In the daily course a Manager normally interacts with his immediate downline; it so inadvertently happens that Managers miss talking directly to the ones below in the hierarchy; though feedback about those below does keep coming and inputs keep going back to them. Skip level sessions help, but to only to one level.

While working we all have cribbed about our seniors team leads or managers – a crib that remains a crib, no action is taken, discontentment brews, negativity spreads. I thought what if we had a channel for an effective two-way feedback: the 360° Feedback was not applicable to the Team Leads. One way was to have the two sit in a room and get into an “open conversation” with a moderator – how much that stays sane is anyone’s guess.

The way I experimented with was to start the QPEDS (Quarterly Performance Evaluation and Development Sessions) discussions from the freshers in the team and go up the reporting chain. There was an outpour of feedback from each and every person who was working with someone senior! It was a WOW and a Phew. Feedback was ploughed back into the people up the chain – actions were taken, changes were made apparent.

This method adds structure to the process of conducting appraisals and feedback sessions – a process that is usually run without any structure; people are lined up for discussion considering the difficultly of dealing with the person or the ones whom you know has “issues”.

This method helped pushing the cause of trust and transparency, breaking hierarchies, giving a message to the team that firstly we listen to the junior most, the most enthusiastic and absorbent and, secondly we action their feedback; helps keep sensibilities of people with more experience in place and remain accountable to all.