Predictions and Trends for 360s in 2011

As we start off the New Year, many companies are preparing to launch its strategic plans and goals. And as expected, there are several articles and blogs predicting the various industry trends for 2011. What better time to put the TBC President and VP in the hot seat, right? I asked them to shine-up their crystal ball and talk about the state of 360 Feedback in 2011.



So without further ado, here are a few predictions about upcoming trends for 360s from Derek Murphy and Tom Kuhne.



Translations

Emerging markets are growing at a rapid-pace, and the U.S. companies with presence in these markets are investing more in leadership development tools. With a greater focus on leadership development in emerging markets, more companies are requesting translation capabilities from its 360 feedback provider.



While translating 360 surveys is not a new concept, Tom said the requests for translations will continue to grow in 2011.



“Talent and development is typically built around the company headquarters’ model,” Tom said. “Translations offer companies the ability to use the standard platform that is implemented at the headquarters and launch it at the multicultural offices.”



Push Toward Validation

In 2011, companies will request 360 Feedback that are validated, which is somewhat of a trend reversal of the past couple years. Derek said for several years many companies that used TBC’s TruScore survey hosting platform were hosting homegrown instruments.



“We’ve had more and more interesting requests for validated content,” Derek said.



So why is that? Well, that leads us to the next trend.



Emphasis on Development Plans

Tom gave me a home improvement example to explain why companies are seeking validated instruments.



Okay, so say your bathroom is due for a remodel. While this will entail major structural changes, you decided you could handle the project yourself. After all, you are an avid viewer of all HGTV home improvement shows, and if some of those people can remodel their own homes, surely you can do it, right?



You have all the tools, a plan of action, and a design of how the new bathroom will look. Fast forward to spending tons of money and time (not to mention, blood, sweat and tears) - you finally finish the job. Although, after a while you notice the tiles aren’t straight, and why doesn’t the toilet work all the time?



Maybe if you had hired a home improvement expert you would have saved time and had a functional bathroom.



The same rings true with 360 surveys. HR professionals are realizing that 360 feedback is not just a fluff HR exercise – when performed properly, managers do tend to improve and act on results. A tool that isn’t validated can result in poor ROI and just an overall bad impression of 360 feedback.



Validated surveys are important because at its core, validation uses analytic techniques that are reliable and accurate in measuring the intended goal of the survey. Based on the survey’s results, individuals and organizations can make reliable strategic decisions about where to focus their development efforts.



Companies in 2011 will place more emphasis on partnering with 360 providers that offer validated surveys, and that can also bring to the table goal setting, development plans, and other training options.



Technology Improvements

Another trend will be significant technology enhancements for web-based 360 Feedback. The technology upgrades do not mean the platforms are complicated and hard to use. Companies want a comprehensive online solution to be user-friendly and simple, as Tom said, “do more with less technology.”



Look for 360 feedback providers to offer flash tutorials, an increase in automation options, and additional online resources.



Reinvest in Talent Development

Derek said an encouraging trend in 2011 is more companies are choosing to reinvest in talent development, and there will be an overall uptick in volume for 360s.



A recent Wall Street Journal article reported there is a growing fear across organizations regarding the shortage of qualified talent as business picks up in the recovering economy. To address this fear, organizations are reinvesting in talent development programs, and investing more in these critical areas to better position themselves as they shift to growth mode.



“Instead of hiring managers from the outside, many companies will focus on building someone up into a leader from within,” Derek said.



Now it’s your turn - what trends are you seeing in your industry?

And the devil's got a fresh new place to play. / ASK ME ANYTHING!

Since I get so many emails and comments every day with all sorts of questions and I rarely get a chance to reply to them all, I've decided to dedicate a whole post (if not several) to answering them. So if you have any questions or requests, leave them in the comments below! Can't wait to read them !:)

(I used 2b pencil, pen, watercolors and PhotoshopCS3 for the illustration)

Just a big ball of cozy!

I've been hopelessly ill these past few weeks so it's been hard to get all glamorous when your nose is always running and you cough like a 80-year-old man. So I haven't had the chance to get all dolled up (that also explains the lack of outfit post lately), but I've been wearing a lot of oversized cadigans, sweaters and jeans(!!!) (I hate wearing pants, but sometimes -20c can make you reconsider). So here are some photographs for you guys. I'm wearing a studded oversized cardigan from Coiincos, skinny jeans from NewYorker, boots from NSking, black tank and a scarf from Reserved. As I said - nothing special, just a big ball of cozy!

"God bless the daylight, the sugary smell of springtime."

Since I can't really smell anything at the moment except for my nasal spray, I thought I'd photograph some of my all time favorite perfumes for you guys.. just for the fun of it. So here they are - very sweet, very sugary scets. So if you want to smell like a delicious cookie then these are the ones to get. Enjoy! :)

( I used CanonEOS 400D and 50mm lens for the pictures )
The Shins - New Slang

THE BAIRD'S OF BARROW STREET

Just watched

ART CARNEY MEETS PETER AND THE WOLF

again. . .

And really had a case of missing

The BAIRD'S OF BARROW STREET

So here are a whole buncha rare items I want to share with you.
"THE BUNNY HUGGERS"
Two dancers performed in tandem by the great
Frank SULLY Sullivan.

Yeah! That's Bil and his Horse!
Bil Baird & Gabriel Marin (our son.)
In India (when it was exotic and over there).
CHARLEMAGNE the LION
Probably as close as Bil got to an altered ego
(except for maybe Snarky Parker. . .)
"THE STRANGE CASE OF THE COSMIC RAYS"

Directed By
FRANK CAPRA

BILL TOST, OLGA FELGEMACHER & PETER BAIRD

SEEK REVENGE ON THE STAGE MANAGER (CARL HARMS)
WITH THE HELP OF THE WOLF.

What a GREAT cartoonist he was!

Everyone starts out somewhere. . .

Thank you,
Baird's Of Barrow Street!

Help manage away bad habits

Talented, hard-working employees are the heart of any organization. But what do you do when stellar performers in the organization display destructive behavior patterns?

Now everyone has their own quirks, and we all learn to work productively in spite of them. However, there are some highly competent people who are held back by fatal personality flaws. The habits can result in consistent problematic behavior, according to the Harvard Business Review article, “Managing away bad habits”.

The authors of the article uses the term “bad habits” not to describe compulsions like nail biting or smoking. The term “bad habits” is shorthand way to describe deep-rooted psychological flaws. At best, people with these “bad habits” create their own glass ceiling, which limit their contributions to the company. At the very worst, these people sabotage their own careers.

If it the situation seems hopeless – it’s not. There are effective ways to help people recognize and correct the bad habits. Managers that help employees break through their own personal glass ceiling provide the ultimate win-win scenario for both the individual and the organization.

If you are a manager, here are six behavior patterns to look out for in employees:

The Hero
The hero always pushes himself or herself – and subordinates – too hard to do too much for too long.

The MeritocratBelieves the best ideas can and will be determined objectively and ignores the politics inherent in most situations.

The BulldozerRuns over others in a quest for power.

The Pessimist
Always worries about what could go wrong rather than considering how things could improve.

The Rebel
Automatically fights against authority and convention.

The Home Run HitterTries to do too much too soon – in other words, swings for the fences before learning to hit singles.

As a manager, what can you do?

· Learn how to empower others to contribute at higher levels by providing special assignments, constructive feedback, and targeted development opportunities.

· Make a list of the key strengths and limitations of your colleagues and each person on the team. Find ways to utilize the strengths and to build understanding.

· Ensure that your teams have defined their purpose, goals, and vision. To be a team, team members must share their goals, and their work needs to be interdependent.

If you want to read the entire article, you can purchase it on the TBC site.

It may take plenty of time and energy on your part, but when a member of the team reaches his or her potential, both the person and the organization will benefit.

So you took a chance and made other plans.

One of my new year's resolutions was actually to post more on my blog. So this is me trying to post every other day, hmm.. it's been 6 days since my last post, yeaa good job Kerti ! Well I've been home sick for a few days now, so I kind of have an excuse..?
Well anyways, I don't know about you guys, but I have always been the person who was never really big on "statement jewellery" - you know, bling as big as your eyeballs and shinier than a stainless steel kitchen, but this gorgeousness from Lindex has completely changed my mind. I think heavy-looking jewellery like this would go perfectly with something delicate like a sheer button-up or a lace shirt. So I hope you enjoy these photographs and be sure to tell me what you think! :)

“Home is where you can say anything you please, because nobody pays any attention to you anyway”

People say that a room can say a lot about a person, so.. what to you think my room says about me? Well except the fact that I have the biggest collection of silly mugs and that I should reallly do some cleaning - I mean look at that dusty lamp, aah and I'm pretty sure there's someone or something living under my bed.

And a quick outfit.

Jeans from seppälä, lace blouse from Iwearsin.com, boots from NewYorker.

(I used CanonEOS 400D and 50mm lens for the pictures)

I also wanted to share this short film about a photographer called Scott Schumann and his blog
The Sartorialist. ( http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com ) Enjoy!

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Learning from Failure

When I first moved to Colorado, I wanted to immerse myself into the Rocky Mountain culture and try out snowboarding. I bought a pass, a snowboard, and all the materials that went with it. I was ready to go.

However, when my first day of snowboarding grew closer and closer, I began to get anxious about it. I became scared of the lift, falling, running into people on the mountain; the list goes on and on. In other words, I was scared to fail. And so my first day of snowboarding went pretty bad, and it didn’t improve much. It’s safe to say that I failed at snowboarding last season.

Failure has a lot of power. It can intimidate us so much that it can actually prevent us from taking action. Or it can stop us in our tracks and force retreat.

Some see failure as an end, when it can really be considered the beginning. Every failure is a beginning of a new process – a process that requires failure to learn.

As a business leader, if you happen to experience failure, keep these tips in mind.

1.) Admit the failure. Whether it is ego or embarrassment, many business leaders don’t want to admit when they have failed. Come to grips with failure so you can move forward.

2.) Learn from it. There is always something you can learn from failure. Mistakes allow you to learn what works and what doesn’t. Period.

3.) Perseverance. Instead of getting frustrated when things don’t go as planned, expect change, ambiguity, and frustration at least part of the time. This is normal. Effective leaders demonstrate an ability to persevere no matter what.

I decided to give snowboarding another chance. When I went snowboarding for the first time this season, I acknowledged the fact that I failed at it last season. I evaluated what I could do to improve and I put myself at the edge of my comfort zone.

My result? I’ve been snowboarding several times this season and no broken bones yet.

While it seems ironic, admitting and learning from failure can lead to success.