360-Degree Feedback for New Managers
360-Degree Feedback for New Managers – A Valuable Tool to Create Higher Performance
According to leaders and frontline managers, new managers need all the help they can get. According to a recent McKinsey report, nearly 70% of senior executives are only “somewhat” or “not at all satisfied” with the performance of their companies’ frontline managers. And a stunning 81% of frontline managers are not satisfied with their own performance. The good news is that 360-degree feedback for new managers can make a measurable impact.
That 360-degree feedback for new managers works is not surprising. Those promoted to new leadership roles become accountable for the overall performance of their team. As a new supervisor, it is no longer enough to succeed on your own hard work as an individual contributor. Your success becomes dependent upon the success of your team – never an easy or straightforward task.
What To Do First as A New Leader
Accordingly, the first order of business for new people managers is to get to update their team charter and get to know their team members, both personally and professionally. The performance results of the team will depend largely upon how well, you, as a new people manager assess your own strengths and weaknesses and play to the strengths, weaknesses, interests and motivators of your team.
In addition to the standard and ongoing one-on-one discussions with each team member, new managers can benefit enormously from the use of a 360-degree feedback for new managers before and after new manager training programs. Not only can new leaders learn about their employees’ development needs, but they can also learn how to maximize their own strengths and minimize their blind spots as a new supervisor.
How 360-Degree Feedback for New Managers Works
The survey subject receives feedback from various levels of people with whom they work, including clients, direct reports, peers, and managers. The surveys are confidential and anonymous. The purpose of the 360-degree survey is to gather different perspectives on the performance and behaviors of the subject…all with the intent of gaining a full understanding of where the subject excels and where there are areas for development. The results are typically debriefed with the survey subject with a qualified 360 coach who can facilitate a productive understanding of the data. Then it is up to the new manager what and how to share the results and intended action plan with their boss and their stakeholders.
What 360-degree Feedback for New Managers Can Do
1. Creates a Growth Mindset
First, being open to 360-degree feedback shows your team that you care about their opinions at work and about improving your own performance. The willingness to improve tells employees that you value them and intend to invest in making their future better as their leader.
2. Provides Valuable Data for Change
It gives new managers reliable and objective information about how they are perceived by those who work below, besides, and above them. Through the process of sharing results in a respectful way, it shows you honor the partnership and are committed to establishing a psychologically safe team environment for learning and growth. And it gives you a path to follow together as you each work toward performance improvement.
The Bottom Line
As long as the feedback process is supported by company leaders and aligned with the organizational culture, it can provide a big boost to improve manager performance. The more the results are coordinated with the company’s overall talent management strategy and desired standards of behavior, the more helpful the 360-degree feedback can be. Done right, 360-degree feedback helps put the right people in the right place at the right time.
To learn more about 360-degree feedback for new managers, download 8 Reasons New Leaders Need 360 Feedback