'm a novice but enthusiastic sailor.

So it caught my attention, in this current economic storm, that commentators are urging us to "clear the decks", "batten the hatches", and "reef the sails".

Seafarers have always employed those tactics to ride out deadly hurricanes, but what do they mean for those of us working in HR, OD, and training during today's crisis?

Clear The Decks

When the ship was rolling in heavy seas, the last thing the ancient mariner wanted was heavy objects sliding around the deck and breaking things. Sailors stowed away everything they didn't require immediately.

Equally, those of us who labor on land need to reduce the clutter and re-focus resources onto projects that will help us weather the storm, and when the skies clear up, move ahead quickly.

While many tools fit this criterion, the one I'm most familiar with is 360-degree feedback. Here's a test you can apply to 360 and your other projects.

In good weather, do they help the organization maintain its competitiveness?

In rough weather, do they offer a double benefit?

Do they help people ride out the storm, staying above water while your competitors struggle to stay afloat? And do they prepare your workers to seize the advantage once the storm has passed?

Batten The Hatches

During heavy weather, sailors used strips of wood called battens to secure the covers on hatches (openings), and keep the water out.

It's crucial that we keep our most precious cargo from getting swamped. People are easily discouraged in rough times.

We could lose some of our best workers to other opportunities. And the productivity of those who remain could shrink, as their enthusiasm dampens.

When people are worried, initiatives like 360 reassure them that they're still cared about, and their career paths remain important.

Reef Your Sails

You don't want to spend a ton of new money at a time like this.

During a blow, sailors reduce their sail area so the ship won't be overwhelmed by the wind.

You can reduce costs with the more economical methodologies such as 360-degree feedback, instead of risky high-priced initiatives.

I've also noticed that lots of organizations have asked us to manage their 360 projects recently, to avoid increasing and/or re-training their own staff.

So however you choose to handle the current crisis, I wish you good sailing.

As for me, I'm trusting the ancient mariners to guide us all to safety.

Good coaching, whether provided by managers, HR professionals, or dedicated coaches, is crucial for a successful 360-degree feedback program.

To assess whether you or your colleagues have the skills to be effective, check out these seven core competencies of the world's best coaches.

Coaching Orientation

Effective coaches understand how the human mind functions, and the conflicts, whether external or unconscious, that can impede a persons growth.

They avoid simplistic, off-the-shelf solutions to complex problems.

And they keep encouraging their clients to experiment with new solutions.

Organizational Understanding

Because they operate from a systems perspective, these coaches understand the complex dimensions and needs of organizations.

So they can help individuals balance their need for change against the needs (official and unofficial) of corporate culture.

Coaching Skills

Good coaches start out with empathy and a caring attitude.

They are "active listeners", meaning that they ask insightful questions, make good contact, and constantly check that they have understood.

They have the courage to confront their clients as needed, along with the necessary gentleness to support their self-esteem

Teaching Ability

Effective coaches know how to break complex tasks down into manageable pieces, then encourage an action-and-reflection rhythm.

Equally important, they have a deep belief in the capacity of their clients to learn new skills.

Like all teachers, they have the patience to surmount obstacles that arise along the way.

Values In Action

They believe deeply in the inherent wisdom of those they coach, i.e. they have faith that they already possess the beginnings of the answers they seek.

Their work is a delicate balancing act: protecting the interests of the organization, while maintaining confidentiality with the person.

Interpersonal Skills

Good coaches show an unconditional positive regard for those they coach.

And they personally model the behavior, communication skills, and self-care they recommend.

Personal Qualities

Look around at the good coaches you know, and you'll recognize that they are generous and genuinely good human beings.

But none of this comes easy. They developed their personal maturity through life experience.

And they supplemented it by receiving their own personal coaching. It's a full circle.

So what do you think? Do you and your colleagues have the qualities that will help your people move forward?

I went sail-boarding on the weekend for the first time in years. It was a blast!

Sail-boarding (or wind-surfing) means balancing on a narrow board while rocking on the waves, and using a hand-held sail to propel yourself - preferably without being blown overboard.

I love this sport. It's clean, mobile, silent (except for the bubbling wake at the stern), and puts me in touch with the wind and the water.

Always Look Back

But this time there was a problem. I was visiting a lake I'd never seen before. And I was very excited, putting all my effort into not falling off.

I forgot to look back.

I didn't check how the dock I'd just left, looked. I didn't identify its location on the bay. That's important because everything seems different from the water.

After an hour, the wind began to die, I needed to use the remaining puffs of breeze to navigate back. But every cottage looked the same.

I was utterly lost, touring from dock to dock to dock.

After I visited many cottages that turned out not to belong to my friends, someone pointed me in the right direction. I arrived at the right cottage just before the wind died for good.

The point is, I never know where I'm going unless I know where I've been.

360 That Looks Backward

Next time you plan a 360-degree feedback project, consider providing your employees with a comparison of their results against the results from last year.

If you're running training courses, provide participants with before-and-after 360s.

Comparative reporting takes only a little extra effort. But there's a huge benefit.

It provides the recipients with a graphic view of the dock they left behind. It helps them see where they have improved their performance since then, and areas where they may have slipped.

It updates them, in other words, on where they need to focus, in order to achieve their goals.

Think of it as sail-boarding for the corporate environment.

Last week, Prime Minister Stephen Harper rose in the Canadian House of Commons to apologize to native people who were removed from their families as children, then abused in residential schools owned by the government.

Many wept with relief.

A few months before, on February 13, Australian PM Kevin Rudd apologized for the grief and loss suffered by the "stolen generations", Aboriginal children who were removed from their families to be raised by whites.

Many cheered.

But both apologies arrived late, long after there was national consensus that grave wrongs had been committed.

Why Is It So Hard To Say I'm Sorry

Everyone understands that a heartfelt apology can initiate the healing of relationships and lead to growth.

Yet we rarely apologize: in government, at home, but especially in the workplace.

Our lawyers warn that apologies imply liability, which could lead to financial cost.

Our souls warn, equally loudly, that we become vulnerable when we say "I'm sorry". An apology dethrones us from our position of power. It demands humility.

Why Does An Apology Lead To Growth?

Apologies are powerful for the very same reason that they're hard to make.

They lift the persons being apologized to, into a position of equality.

Suddenly they don't have to waste valuable energy shoring up their self-esteem, or expressing anger or rebellion.

Now there's energy freed up to take care of themselves. To improve their skills or education. To build relationships. To be generous.

The person apologized to feels the ground more solid under her or his feet.

What Makes An Apology Effective?

It goes without saying that an apology must be sincere. We can't buy off those we've harmed with cleverly-chosen words that convey, "I'm sorry, sort of".

Equally, it must be accompanied by changed behavior.

It will have meaning only if we treat those we have hurt differently from now on.

The aboriginal peoples of Canada and Australia announced that they will be watching to see whether their governments actually implement policies to improve their often wretched conditions.

Behavior does matter, whether in the legislatures, homes, or workplaces.

It's said that a little humility is good for the soul. A heart-felt apology makes us better people.

And when we match our words with new, more respectful behavior, we gain allies in making this world a better place.

By Timothy Bentley

I didn't get a moment's sleep. And I was furious.

Two weeks ago we moved to our new offices. A very cool location; three coffee shops at the nearby intersection. Subway only a block away. Fresh paint, new Cat-6 cables throughout, plenty of space for expansion.

I thought I'd planned this move meticulously.

The movers arrived on time, and nothing broke. Then, at 6 p.m. Sunday evening, a sole technician showed up, with no helper, to connect our computers and phones.

Turns out I'd made a disastrous assumption. Because it's so important to us to be well-staffed and organized, I figured our new IT providers would be too.

As the night passed, I helped him where I could. But by sun-up on Monday, as the work week began, nothing was working: no phones, no internet, no intranet. I was powerless to make any significant difference.

He was bleary-eyed, and I was desperate for my bed.

Why do I tell this tale of woe?

As a reminder of how critical it is, when planning a new enterprise, to make sure everyone is capable and well-prepared.

360-degree feedback, for instance. With today's excellent technology, there's just one potential weak link: human beings.

Administrator

Make certain that the person who administers your 360 program day-to-day is well-trained, careful, and above all, known to keep confidential matters confidential.

Loose lips sink ships, as the wartime saying goes. This individual will be handling very sensitive information, so if there's any doubt in people's minds about her/his integrity, it could poison the trust you need.

Responders

People who respond to 360s know they are taking a big risk.

If the person they are assessing isn't committed to skills development, their response effort will be wasted.

Worse still, if their confidential responses are leaked, their jobs are at risk.

So make sure they understand how to respond in a way that motivates their assessees to make changes, and know that the system will protect their identity.

Assessees

People are often scared stiff about what they will read in their 360s.

Train their supervisors to be supportive, and make coaching available where needed, so their anxiety doesn't degenerate into apathy.

Mad, Sad, and Glad

If you've made sure the participants are well-prepared, it will be a fine feedback experience.

Back here at the office, it took two frustrating weeks, but I'm happy that our systems are functioning.

Still, I remain angry with myself. I brought these problems on by not checking more carefully whether the key providers were ready to undertake our crucial project.

Three luxurious condo towers are under construction, overlooking the blue ocean north of Miami.

On the hoardings against the sidewalk, an immense sign advertises "The Visionaries" who were wise enough to invest in the apartments.

You can recognize their enormous photographs from blocks away: Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, and others.

At that spot, at four o'clock every afternoon, something quite remarkable happens.

Ironic Juxtaposition

Hundreds of construction workers stream out of the half-complete buildings to wait for a bus and go home. They stand exhausted, hardly speaking, with their hardhats, dusty clothes, and empty lunch buckets.

They're tiny, compared to the clean, fresh Visionaries above them in their suits and ties. But these anonymous laborers, mostly black or Hispanic, whose photographs will never appear on a hoarding, are also potentially the visionaries of the towers.

We'll return to them in a moment.

Feedback Does Change The Picture

People sometimes ask me and my colleagues, with apprehension, whether 360-degree feedback might provide some dissatisfied worker the opportunity to hurl abuse at the boss. Could it undermine the very structure of the workplace, the respect, the deference, that holds people metaphorically under their bosses?

The answer is that in extremely rigid workplaces, such a possibility exists.

In settings where truth cannot be told without repercussions, frank feedback can change the equation. Wherever people's wisdom has been ignored, dialog can shake things up. The towers of power will not tumble, but they will be changed.

Which is exactly why progressive companies use 360-degree feedback. They want to encourage the free flow of ideas. They want their leaders to understand how effective their efforts are, not just hear easy platitudes.

They value a workplace of continuing growth. They trust an open atmosphere, where information flows freely, not restricted to certain authorized channels.

They recognize that such a workplace has a major competitive advantage.

They also realize that those who best know the skills and weaknesses of managers are often the very people who report to them.

Feedback Trumps Rigidity

Glance again at the construction workers, as they clamber into the bus, looking forward to a cleansing shower and dinner.

Most of them would never think to abuse Mr. T or Mr. C., their Visionaries.

But if someone offered them an opportunity for anonymity, they might be willing to say whether their leaders appear to understand the needs of the work site.

Whether they are treated decently.

Whether they are safe.

Whether anyone listens to their suggestions for improvement or greater productivity.

Feedback can help towers rise a little faster. It can increase their profitability. It can improve the quality of workmanship, meaning fewer costly complaints later.

And it can increase the satisfaction of labor, both for workers and for bosses.

That's how the construction workers can be truly visionary.

The weather during the past few weeks has been icy and mean.

I was out for my usual morning walk, striding along with great confidence, when suddenly I found myself on my hands and knees.

I think of myself as a pretty stable guy, so I didn't enjoy that closeup view of a slippery sidewalk. But I brushed myself off, and kept going.

Three days later, I was walking down our frozen back lane. A car was backing toward me, but the driver spotted me and stopped. Good thing too, because next moment I was lying on my side on a treacherous stretch of ice.

The driver put her head out the window and asked, "Are you OK?"

"Oh, I'm fine," I replied cheerfully, as I struggled to my feet, not far from her back wheels.

Learning Gradually

Physically, it was true: I was fine. But inside, I was mad!

Why did it take two hard falls, negative feedback from my sore wrists and hip, plus a close encounter with the back end of a car, before I adapted my over-confident gait to my wintry circumstances?

And what, you might be asking, does this story have to do with 360-degree feedback?

Well, there is no doubt that you will get abundant positive results from your very first use of 360. Many participants will study their reports and make positive changes right away.

But there are plenty of people in your organization who, like me, have to receive feedback two or three times before insight entirely overcomes their obstinacy. It takes a while to recognize that they can make changes, and be the better for it.

Consistency And Growth

360-degree feedback is not a flashy, one-time intervention. To get full results, it needs to become part of the culture, part of the organization's strategic plan.

Only then, will all the benefits of feedback become available to your participants. Relationships between key players will become more trusting and supportive. The entire organization will function at a higher level.

As in any human development process, you have to be committed for the long haul. It's a law of nature.

Me? It took two slips, but I've learned to walk more sensibly. (And I'm sure looking forward to springtime!)