Look at the statements below and the information on the opposite page about feedback on staff performance. l Which section (A,B,C or D) does each statement 1-7 refer to? l For each statement (1-7), mark one letter (A,B,C or D) on your answer sheet. l You will need to use some of these letters more than once. 1. Staff being reminded that it is not essential to restrict feedback to once a year 2. The way in which feedback could identify people suitable for promotion 3. The aim of improving staff communication throughout an organization 4. The feedback obtained on an employee being linked to requirements for a particular job 5. Aspects of a group of employees ’ work that were identified as requiring improvement 6. Feedback indicating both positive and negative aspects of an individual ’ s work 7. The participation of less senior personnel in a member of staff ’ s feedback. Changes in Performance Feedback A In the past, feedback about your performance used to mean a quiet chat with the boss. But now 360-degree feedback- the system where employees are al so given feedback from peers and from the people they manage - is taking root in corporate culture. The system is characterized by greater participation and has grown out of the desire of companies to create more open working environments where people work better together and ideas and opinions are exchanged between teams and across levels of seniority. B PCs linked to the company IT network are set to become the feedback machines . Many firms introducing 360-degree feedback are using Personal Development Planner software . F eedback on an individua l, which is based on a questionnaire relating to attributes needed for that person’s role in the company , is collected using this electronic system. All the information gathered is analyzed and the end result is a suggested development plan. The advantage is that individuals make requests for the feedback themselves and receive the results directly. C Sarah Rains, from the pharmaceutical company Optec, said, Now feedback is available on our network, we encourage managers to cho ose how they use it . I t is a flexible tool and we tell them that waiting for the annual event of a forma l appraisal needn't apply. At the engineering company NT, 250 technical manager s have been through the feedback process . Jack Palmer, a senior manager there said , ‘We needed to develop the int er per sonal skills of these technically-minded people. In particular we wanted to build on their team-working and coaching skills. D So, how is the new feedback culture likely to affect you ? I t could form the basis of your personal development programme, providing pointers to your strengths and also to those areas you need to develop more. Or feedback could be used for ‘ succession planning ’ , where companies use the information to speculate on who has the right skills to move into more senior positions. As yet, few organizations have stretched the role of feedback so far as to link it to salaries . But one thing is clear: the future will bring even wider participation by all members of staff.