Every relationship works better when people talk things over. That's true at home, with friends and family, and it's certainly true on the job. Without good communication, misunderstandings can easily arise. Instructions can be misinterpreted, expectations can be misconstrued, and - even with the best intentions - people can end up working at cross-purposes to each other.

Good communication is what Jefferson Lab's new 360-Degree Feedback Program is all about. "Communication, including constructive critique, is the backbone of a modern organization," says Lab Director Hermann Grunder, who has been strongly committed to the program since its inception. "We all should feel free and comfortable in giving and receiving feedback."

Grunder acknowledges, however, that the idea can seem intimidating at first. "Scientific/technically trained people are often shy in communicating freely," he points out. By establishing a simple procedure, with an easy-to-follow format, the Lab's 360 program hopes to change that.

The program, being launched this month, grew out of a recommendation by the Lab's Internal Communications Team (ICT). In its recommendation, the ICT identified "the need for multi-level accountability. We feel that both staff and management are key partners - each with upward, lateral, and downward communication roles to play."

The recommendation to the Director's Council also highlighted 360's potential benefits: "[The process] will facilitate an exchange of information that will benefit staff and management and contribute to the effectiveness and success of the lab. The ICT also believes the 360-degree process will encourage the staff to expose themselves to the growth opportunities afforded by open communication."

"Open communication is fundamental to building and maintaining a world-class workforce," says Pat Morton, JLab employee relations manager. "And 360 is at heart a communications tool."

Used effectively, feedback can provide people with practical information they can use to develop new strengths and improve on-the-job interactions. "It can be a powerful tool for both personal and professional excellence," says Morton. "This is the kind of input we all need to develop personally."

"Our job is to make it as easy to participate as possible," she adds. "We know it's new and unfamiliar, but people at the Lab are accustomed to being on the cutting edge, and thatÕs where we are."

In recent years, 360-degree feedback programs have gained widespread acceptance in both the public and private sectors. Fields as divergent as education, manufacturing, financial services and technology have implemented feedback programs with great success.

At Jefferson Lab, the front of the feedback form lists 12 attributes ranging from technical competence and teamwork to decision-making and accountability - qualities senior management believe are critical to the Lab's continuing success. Feedback providers rate the recipient on each of these characteristics. Additional space for comments, explanations and suggestions is provided on the back of the form. The completed form can then be used as the basis for follow-up conversations. Such face-to-face discussions can significantly enhance the feedbackÕs usefulness.

360 phases in over three years

Feedback packages will be distributed by supervisors personally, and to aid in their completion, forms will be available on-line to be printed out and returned to feedback recipients, to encourage and foster communication. The more the feedback is used Ñ in follow-up discussions, in personal development planning - the more useful it becomes.

The Lab's program will be phased in over a three-year period. The first year, supervisors will request feedback from all JLab staff who report to them directly. "The 360-degree feedback - with the supervisor asking for that feedback," Grunder says, "is an effective means to enhance dialogue." Good communication, after all, takes place only when people talk - and listen - to each other openly and honestly.

Supervisors will also solicit feedback from two peers or colleagues of their own choosing. The first year, only the staff member providing the feedback, and the person receiving it, will see the completed, signed form. An anonymous copy of the front side only - unidentified by either giver or receiver - will be sent to the division office for inclusion in a Lab-wide summary.

In the second year, a completed copy of the signed form will also go to the supervisorÕs supervisor. Later on, as the program is phased in, all staff members will have the opportunity to receive feedback from their peers.

A packet of information about 360-Degree Feedback, including forms, procedures and schedules, will be sent out to all staff by the end of September. Completed forms should be given to the recipients by Oct. 19.

On Oct. 1 and 4, Dr. Grunder will meet with small groups around the Lab to discuss the program and answer staff questions and concerns directly. At two-hour training sessions on October 7 and 8, consultant Dr. David Jones will offer practical advice on how to give and receive feedback effectively. Jones, formerly with the Newport News Shipyard, is now manager for organizational development with Marathon Oil Company in Houston, Texas.

In the long run, of course, the real goal of any formal communication program is to put itself out of business. When open, honest communication becomes habitual, there's no need for formality. As staff members at all levels become more comfortable with open communication, programs such as 360-degree feedback won't even be necessary. "The object is to get our staff talking to one another, to enhance performance. Once we are successful in that, the need for formal programs will pass and communication will be part of our daily business," Grunder said.

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