We have come across a large number of companies who have conducted 360° feedback exercise, presumably with the intention of building leadership in the organisation but the results so far have been far from encouraging. What people have experienced is the markedly varying degree of success in both implementation as well as in effectiveness. Why has it really been so? One big reason for that is lack of passion.

360° feedback is not just an exercise in designing a questionnaire, holding small workshops, distribution and collection of the questionnaire, compilation in computer, sharing the result, and then at best holding training programmes. 360° is a much deeper exercise than it is contemplated, if the objective is to seriously develop leadership and reap benefits of it.

When I say lack of passion, I mean this in relation to important stages of feedback

1. Pre feed back counselling to the assessie

2. Complete understanding on key issues of leadership to the assessors and the assessies.

3. Taking feed back positively

4. Planning action for improvement

5. Bringing real changes in person's behaviour, attitude and overall approach.

6. Effective measurement of the changes and establish relationships with the key result areas of the organisation.

1. Understanding Leadership: What is happening today is that the leadership issues which form part of the questionnaire are not aptly or even distantly clears either to the assessors, assessie or even to those responsible for conducting this exercise. The issues are taken at the face value without realising the true meaning or their extent of application and then rating is done, which on most of the issues and most of the time is 3 or 4 on a 0 to 5 scale or 7,8 or 9 even 10 on a 0 to 10 scale, and then their is every reason to celebrate, and no or little further development is required.

I will support this through 5 or 6 key issues on leadership; "Challenging the Status Quo' 'Remain focused' 'Manage time effectively' 'Integrity' 'Tolerates ambiguity and paradox' These are just a few key parameters of leadership.

But to understand them you will have to study the leadership of Herb Kelleher CEO of South West Airlines, Jack Welch, CEO of G.E., Percy Barnevik, CEO of ABB, Franco Bernabe, CEO of Eni Oil Company, Andy Grove, Ex CEO of Intel, Bill Gates, CEO of Microsoft, Steve Job of Apple (to name just a few) and many others.

To remain focused means the way South West Airlines works. Though they have every potential to be an international carrier, yet they choose to be focused on domestic sector and resisted every temptation and never ending advice from friends, consultants and business associates to go global. So that's what remaining focused is all about.

Similarly, it remains a fact that the meaning and application of 'Challenge Status Quo' or other key parameters are not even 25% clear as to what they really represent. Thus the ratings tend to be on a higher side.

2. Rating: Secondly you all most have noticed that the raters take equal time in rating all the issues. Is it a correct approach? It is like solving 2+2=4 in 10 seconds and also solving a complicated maths problem in the same time. This is exactly what is happening. I call it, complete lack of passion.

In India where even managers and senior managers of 1000 crore company with high profits have not even heard the names of N.R. Narayana Murthy or Ajim Premjee, how do we expect such Managers to rate leadership of others? I call this 360°, a corporate mirage."

3. Computation: The corporate India failed to understand or take it seriously the statement of MR. N.R. Narayana Murthy. "I am on 6 on a 0 to 10 scale" on leadership. This statement itself is a matter of serious consideration or training on rating skills. Computation; the system is to compute the rating given by all concerned and then average is taken out. But are leaders always the average of the aggregate? While the advice is to take the feedback positively and without being defensive, but this does not apply universally. To quote Franco Bernabe the CEO of ENI Oil Company of Italy whose leadership has been studied by HBR. "A leader can not take the weighted average of other people's opinions and make them his own."

How are issues like this resolved? I would welcome case studies on this, Where a single leader was right and all others were wrong.

4. Bringing real change: How many managers have turned to leadership from being managers, or have started playing both the roles? (through feedback). Is change so easy? Does the company create an atmosphere which facilitates change? Is training enough to bring the desired change? The answer again is a big 'No' and the reason once again is lack of passion.

Change is not easy. It is like asking a person to give-up smoking, drinking and non-vegetarian food. Change needs many thing, most important being a volcanic will power, an issue often ignored and difficult to increase.

The Indian business organisations have miles to go in 360° feedback to achieve even a small degree of success.

Don't make it a ritual. It is a difficult process. This needs lot of reading and understanding. In the Indian corporate world where people do not sufficiently know about great leaders like Alfred Sloan, Jack Welch, Herb Kelleher, JRD Tata, N.R. Narayanan Murthy, Aditaya Puri, Deepak Parekh, Suresh Krishna how will we know about other leaders? If we don't understand the practice of leadership, we cannot properly rate also and cannot make efforts to develop ourselves into a tiny Sloan or a Kelleher.

5. Linking Change to key Results: Is this a valid issue?

Yes, we think it is important. People must see their efforts resulting into some kind of impact. Is this effort a part of 360° feedback exercise. The answer so far is big 'No' And the reason is once again; lack of passion'.

So, if you are contemplating introducing 360° feedback system in your organisation then you must take a passionate approach towards it rather than making it just a ritual.

S.K. Shahi

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