360 feedback for artists
Posted on 04 March 2009 by Roly Walter
I received an interesting enquiry recently: can 360 feedback be successfully applied for artists?

My instinct, from what I know of artists, says they would run a mile from it.

But, as usual, it's easier to understand this question if you go back to the fundamentals. We believe 360 feedback is useful if you can answer YES to these two questions:

1. Can the behaviours of successful leaders (or whatever your reviewees are aspiring to be) be defined clearly and universally?

2. Do the reviewers have useful and informed opinions on the reviewees with regard to these behaviours?

If so, I think it would work. Of course, it's easier to say YES to these in a single organisation (as opposed to an industry like "the arts"), because often the organisation is specific about what traits and skills they want at the top.

I think that there is, in general, a dearth of honest feedback in the arts sector. The kind of 360 that Couraud offers could have extraordinary and powerful results.

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Peter Wilford said...
In general I agree with you given the nature of their roles which do not naturally allow concrete measurement of performance. Also as you say the arts sector does not often lend itself to honest feedback.

However a 360 programme could be successful for anyone (artists and similar roles included) where:

1. As part of the 360 process there is a competency framework in place and from this the artists have identified colleagues, peers etc outside their work who "know what good artistic performance is and are frank with feedback" and can then give a clear assessment of how their performance stacks up against a set of agreed competencies. They should then be involved in assessing future changes in the individual's performance after an agreed period of time - say 3,6 and 12 months.

2. The 360 programme is directly linked to a formal action planning programme which delivers a personal training plan to address specific training needs arising from the gap analysis produced when the initial 360 was carried out.

These training plan will need to be self driven but monitored by a specialist coach / mentor who works with the artist and signs each training element off (distance learning, courses, reading etc) when they have been completed to a satisfactory standard to close the gap on each identified competency.

I am aware of a programme which can address all of this over and above the initial 360 process. It has been piloted against generic competencies only but the concept of a self driven training plan as a follow up is good.
12/03/2009 18:14:00
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