Military Review English Edition July-August 2015

MULTIRATER FEEDBACK development … . These reviews can be addressed in counseling sessions … and [used] to inform an officer’s … evaluation. But [360-degree reviews] should not be used as a means of measuring one officer against another for promotion.”48 Unfortunately, feedback becomes performance-linked as soon as it is viewed by the subject’s supervisor, and if used to inform an “officer’s evaluation,” it is then being used for promotion purposes as the OER will be reviewed by the promotion board to determine if the officer should be promoted to the next rank.49 The Army Times editorial suggests what the Army needs to understand explicitly: supervisors might—wrongly—use multirater feedback as part of officer evaluations.50 The Army should not allow this because it would destroy mul(Photo by Spc. Joshua Edwards, 129th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment) Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond F. Chandler III speaks with soldiers 22 September 2013 tirater feedback as a means during a visit at Forward Operating Base Walton, Afghanistan. Chandler traveled to bases for professional development. throughout southern Afghanistan to speak with soldiers about their concerns regarding current It would directly reduce its va- and upcoming Army events. lidity and force officers into an unsafe learning environment while receiving “developleader’s behavior affects others. Self-awareness is ment” from their superiors—potentially reducing valued a crucial trait for good leaders and should be mealeader behaviors in units.51 sured.52 If the leaders in the above example both Using quantifiable survey data is hazardous increase the scores they receive from others to 10, without understanding the data and structure of the have they achieved the organization’s goals? Maybe survey. For example, on a scale of one to ten, a leader not. Leaders may be getting better ratings over time who receives a five from reviewers but overrates at the expense of the organization—by managing himself or herself at a nine could have more issues how others perceive them rather than through true than a leader who receives a four and self-assesses behavior change and job performance.53 at four. The latter is much more self-aware than the As Congress reduces the Army’s budget and deformer—and, is a score of four poor? What is being creases the size of its force, competition for promomeasured? Moreover, can multirater feedback across tion, or even for retention, will increase. This could year groups or branches be compared for promotion result in a zero-defect environment for tolerating potential? Typical multirater feedback for developfailure. A zero-defect environment is not a safe mental purposes focuses on the leader and how the learning environment that supports and encourages MILITARY REVIEW July-August 2015 65

Military Review English Edition July-August 2015 | Page 67