UMD B-School's '360 Feedback Tool' Addresses Government 'Leadership Crisis'

COLLEGE PARK, Md., May 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business, Office of Executive Programs, has collaborated with Boston-based Cambria Consulting to launch a "360-degree assessment" application to bolster leadership development in agencies and federal employees after senior leaders drew low marks in the 2014 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS).

Smith's Federal Executive Leadership Inventory (FELI) meets Office of Personnel Management Executive Core Qualifications (ECQS) as a unique alternative to the OPM's in-house, 360 instrument available only at senior levels within government agencies.

Both assessments measure skills and behaviors necessary to successfully lead change, lead people, drive results, demonstrate business acumen and build coalitions.  The differentiator: The OPM's assessment is limited to employees in Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Programs, while Smith's FELI 360 expands this resource to GS-12-to-15-level professionals.

"Leaders need to identify and change unhelpful habits early and be given pointers to help them develop the strengths the country — and their workforce — need to see," says Liz Barron, senior director executive education at Smith. "Smith wants to support high potential government executives from the start. By the time someone reaches an SES candidate development program, it is really too late."

The initiative responds "to a perceivable leadership crisis in government, as indicated by three years of successively disappointing scores for leadership and employee engagement in the FEVS," says Barron.

"The surveys indicate those in charge at different levels in the agency don't know what others think of them. They don't know where they are 'getting it wrong,' and that means they can't work to 'put it right.'"

Smith's 360 assessment gathers data from managers, peers and direct reports, and reports the findings confidentially to the participant. The goal is to foster "a focused individual development plan based on that feedback to answer: What do I do well that I should do more of? What do I need to develop or change?" says Barron.

Agencies can purchase the assessment from Smith, or request the service as part of a training program they contract from Smith. The school provides the Leadership Institute for U.S. Customs and Border Protection among several programs for government agencies.  

"We work every year with hundreds of feds, who are ambitious, committed public servants. So we decided to invest in our own 360 to help them measure their performance against the OPM ECQs," says Gary Cohen, assistant dean of executive programs at Smith. "It's a unique service Smith is proud to offer for government."

As agencies work to flip their FEVS scores, "the Smith FELI can be a very useful tool to assist in leadership development," Cohen says.

Smith's assessment provides "a good first step in preparation for a great federal career," says Cohen. "When people know themselves and can manage their own behavior, they are positioned for great leadership. When they identify their strengths, they can leverage them. When they know their skills gaps, they can work to close them or collaborate with others to mitigate risk."

About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business 

The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, MS in business, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

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SOURCE University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business