|
|
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get the Panoramic Feedback software?
The Panoramic Feedback system is entirely Internet-based, so there is no software for you to deal with. That means nothing to install, maintain, or upgrade! All upgrades are simply presented on-line at no extra charge.
xxxWhen you register with us, we ship your Manual to you (at our expense). It includes everything you need to know about managing the 360-degree feedback system, great ideas for training and other communications with Subjects and Responders, and a library of sample questionnaires. (Because our system allows you to create your own questionnaire, you can use the library as a source of questionnaires or merely a helpful guide.)
Will someone come and help us install the program?
There is nothing to install -- See above!
What is the process of running a 360-degree feedback project?
Here are the bare bones. Please note that much more detailed information is available to you in the Panoramic Feedback Manual which takes you through the process step-by-step.
1. Communication:
Let all the organizational members know that a 360-degree feedback project is planned and what its purpose is (i.e., professional development, performance appraisal for salary, bonuses, etc.).
2. Questionnaire Creation:
We provide you with a library of sample questionnaires, which you are welcome to use, or you can develop your own. In either case, our Manual and on-line Wizard will guide you quickly and effortlessly through the process.
3. Subjects:
Decide who is to be assessed.
4. Responders:
Ask the Subject (recipient) of the feedback (possibly with the assistance of their manager) to generate a list of Responders with their email addresses and the category to which they belong (e.g., direct report, peer, supervisor, client, etc.).
5. Automatic Notification:
Panoramic Feedback's automated email system will (a) notify Responders of their personal identification numbers (PIDs) which provide them with access to the survey and (b) send out reminders to those who have not yet responded before the project closes.
Alternatively, you or the Subject can notify the Responders directly.
6. Generate Report:
As soon as the last response is received, you can generate the report for the Subject with no waiting, which means no lost momentum.
7. Feedback Delivery:
We provide a Workbook with your registration, which offers helpful guidance for interpreting the report and developing an action plan (suitable both for the individual receiving their feedback report and their supervisor)
xxxWe can also refer you to a consultant to work with you in managing the feedback process, if you wish.
How do I prepare email addresses for the automatic mailing to Responders?
1. Collect the email addresses of the people who are to assess each Subject.
2. Organize them in groups depending on the category of Responder they fit.
3. Place a comma between each email address.
4. The Panoramic Feedback Wizard will show you how to block and copy these email groups into the appropriate area.
5. On the first day of the survey, our server will send all emails out automatically. The emails will provide the URL (web address) to which everyone is to respond (www.360respond.com) and the Responder's unique Personal ID number (which identifies each Responder individually).
6. On a date that you choose, reminders will be sent automatically to those who have not yet responded.
Once the Reports are handed to recipients, what support is there for them?
Panoramic Feedback provides a report on each participant within moments of your request to generate the report. So there is no waiting, which means momentum and enthusiasm are high when people receive their reports. This leads to a greater likelihood of growth and development.
xxxWe do not prescribe what follow-up action needs to be taken, since that would take the ownership of the process out of the hands of the persons assessed. But a major resource available to you is the "Guide to Creating Your Development Plan" Workbook, which each person receives with his or her report. This comprehensive workbook walks them through their own report, helping them identify their current areas of success, think about how they can enhance those even further, and identify the areas where they need to make some changes. It guides them all the way through to an Action Plan.
xxxThe best support, however, is human support. Nothing can replace a coach, consultant, mentor, supervisor, or friend who takes the time to go through the report with recipients, helping them see the encouragement it contains and face up to the challenges.
Is the ability to customize my questionnaire built into the price or is there an additional cost?
Panoramic Feedback enables you to customize your 360-degree questionnaire to you own specifications, including introductory texts in the questionnaire and reports, the names and number of responder categories, importing or adapting competency lists of your own design or chosen from our library, to name a few.
How readily can individuals access the questionnaire?
Being web-based means access anytime, anywhere for Panoramic Feedback participants. We can also generate email and paper-versions of the questionnaire for those who do not have access to the Internet.
For different departments or levels, can I have different questionnaires to our own specifications, including introductory texts in the questionnaire and reports, the names and number of responder categories, the competency lists, and more?
Yes, you can have as many different questionnaires as you like. And there is no extra charge for this. The only way extra charges get triggered is to add people being assessed. The charges are per person being assessed.
How readily can our responders access the questionnaire?
Being web-based means access anytime, anywhere in the world for Panoramic Feedback participants. You can even have a link on your own web site that will take responders to the questionnaires!
What if some of our people don't have Internet access?
We can also generate email and paper versions of the questionnaire for those who do not have access to the Internet.
How long will I have to wait for reports?
Often with software-based systems, you have to wait weeks. Panoramic Feedback reports are available within moments of the last participant responding. That means recipients of feedback are still enthusiastic and highly motivated to change when they get their reports.
What level of security is in place?
With software-based systems, disks may be vulnerable. Panoramic Feedback is Verisign certified with 128-bit SSL encrypted transfer of data, as well as password-protected access. Furthermore, raters typically feel more secure knowing that their responses are being stored off-site on a secure server.
Is there a guarantee?
Panoramic Feedback offers a no-risk 60-day guarantee.
Do I have to pay for technical support?
With Panoramic Feedback, advice and support, including technical support are available to you at no extra charge. Because there is no software to install or maintain, the technical calls we receive are rare and typically due to human error (e.g., someone has entered the wrong ID number).
Do I have to pay for upgrades?
With Panoramic Feedback, upgrades are free since they just become available to you on the Internet. You’ll receive email notification of all upgrades as they are launched.
Are the questionnaires provided by the Panoramic Feedback library validated and reliable?
Many experts believe the best competency list is developed when key players contribute their understanding of the task and the environment to the creation of a unique list of competencies for the organization.
xxxOur clients customize their 360-feedback questionnaires to suit their specific feedback needs. They prefer not to standardize the content of questionnaires, nor to attempt to compare them to industry benchmarks.
Validated competency lists suggest that organizations and people in particular job groups can be successfully compared. The use of 'so-called industry standards', means that local impact, meaning and utility are sacrificed.
Why doesn't Panoramic Feedback randomly select responders automatically, instead of requiring us to choose them?
Panoramic Feedback is a superb tool, but it's only that: a tool. It greatly reduces the workload in using 360-degree feedback, but it cannot replace the knowledge and skills of those who use it.
xxxThis is a matter of good statistical design. It is important not to confuse the kind of information gathered by a 360-degree feedback report with that gathered by statistically valid large-scale surveys. It is true that in certain circumstances, for instance in a survey of a large number of employees, the use of random selection can work efficiently to produce representative results.
xxxBut 360-degree feedback is a very different situation. Because of the small number of responders, there is actually a good possibility that a random selection will produce a skewed result.
xxxIn a well-designed 360-degree feedback survey, the responders have been selected because of how well they know the work of the individual. The survey is intended to enhance communication within the organization, and to help those individuals develop particular skills.
xxxThe selection of responders is an integral and powerful part of the development process. By proposing responders, in other words by moving from contemplation into action, the Subject begins to commit her/himself to the 360-degree feedback project. Further, this process stimulates her/him to begin thinking about how her/his work is viewed by others. The process initiates an expectation and openness to the feedback. As a result, the person is more prepared to benefit from it when receiving the final report.
If you have any comments or questions for Esther Ewing, she may be reached at:
ewingchange@aol.com
|
