Appraisal Reviews: During the periodic counseling performance interview, an employee should be questioned regarding the duties and training of a worker. Comments rendered during the appraisal interviews normally are genuine, and can frequently assist in establishing the needs, variations and penetrations that a training program should include. Feedback during an appraisal interview is
valuable since it is timely information. Training needs differ from worker to worker, and appraisal sessions allow the employee and supervisor/manager to uncover the cause of weakness in performance of an individual and/or the team. These deficiencies represent areas for training.
Analysis of Organizational Policy: Organization policy will affect the amount of training offered. An explanation of various policies should be covered in the training program. Of particular concern are those policies that involve change, alteration and major revamping of training programs. In organizations undergoing merger activity, product diversification and new penetration, a great deal of sensitivity must be placed on policies today and expected changes in the future. For the purpose of completion of this project, a combination of all the above methodologies would be used. Random samples would be chosen from different teams and would become subjects for each technique such as observation, interview etc. For appraisal reviews in specific, appraisal documents would be selected at random and analysed to identify any mention of training and development needs.
Brainstorming is the name given to a situation when a group of people meet to
generate new ideas around a specific area of interest. Using rules which remove inhibitions, people are able to think more freely and move into new areas of thought and so create numerous new ideas and solutions. The participants shout out ideas as they occur to them and then build on the ideas raised by others. All
the ideas are noted down and are not criticized. Only when the brainstorming session is over are the ideas evaluated.
Figure 11
Brainstorming creates new ideas, solves problems, motivates and develops teams. Brainstorming motivates because it involves members of a team in bigger management issues, and it gets a team working together. However, brainstorming is not simply a random activity. Brainstorming needs to be structured and it follows brainstorming rules. The brainstorming process is described below, for which you will need a flip-chart or alternative. This is crucial as Brainstorming needs to involve the team, which means that everyone must be able to see what's happening. Brainstorming places a significant burden on the facilitator to manage the process, people's involvement and sensitivities, and then to manage the follow up actions. Use Brainstorming well and you will see excellent results in improving the organization, performance, and developing the team. The process of Brain storming is provided below:
- Define and agree the objective: Ensure everyone participating in the
formulate a new job description for a customer services clerk; to formulate a series of new promotional activities for the next trading year; to suggest ways of improving cooperation between the sales and service departments; to identify costs saving opportunities that will not reduce performance or morale, etc.). Keep the brainstorming objective simple. Allocate a time limit. This will enable you to keep the random brainstorming activity under control and on track.
- Manage the actual brainstorming activity: Brainstorming enables people
to suggest ideas at random. Your job as facilitator is to encourage everyone to participate, to dismiss nothing, and to prevent others from pouring scorn on the wilder suggestions (some of the best ideas are initially the daftest ones - added to which people won't participate if their suggestions are criticized). During the random collection of ideas the facilitator must record every suggestion on the flip-chart. Use Blue track or sticky tape to hang the sheets around the walls. At the end of the time limit or when ideas have been exhausted, use different colored pens to categorize, group, connect and link the random ideas. Condense and refine the ideas by making new headings or lists. You can diplomatically combine or include the weaker ideas within other themes to avoid dismissing or rejecting contributions (remember brainstorming is about team building and motivation too - you don't want it to have the reverse effect on some people). With the group, assess, evaluate and analyze the effects and validity of the ideas or the list. Develop and prioritize the ideas into a more finished list or set of actions or options.
- Implement the actions agreed from the brainstorming: Agree what the
next actions will be. Agree a timescale, who's responsible. After the session circulate notes, monitor and give feedback. It's crucial to develop a clear and positive outcome, so that people feel their effort and contribution was worthwhile. When people see that their efforts have resulted in action and change, they will be motivated and keen to help again.
Direct Observation: Direct Observation is an underused and valuable method for collecting evaluation and information. “Seeing” and “listening” are the key to observation. Through observation the opportunity to document activities, behavior and physical aspect without having to depend upon peoples’ willingness and ability to perform to questions. In this approach, an employee’s performance itself is the source of information. The worker’s performance is evaluated through first-hand observation and analysis. This is best accomplished by watching the worker and playing the role of non-participating observer. This means that you watch and listen and evaluate what you see and hear, but do not get involved in his work process in any way.
Figure 12
To make this activity more productive, a checklist can be used to be reminded of what to look for and notes can be taken.
The objective during observations is to identify both the strengths to build on and the deficiencies to overcome. A key advantage of using direct observation in the needs analysis is that you gain first-hand knowledge and understanding of the job being performed and the strengths and weaknesses of the relevant worker.
Observation is a useful tool when:
- When there is a requirement of direct information
- When one is trying to understand an ongoing behavior, process, unfolding situation or event.
- When there is physical evidence, products or outcomes that can be readily seen.
- When written or other data collection procedures seem inappropriate.
Interviews: The use of interviews in conducting the needs analysis is strongly urged. The prime value of interview guides is that they ensure the same types of data from all sources. This allows the analyst to determine whether a piece of information is one person’s opinion, or part of a widespread perception. Since the interview guide forces you to ask each worker a number of predetermined questions, you must select those questions that are essential to what you are trying to learn.
Interviews also allow the analyst to meet employees face to face to discuss their impressions of performance. Because he is in conversation with workers, their responses can be explored in depth.
A personal interview by a trained interviewer who is independent of the organization is a means of obtaining high quality information about an individual or members of a team. Not only can the interviewer collect standard information, but he/she can ask penetrating questions to identify the reasons for the feedback. The information can be fed back to the subject in a non-attributable manner, but with much more information, including not only actual quotes but the appropriate voice tone and emphasis of the original quote. If the interviewer is also commissioned to coach the individual or team, this quality information will ensure that real issues are properly dealt with.
Interviews are normally used as an additional way of obtaining information and should always be supplemented by other means of gathering information. The main advantages of an interview are:
- The information received is more detailed, adding qualitative information to quantitative answers in questionnaires.
- Misunderstandings may be avoided, as the respondent is able to ask clarifying questions.
The interview method recommended for use during missions is called the structured or formalized interview as opposed to an open interview. The structured interview should always follow a list of questions decided upon beforehand and changes and/or additions to the questions should not be made unless absolutely necessary. However, the interviewer is of course welcome to answer clarifying questions from the respondent, whenever necessary. Each interview should take between one and two hours, taking into account that the respondent sometimes needed time to find the right answers.
360° feedback surveys: helps the organization obtain quality information about performance and relationships by posing a set of standard questions to an individual's line manager, peers and direct reports. This all around (360°) approach identifies any variation of behaviour in different roles and minimises personal bias. The information can be collected on paper forms or using computer systems; the print-out in either case acts as a third party report which managers or coaches and their clients can discuss in a non-emotional manner.
360 degree appraisals involve the employee to be appraised receiving feedback from people (named or anonymous) whose views are considered helpful and relevant. The feedback is typically provided on a form showing job skills/abilities/attitudinal/behavioral criteria and some sort of scoring or value judgment system. The employee assessed should also assess themselves using the same feedback instrument or form.
360 degree respondents can be the assessed employees peers, up-line managers/execs, subordinate staff, team members, other staff, customers, suppliers - anyone who comes into contact with the employee being appraised and has opinions/views/reactions of and to the appraised employee. Numerous systems and providers are available – however it wouldn't be recommended that any in particular system or provider be selected because this process should be developed with materials for ones’ own situation, keeping in mind the organizations environment in this, which like all participative approaches, often works well.
Developing 360 degree appraisals systems process make ideal subjects for a workshops, which in itself contains some very helpful developmental benefits and experience for all involved. If you're not able to get everyone together for a workshop you should solicit input and ideas - particularly about appraisal criteria and respondents and anonymity - then draft out process and materials - then issue for approval, then pilot, review, adapt and then implement. Adapt, improve and develop on an ongoing basis.
It recommends that a 360° survey should precede any developmental coaching programme. When reviewing an individual it is often best to ask open questions such as: -
- Keep doing: What are the things which 'name' currently does which help you and which you hope (s)he will continue to do?
- Do more of: What are the things you would like 'name' to start doing or do more of?
- Do less of: What are the things which 'name' does which get in the way and which you would like to be done less often?
- Development needs: What are the areas upon which you feel 'name' should really concentrate in order to improve the managerial performance of the organisation? You may wish to highlight aspects of how (s)he manages or specific objectives or accountabilities which you feel need attention.
- Personal strengths: What do you see as the key strengths which 'name' brings to his/her job?
This information can then be consolidated by an independent consultant and fed back in a relatively unattributed manner.
One needs to ensure the below mentioned factors when using 360° degree appraisal.
- Consider and decide what you need the 360 degree system to achieve. What must it be? How must it work? What difference must it make?
- Choose/design a system (or system provider), i.e., research and investigate the options (other local or same-sector companies using 360 already are a helpful reference point).
- Check the legal and contractual issues for your situation - privacy, individual choice, acceptable practices and rules, training, data protection, individual rights, adoption guide, etc. (360 degree systems are well- developed and established. Best practice and good reference should be used.)
- When you've decided on a system, pilot it with a few people to make sure it does what you expect. (It's best to establish some simple parameters or KPI's by which you can make this assessment, rather than basing success on instinct or subjective views.)
- When satisfied with the system, launch it via a seminar or workshop, preferably including role-plays and/or practical demonstration.
- Support the implementation with ongoing training, (include an overview in your induction training as well), a written process guide/booklet, and also publish process and standards on your intranet if you have one.
- Establish review and monitoring responsibility.
- Ensure any 360 degree appraisal system is introduced and applied from top down, not bottom up, so everyone can see that the CEO is happy to undertake what he/she expects all the other staff to do. As with anything else, if the CEO and board agree to undertake it first, the system will have much stronger take-up and credibility. If the plan for 360 feedback introduction is likely to be seen as another instrument of executive domination then re-think your plans.
TRAINING METHODS