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Sep 2nd
The Ultimate Use For 360-Degree Feedback: Validating Individual Performance Improvement
What’s the purpose of 360-degree feedback? What are the most powerful ways to use it?
The technology for collecting and reporting multi-source feedback was developed in the 1980s. Its original purpose was to diagnose leadership performance. By assessing a comprehensive set of skill areas, leaders obtained quantitative and qualitative information about strengths and areas that need improvement.
Other innovative uses for multi-source feedback have evolved over the decades. However, when most people hear about 360-degree feedback, they still think of its traditional use: a global diagnostic of competence and skill.
A much more powerful application of 360-degree feedback goes beyond the diagnosis to support changes in behavior. A doctor’s diagnosis can reveal the disease, but this information can’t cure it. Likewise, 360-degree feedback can identify priority areas for improvement, but this information isn’t enough to improve work habits. Changing a behavior pattern may require instruction, followed by months of reinforcement. Try changing the way you eat or the way you swing a golf club. Tiger Woods made changes in his swing early in 2004, and he didn’t start to win again until almost a year later, after persisting through hours of practice every day.
The problem is that even with the best of intentions, when people try to do things differently, initial attempts tend to feel awkward. When these efforts don’t achieve the desired result, frustration and discouragement follow. Without a formal program of follow-through reinforcement and without support from the direct manager and others in the workplace, people tend to fall back on what feels familiar and comfortable. They eventually return to their old way of doing things.
To achieve the desired changes in behavior, 360-degree feedback needs to be followed by several months of reinforcement, involving ongoing learning, ongoing feedback, coaching and accountability. It takes that long for the brain cells to grow and reconnect into new pathways that are the physical basis for new behavior patterns.
After people are ASSESSED in underdeveloped skill areas, they may need TRAINING. Either or both of these interventions must be followed by an extended period of REINFORCEMENT. This commonsense developmental sequence is the foundation of what is perhaps the most powerful 360-degree application ever devised: VALIDATING INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT. Used in this way, 360-degree feedback works both as a diagnostic assessment and as a means to check whether weak areas have improved.
The concept is simple. First, integrate behavior-based assessment with behavior-based training. Then several months after training, follow through with a more focused behavior-based assessment related to the priority areas for improvement. Compare the pre-course scores with the post-course scores. Improved scores will indicate how much skills have improved.
This approach has significant benefits. First, the results of the pre-course diagnostic allow participants to set quantified, behavior-based performance improvement goals.
Also, knowing that follow-up assessments will be administered causes learners to be more focused and motivated as they work with trainers-the ideal mindset for learning.
In addition, the post-course assessments give learners quantified and qualitative feedback about how they’re doing as they try to improve their skills.
Finally, following through with post-course assessments creates accountability. The assessment results will document whether the individual has improved on-the-job performance. Repeat post-course assessments can be administered as desired to produce ongoing measures of performance improvement.
To implement this system, you’ll need a fully customizable 360-degree assessment system, because the assessment items need to be tailored to exactly mirror the desired behaviors taught in training. In other words, assessment and training must be integrated.
Also, the assessment needs to be affordable. Inexpensive unlimited assessment licenses for each person make it possible to give learners all the feedback they will need after training-without additional expense.
For leadership development, many organizations use the 20/20 Insight GOLD feedback software to administer the diagnostic assessment, identifying strong and weak areas. Then the training program is conducted to focus on high-priority weak areas. In addition to assessment and training, this approach involves ongoing support for the structured period of reinforcement.
You don’t have to repeat the entire diagnostic assessment to measure how much performance has improved. Instead, post-course assessments need only focus on priority developmental areas. Since the pre-course and post-course items are identical, scores can be compared. This ability to measure improvements in performance fulfills the need for ongoing feedback and accountability.
The data created by performance improvement assessment can also be used as a practical return-on-investment (ROI) calculation. For example, assume that leadership skills account for half of a supervisor’s effectiveness. Assessment scores showing an average improvement from 6.4 (before assessment and training) to 7.7 (several months after) would indicate a 20% percent improvement. Since half of a salary of ,000 is ,000, the organization would be getting 20% more effectiveness for this cost, worth roughly ,500-a result many times greater (in dollars) than the cost of the individual’s training.
Simple ROI calculations like this can be performed locally. They are made possible by pre-course/post-course performance improvement measurements powered by customizable 360-degree feedback.
The bottom line: global diagnostic assessments serve an excellent purpose if you follow through with learning and reinforcement. Combine an affordable, customizable 360-degree feedback technology with a behavior-based leadership development curriculum, and you get a fully integrated assessment, training and reinforcement system:
- Focused, motivated learners
- Ongoing feedback during reinforcement
- Performance improvement accountability (Level 3 evaluation of training)
- An easy method for calculating ROI (Level 4 evaluation of training)
More important, leaders are empowered to reinforce and ingrain their new skills over time to create PERMANENT, MEASURABLE CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR – the Holy Grail of leadership development.
In the end, how well your managers lead affects the bottom line – and every other aspect of your organization. Considering the billions of dollars invested annually in leadership development, organizations need a way to demonstrate whether these programs are actually changing behavior. Using multi-source feedback to measure performance improvement is the most effective way to quantify the return on your investment.
Copyright © 2007, Performance Support Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D. is CEO of Performance Support Systems, Inc., publisher of 20/20 Insight GOLD (http://www.2020insight.net), a highly flexible software program for gathering all types of performance feedback. about individual, team and organization performance.
Sep 1st
Improving Your Home With Garden Paving
Improving your home with garden paving can be a very rewarding undertaking. It adds a totally new dimension to your patio or garden. It enables you to escape from the old boring slabs of yesterday, and add an artistic touch and feel to your home and garden surroundings. There are experts available with some good tips and excellent advice as well.
You can choose from a wide variety of stones and arrangements. From circular designs to paths to steps and winding paths from garden end to end, you can find a pattern that will deeply enrich and enhance the garden experience for your home. You can make use of flag stones and aggregates, pattern imprinted concrete, and even add walls to improve the garden paths for your dwelling.
There are so many options available for improving your home with garden paving. Good pavers are able to place stones in strategically artistic places along your garden path to edify the whole experience. They can spice up the color of your plants and flowers. They can enhance the walkway or pick up a nice little spot for sitting around on some neat little chairs and taking in the garden view.
Many people like the look and feel of sandstone for their garden paving. With sandstone you get a lot of options for the fit and shape of your stones. And the colors are very diverse as well. You can get shapes like tiles, cobbles, L shapes, circles, steps, palisades, and many more. And the surfaces can even be different. From natural to polished or honed, you can find beautiful stones for garden paving out of sandstone.
When you begin improving your home with garden paving, you may hear it referred to as ‘hardscaping’. This is because the stones and materials used are hard. From concrete to natural stone and ceramic, you utilize these hard raw materials to enhance your garden and create a more pleasurable experience.
Garden paving is just one aspect of garden landscaping, but it’s one of the most visibly effective. It adds a great value to your garden and property. But in reality, it’s just one piece of the total puzzle, to go along with lights and plants and fountains and garden furniture, to make an artistic statement. There are a lot of professional companies out there who can do the job for you if you’re not one with a lot of input in this area.
Your garden theme is an important part of your landscaping process, and will determine what type of garden paving you’ll take advantage of. You can have a formal garden, that displays lots of pretty shrubs, and trees, and flowers. Or you can choose a theme that’s more open and focuses on a quiet circular setting for sitting and appreciating the fresh air.
Improving your home with garden paving is an undertaking that reaps rewards for years to come. The beauty that these gardens bring to the atmosphere of your home is noticed by all who come to visit. They’re impressive, and are great for having cookouts, holding meetings, or just for relaxing and reading your paper. It truly is well worth the cost and effort.
How to turn a lawn and concrete driveway to a block paved area in two and a half days.
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Aug 31st
Phone Chat – The most up-to-date trend!
There was an era while it was incredibly hard to pass on your message and sentiments to your pals and relatives. It would take some days for the message to get to the definite destination since there were very narrow sources. However, then individuals invented a lot of gadgets such as phones, computers and cell phones. While it is about computers and phones, it means a oral communication or writing the mails which is written communication. In recent times people are busy in chatting most of the time.
Phone chat is the method where two or more that 2 persons converse among them sitting at diverse places. For this special phone chat lines are reachable. There are countless sites with all such facilities. When it had started, it was paid and pricey. Web sites would take money to benefit these services. People used to spend loads of money for keeping in touch with their friends. In this day and age free chat lines and chat lines are in progress. It is happening cool and fashionable every coming day. To discover how it functions, you could use the free trial phone chat services. In phone chat, there are three parties involved:
• Sender
• Message Conveyor (association Used)
• Receiver
Free chat lines are totally free of charge. Using it is even very easy. You need to call any of the service suppliers free local chat line number as well as have to record an outgoing message. Then you need to agree your recorded message. Henceforth you hear all additional messages of the different callers that are online at that time. You could select the person with whom you want to chat with and could send the messages to each other. One on One chat is obtainable live on web sites and that also totally confidential. One thing is significant; the other individual to whom you wish to chat with must accept and agree to chat with this free phone chat line.
Phone dating is even a very good tool utilized in free phone chat. You could date online now. You could simply make new friends as well as get to recognize the planet more. Phone chat line provides you full amusement free of charge and especially sitting at home. Youngsters have a great source of enjoyment through phone dating where they get by with new people and could select their best friends online. There is an improved version of phone dating that is known as adult chat. Adult chat lines support the adults to converse with each other. In the adult chatting, there is separate area where adults are allowable to chat. No minor (under 18 years) must enter this region
Free phone chat is a useful tool to freshen up and relaxed from your every day chaotic routine. It is even helpful to keep in touch with outside world with the flexibility of time. Such programs are most well-liked ones which are magnetizing lots of people all around.
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Where can you talk dirty to the naughtiest girls.
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Aug 30th
London and 3D Visualisation – A Fast-Paced Technology in a Fast-Paced City
The fast-changing field of computer graphics is used by a wide variety of different industries to promote diverse products. Most recently, these have been using the latest developments in the long history of the technology, 3D visualisation. London has plenty of companies specialising in 3D visualisation, whether in particular fields or developing a versatile service with expertise in several different areas. 3D visualisation can be used to showcase images as diverse as an architects’ masterpiece, a smoothie packet, or a BMW. However, architecture work and interior imaging are especially likely to use 3D visualisation, to give a clear picture of a large-scale scene. Working in 3D, images which would usually be flat and dull can jump out at a client’s audience, through a large or small screen.
The science of visualisation, allowing ideas to be conveyed by representative images, is a very old one. It’s typically been achieved through illustration, and gradually innovations have been developed to make the eye understand a reproduced image as well as one in front of it. Since da Vinci, artists have used a variety of techniques â including central perspective, and cartography techniques â in order to produce a realistic image. Nowadays, science is moving much faster to quickly develop computer graphics, in order to produce a virtual reality often more perfect and beautiful than the product as seen through normal regard. Visualisation works through animated images, computer created CGI images, and more recently, 3D effects, which allow a fully rounded image to be seen on a flat screen. The links between these modern computerised techniques and older illustrative innovations has been outlined by Edward Tufte in two critically acclaimed books.
For a long time, computer graphics visualisation was used to study scientific problems, and for educational purposes. It’s been used in all kinds of high-tech environments, and showcased in various conferences and special publications. Now, however, 3D visualisation can be accessed by any client, for websites which look both aesthetically pleasing and professionally cutting-edge. Within the sciences and educational purposes, 3D visualisation has often been used to visualise an abstract concept, but for showcasing products, the idea is to highlight the superior quality of the product itself. Computerised product visualisation has replaced old-fashioned technical drawing. Although 3D CGI can of course be used to generate animations which help to advertise a product, and which do not represent actual products, it is also used to create engaging and dramatic images of new products.
For 3D visualisation, London is a city with a particularly high density of service providers. This is due partly to the high media and digital development within the city, and also because, like 3D visualisation itself, London is involved in a wide variety of industries, and has been the centre for technological developments through the ages.
For 3D visualisation, London is a city full of clients and opportunities, too. Since the days of Christopher Wren or Isambard Kingdom Brunel, architecture has continued to be an active industry in London, meaning that plenty of visualisation services have developed in the capital. The presence of the Royal Institution of British Architects (RIBA) has helped to ensure that London continues to be a buzzing capital for architecture, and so for architecture visualisation. Additionally, the high-flying offices of the Square Mile demand quality visualisation services for their websites. Various other industries, of course, are also based in London, and many are turning to the exciting new technology to promote their work. In addition, and perhaps most importantly London’s long history of involvement with media, running from the famous Fleet Street newspapers, means that it will always be the natural gravitation point for new communication developments.
Some companies outsource their work to other countries (such as China), looking outside the EU to produce product images using 3D visualisation. London-based workers, however, have the advantage of experience within the city’s industries, as well as being on-spot for emergency deadlines and changing demands.
James Marshall, Creative Director, wrote the Article ‘London and 3D Visualisation â A Fast-Paced Technology in a Fast-Paced City’ and recommends you Google ‘Dhub’ for more information on 3D visualisation.
Aug 29th
Why One Should Go for Alloy Wheels
Alloy wheels are considered to be a purely visual accessory that is only bought to modify the appearance of the car. What you may not understand, is that there are a numerous technical reasons why you might want to fit alloy wheels to your vehicle.
Mainly new vehicles come fitted with steel wheels as standard since they are cheaper, even though many manufacturers are recognizing the demand for alloy wheels and fit new cars with them, or at least offer them as an optional upgrade.
Alloy is an excellent conductor of heat, improving heat indulgence from the brakes, dropping down the risk of brakes failing when your car is subjected to tough driving conditions. There are also performance benefits in the steering response and road holding, particularly around corners. It is significant to keep your alloy wheels clean and in good condition. You can do this using soap and water based solution. Supplementary products such as wheel wax are also available. Evade products with chemicals that can cause worsening in the finish of your alloy wheels.
Prior to choosing and purchasing a new set of alloys, make sure that they are the right type for your car. Keep in mind that fitting a large set of alloys will give different handling uniqueness to that of the smaller set you may have on your vehicle at present.
So why to upgrade or aftermarket alloys over the standard steel wheel?
The most important reason is down to our desire to show off, or to be unique. Style and image are some of the most significant features we look for when buying a new car or updating the image of the car you have at present. The easiest way of doing this is to upgrade to your alloys, it’s astonishing how much difference a good set of wheels make to the outer shell of your car. It goes with out saying that different styles of alloys will suit different cars & represent them differently for varying reasons, an example of this is putting an aggressive set of alloys on a Japanese performance car would make them more sporty and performance ready where as to add stylish wheels would make the whole image more fashionable.
The other reason of upgrading your wheels is one that people don’t often realize; the performance. The technology after alloy wheels now is much more advanced than it was couple of years ago. Alloy wheels are now much lighter and stronger than the general steel cousins. This not only reduces the weight of the car but they are also designed with more surface area touching the road increasing grip and performance of the wheels, therefore increasing speed, handling, wear of the tyres and can frequently reduce fuel expenditure noticeably. Occasionally when performance is increased the ride comfort is reduced so finding the right balance is the solution when purchasing new alloys.
The manufacturers of alloy wheels manufactures almost all the styles and designs available in rim sizes and stud patterns and they are available for almost all car models including Mercedes Benz, BWM, ford, Honda, Mitsubishi, Audi and Ferrari etc.
After you buy a set of your desired alloy wheels, it is significant to keep them in good condition. Buying the most excellent quality alloy wheels for your car and keep them clean and in good condition will offer a best value for your money.
Eagle Tyres, is a comprehensive tyre sales company in Sydney, providing the largest range of branded tyres, Alloy Wheels, Black Chrome Wheels as well as fitting tyre services with latest facilities and latest tools. For more information visit http://www.eagletyres.com.au

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Aug 28th
What is Professional Indemnity Insurance? an Easy to Understand Guide
Professional Indemnity Insurance (PI) is difficult to comprehend. However, I’ve devised a guide to make professional indemnity insurance simple.
What is Professional Indemnity Insurance?
Professional Indemnity Insurance is a form of business insurance for professionals who are in industries where others may rely on their professional advice. By being regarded as an ‘expert’ in a field, others may seek legal action against you if they suffer a loss from your professional advice.
For example, if you are an accountant and are responsible for preparing and lodging your client’s tax returns, a failure to lodge the tax returns on time can result in interest and penalties for your client. Your client could take legal action against you for a breach of your professional duty.
Professional Indemnity Insurance may protect you from such action by covering claims made against you, including legal defense costs up to your specified amount of cover, and after taking into account your excess (of course, you would need to look at your policy wording to look at what specifically is covered).
Why Do People Hate Thinking About Professional Indemnity Insurance?
Professional Indemnity Insurance forms the largest percentage of your business insurance expenses. Typically, Professional Indemnity Insurance is a time-consuming process taking up to 12 weeks. Again, it’s expensive and most people don’t know if they are getting the best deal.
This is where companies like BizCover steps in to satisfy your Professional Indemnity Insurance needs. BizCover allows you to get live online quotes in under 2 minutes, and purchase in only a couple more. BizCover also allows business professionals to compare policies from leading insurance providers (AIG, Dual and Vero) to make sure that you’re getting the cover you need. By staying online, you are also benefiting from reduced pricing and costs.
So, make sure you visit BizCover Professional Indemnity Insurance for further Professional Indemnity Insurance info, and get a free 2-minute quote!
BizCover allows Australians to select, compare and purchase Professional Indemnity Insurance (PI) online.
Aug 27th
UK Accident at Work Compensation Claims – Get Smart and Fill That Form To Get Adequate Compensation
Are you one of the thousands out there in UK who are still trying to get their accident at work compensation claims a reality? Despite filling all the required forms and documentations, you are still at a loss why your claims have not been paid? If you are among the thousands of people yearly who have been injured at your place of work due to the negligence of your employer, then you are entitled to accident at work compensation. We will show you where you can make your claims and receive compensation that will cover for the accident fast and for free. You can receive between 8,000 to 70,000 pounds in compensation for injury you sustain while working for your employer.
It may interest you to know that the majority of accidents at work usually occur due to the negligence of your employer. For this reason, it is wise and proper to ask for an accident at work claim. Accidents like these occur due to a number of reasons, which may include inadequate equipment or tools required for the execution of your job. If your employer fails to provide you with the equipment that best fits your designed tasks and an accident happens you can claim compensation. Also, you need to work in a safe environment where there is adequate ventilation, lighting and heating.
Also important is the fact that your employer need to provide you and your colleagues adequate training required for the job. You need to know that you can trust the person who is working beside you, especially in potentially dangerous environments. Of course, accidents are called accidents because they are hazardous and unpredictable. However, your employers ought to do everything they can to protect you from getting into one.
If your employer fails to put in place adequate arrangement to prevent accident and you get involved in an accident at your workplace, you can request compensation from your employers. I know it takes a little bit of courage to do that, but just think how many lives you may be saving in the future. Some colleagues may encourage you in your procedures, some may not. It is really not that important because your real friends stick right beside you no matter what you do. But try not to think at those who blame you, because they are really not in your shoes. You may have suffered injuries that will affect the rest of your life. No amount of money can compensate for that, but you are entitled to at least a financial support that can help you go on with your life. That is because accidents can have both physical and mental long term consequences.
When you are involved in any accident at your workplace, it is smart you contact a good attorney who is a specialist in accident at work compensation claims. The attorney will take care of all the legal procedures for you while you are trying to recuperate from your injuries. It may be a lengthy process, but it will be worth your while.
You can make work compensation claims for the damage to one or more of your properties, the injuries you have gone through along with their consequences in the future, your medical expenses, and other expenses. Cases of this nature may not necessarily go to Court, as many of them are usually settled between the two parties.
But if you are involved in an accident that really wasnât your fault, be smart and get your accident claim fast and for free. Do not suffer in silence while your employers continue to make all the money! Click Here for Your Accident at Work Compensation Claims Form
Aug 26th
Eco Friendly Limescale Removal Methods
Limescale is a problem in many areas of the country. It is caused by mineral deposits like lime and calcium that are contained in the water in so-called hard water areas.
These minerals are harmless to our health (and can even be beneficial – it is also the reason ‛mineral’ water is called such) but they can not only damage our water based appliances such as kettles, dishwashers and washing machine but hard water also creates a limescale ‛scum line’ around sinks and baths.
Removing limescale in hard water areas is often tasked to chemical limescale removers that we insert with our wash in the washing machine or dishwasher. Chemicals are also used to de-scale kettles and remove the scum line in baths, showers and sinks.
However, many of the chemicals that are contained in these products are damaging to the environment and eco system. And the damage they can cause is often amplified by the fact they enter the water table directly through our plugs holes and washing machine soil pipes.
But there are alternatives to using harsh chemicals that are equally effective and can also be used time and time again, saving you money in both the costs of chemicals and the damage caused to your appliances by limescale build-up.
One of the simplest and cheapest method of removing limescale from washing machines and dishwashers is to use a limescale removing magnetic ball. These ‛magnoballs’ use magnetic power to crystallise limescale particles which prevents them from settling on clothes or clogging up the heating elements. You can also get these magnetic devices for toilets which prevents unsightly limescale build up in the bowl.
magnoball removes limescale without chemicals
It is also possible to remove the limescale deposits at source by fitting simple electronic water conditioners that descale your system and prevent new limescale forming. These are surprisingly inexpensive and easy to fit – without the need of a plumber..
Richard N Williams is interested in green innovations and writes about them. Please visit our website if you are interested in eco balls or other green products
.
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Aug 25th
Trivia and National Bingo Games
The bingo card numbers can come in 552,446,474,061,129,000,000,000,000 combinations. £956,000 was the biggest national bingo win. As per a latest survey there are at least 3 million bingo players in the UK. Denise van Outen and Jade Jagger are some celebrities who love to play bingo. About £1.1bn is totally put at stake in the UK in a year. In South of England one in twenty people play bingo but in Scotland one in five people play bingo. The average age of bingo players is forty seven years. About 70% of the bingo players are women. An average player spends £15 to £20 per night in bingo not including the wins. There are 699 licensed and operating bingo clubs in the UK. Numbers are normally called at a rate of 23 numbers in a minute. The first Bingo hall to be opened in the UK is Castle Bingo in Canton, Cardiff.
The National Bingo Game is the second most popular game in the UK after the national lottery. There are 500 licensed bingo clubs that go online two times and play bingo, except on Christmas day. The maximum prize on Monday and Tuesday is £50,000; during Wednesday to Saturday it is £100,000, and on Sunday it is £200,000 for the game of bingo. Apart from the national bingo prize there are 15 regional national bingo prizes of up to £5000. On Fridays if full house in called in 46 numbers or less, then a bonus of £100,000 is distributed. Sunday through Friday afternoons you have a chance to win top prize of £20,000. On Saturday afternoon the top prize is £50,000.
In the bingo website Cash holds money you deposit to put to stake on the website. This can be withdrawn fully. A cash winning is the account into which after one deposit all the winning money flows. This can also be withdrawn fully. Bonus is the incentive, VIP deposit, or promotional money awarded. This cannot be withdrawn but can be used for any payment on the website. A bonus winning is the account into which the bonus will flow if you have not made any deposit. This can be used to make payment. This cannot be withdrawn and will lapse if you withdraw all deposits. Bingo bucks contains the sign up bonus. This can be used to pay for bingo on the web. It cannot be withdrawn and will lapse on withdrawal of all deposited or won funds.
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