A London Borough Chooses Facet5 in Conjunction with 360-degree Feedback 

Introduction

One of London’s boroughs introduced a new scheme for Performance Management for Councillors in early 2007 to support the development of Councillors and Executive Members. As part of this scheme, our consultancy partner, t-three, introduced two of ConsultingTools’ management development tools to provide Councillors with insight into their personality and behaviour. Both tools, the customised 360-degree feedback instrument and the Facet5 personality tool, were fed back to participants in a confidential 1 to 1 feedback session. This session supported participants in understanding the key themes emerging from the reports, the links between personality and behaviour and in identifying the areas and means by which to make future changes. 

The performance management scheme itself included a number of elements:

• An initial 1 -1 feedback session based on the results of the 360-degree feedback instrument and the Facet5 personality tool
• A performance appraisal, from which performance targets were established
• A number of training and development initiatives, including executive coaching

Tool and Approach Used 

Facet5, one of the most modern and advanced measures of human personality available, was used in this project. 

Five factors are now widely accepted as the fundamental building blocks of personality. These are: 

·         Will (determination, confrontation, independence)

·         Energy (vitality, sociability, adaptability)

·         Affection (altruism, support, trust)

·         Control (discipline, responsibility), and

·         Emotionality (anxiety, apprehension), which interacts with the other four affecting stability, confidence, emotional state. 

Facet5 measures these five factors precisely and quickly to give the most accurate and easily applied portrait of individual differences in behaviour. 

The customised 360-degree feedback questionnaire was based on the IDeA’s competency framework. This framework identified the competencies and behaviours that successful Councillors, Executive Members and the Mayor need to be able to demonstrate in order to be effective within their roles.  

Four different 360-feedback questionnaires were produced for this project:

• One questionnaire was designed for Councillors and was based on 6 Councillor Competencies.
• Two questionnaires were designed for Executive Members, based on 8 relevant competencies. One questionnaire included a “Stakeholders / Partners” rater group, and the other questionnaire did not.
• The Mayor had a separate questionnaire based on the 9 competencies relevant to his role.

Outcome 

The Facet5 and 360-degree feedback questionnaires were largely perceived as easy to complete, and the logistics relating to the process ran smoothly.  

Analysis of the qualitative and quantitative data from the feedback questionnaires suggested that the introduction of Facet5 and 360-degree feedback was very powerful in supporting individuals to develop their self-awareness and gain insight into their behaviour, their strengths and areas for development.  

The introduction of confidential 1 to 1 feedback sessions and the confidential and anonymous nature of the 360 process were important contributors to the success of the project. Feedback sessions were perceived as enabling participants to fully understand and effectively analyse their results.  

Conclusion 

t-three made recommendations for the introduction of a repeat 360-degree feedback process for existing Councillors and Elected Members, and for the future introduction of 360 and Facet5 feedback for new Councillors and Elected Members.

To read more about Facet5, click here. 

Alternatively, learn more about ConsultingTools' customisable 360-degree feedback here.