360° peer appraisals are bullsh*t
How Build Built builds its people.
Intention
We do post project evaluation after every project is completed
At Build Built, I run 1-on-1 sessions every quarter to hear from the ground, to check our tribe’s combined pulse. At these sessions, open ended questions about work and life are discussed. Actionable points are recorded. We then compare previous 1-on-1 notes, looking for improvement. As a group we also try to ensure our internal compass is still pointing towards true-north, and that life outside of work is as good as life at work.
Aside from this, annually, we perform a 360° peer appraisal to check for blind spots, and to receive a variety of constructive feedback for self-improvement. Aside from personal growth and unlocking competency hacks, we hope to align with BuildBuilt as a group, and to harness better group-work dynamics. We also look forward to a secondary outcome: Being appraised from all directions. Our leaders and managers learn to be vulnerable and are humbled through this process.
Objection
However, 360° peer appraisals seem to have its flaws. Ponder long enough about it, and one might ask:
‘Who are YOU to judge me? You come from a totally different background. You are made up of completely different experiences from me. We even have different responsibilities at work. We are at different life stages. My problems aren’t yours, and you certainly cannot identify with my struggles. Peers should not judge me. Only my employer should. Only my customers should.
Can’t I just do me? Do my thing? I am firm and confident in my identity and ways. Why do I need to conform for your comfort? I don’t need you to tell me what you think of me. I’m fine being me.’
Yes, from some perspectives, all the above comments are (relatively) true.
But here’s another perspective, and I hope that you may find this true-er.
The journey vs. the result
PM Marcus in action
We have all met result-oriented people. They get the job done - the final delivery seems to shine, and at times, the bosses are elated. But they make a mess out of the journey to reach their destination. To get there, they hastily trample over people (whether carelessly or deliberately), disrespect values and codes, break protocol, take unreasonable risks, argue their way around things, and thereby ruining the experience. God knows, they still get the job done.
Inversely, there are workers who are all about the journey but they take forever to arrive. And when they do arrive, it might look like they’ve been underperforming with a poor work rate. Case in point: the Japanese craftsman, who takes 5 years to weave together a single solid wooden chair without nails and glue. He delights everyone through his toiling. And also realises that in that time, he could've been more productive to survive the onslaught of the deteriorating economy.
Most business owners should love the result-oriented worker, and most of our colleagues should love the journey-centric worker (and despise the result-oriented-overzealous-overperforming worker).
Whatever it may be, we have come together as a band of professionals with a joint mission. A shared goal at BuildBuilt to bust out good design, and good project management - under one harmonious roof.
We have all agreed that going alone at this immense task is an arduous one. We also have agreed that if you were to set out to achieve this goal alone, you might be fast and nimble in the beginning. But when the going gets tough (and it will!), you’ll burn out rather quickly, fading into the darkness of disillusionment.
A mission, like climbing the tallest mountain, should be executed as a group. When tired, a group can encourage and motivate each other. When there’s trouble ahead, the group can pull minds together to innovate their way out of it.
If we all agree that work is going to be a place to create value for other people, with other people, then we do need to care about how others perceive you to be. We can then form a harmonious band, and play the sweetest sounding music for our fans.
Taking and giving feedback
Our designers work closely together even when handling separate projects
When loose pieces of string band together, the chord is undoubtedly stronger. Make sure the group stays together by honestly reviewing each other. This is how we do it:
Practice radical candour, and always give feedback objectively, constructively. Ie. to ‘lovingly challenge’ each other.
Understand how often/frequent one peer has interacted with the other, so that outliers can be identified when comments are made.
The peer appraisal’s feedback and comments should be read out anonymously, without emotion as much as possible.
Select the organisation's basic tool set to produce quality work, and then rate and comment accordingly. At BuildBuilt, we judge basic competency, quality of work output, communication skills, empathy, participation levels, dependency and adaptability skills (for leadership).
No ranking should be revealed as the peer appraisal should not be a comparative exercise, but to do better from one’s past performance.
As for leaders, we question clarity of communication, empathy, value of diversity, fair decision making methods, vision making abilities, and motivational skills.