Blog Posts

My son graduated from university this past May, and just got his first ‘real’ job as an analyst.  He is technically qualified to be an analyst, but as I know from years of OD, assessment and coaching work, technical skills are just one piece of the puzzle on the way to a successful career.  Working on technical skills while concurrently working on how to manage change, focus on being collaborative and honing our communication skills gives us the best chance to be successful in our work life.

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Flexible options that support the work/life balance are increasingly being implemented in many organizations to attract and retain high-performing employees.  Workplaces increasingly use agile solutions that offer employees flexibility in aspects of work like adjustable schedules, unlimited paid time off, and the ability to transfer down. In fact, almost one third of employees consider flexibility the most important factor when considering job offers. (1)

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Strengths-based learning requires “knowing your strengths and investing in others’ strengths” to build better teams and develop leadership skills. This approach can lead to significant increases in traditional markers of organizational success like productivity, retention, and customer satisfaction. Focusing on strengths helps businesses and employees alike.  Only 13% of today’s workforce is engaged at work but that number rises dramatically to 67% when managers focus on employees’ strengths.  

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The debate about the best way to give employees actionable feedback has grown more interesting as technology develops at an increasingly rapid rate.   We believe that using a continuous feedback application as an adjunct to 360 degree assessments like our ActiveView 360 system is a great way for feedback to become a process, and not just an annual (or semi-annual) event.

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After reading many articles on the benefits and weaknesses of 360 degree assessments, I have come to a simple conclusion—that articles often do not differentiate good 360 degree assessments from bad.  Therefore, what can be a great tool for providing (professional, appropriate) feedback and constructive progress can also negatively impact organizational trust and lead to low morale.  What SurveyConnect has found is that by using out-of-house 360 experts (like us), you have a guide to ensure the best results possible from your 360-degree project.   

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Each year SurveyConnect collects and reports out on data that we hope is useful to our clients and friends. In 2016, as in previous years, we decided to focus our questions on the 360 process – how many employees are asked to participate and why, as well as what happens with the data once it is collected. Continue Reading...

Each year SurveyConnect collects and reports out on the objectives and uses of 360-degree feedback processes in organizations.

We have opened up the survey for 2016.  If you (or any of your colleagues) would like to help with the research, please go to: https://www.activesurvey.net/78activeview/login/login.cfm?sv=11

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