Manford is the first company to launch a software of this kind. Essentiallya human resource appraisal tool, the 360 degree Leadership Compass softwareprovides leaders and managers in the organisation with a system that helpsthem get acquainted with their projected image and compare the data withtheir own self-image through a 360 degree feedback system.

This highly flexible software allows a professional to customise theinstrument to his own purposes, thereby making him aware of his strengths asseen by the other team members, and enabling him to capitalise on his assetsand work on his weaknesses.

``This software has been specially designed to allow the individual tochoose the parameters --dimensions and categories --for assessment; he candesign his own questionnaires,''says Anand David, CEO, Manford Allianz.With a choice of over 300 items to select from, the software suitspractically everyone. It provides the flexibility to decide the range of therating scale and customise the parameters of acceptable range of scores,thereby enabling one to design a report, David explains.

This is a system in which a questionnaire is prepared to obtain feedbackabout various aspects of a person's managerial skills/behaviour. The personbeing studied fills up one questionnaire to rate himself, says David. Asimilar questionnaire is given to the person's boss, four co-workers andfour subordinates. All of them rate the person being studied. Finally, allthe information thus obtained is compiled into a report and given to theperson being studied. This report thus gives the person a 360 degree view ofhimself --i.e his views about himself as well as the views of others. Thisvaluable feedback can be used for self-improvement and self-development.Furthermore, using the feedback, the person under study can achieve optimaluse of his realised strengths; unrealised strengths; acknowledged softspots; and blind soft spots.

David says, ``When we normally administer the 360 degree plan for a clientmanually, we charge Rs 2,000 per person, so if 25 people are covered in thisexercise, it will cost the company Rs 50,000. The software however costsonly Rs 20,000 and can generate reports for 50 persons.'' ``Since thesoftware has just been launched, we have not sold it yet,'' he says.

``However, it has been evaluated by Dr Uday Parikh, who has been associatedwith ISABS (Indian Society for Applied Behavioural Sciences), and Dr T VRao, chairman of the TV Rao Learning and Resource Management Centre ofAhmedabad, both luminaries in the field of management.''

The software also offers on-line help to guide managers through the processof planning, designing and working on the software. Rich theoreticalrationale for the areas of assessment have been provided as write-upmaterial along with accounts of the varied experience of professionals inthe area. Password protected administration, respondent and report moduleshave been built into the software to ensure complete security andconfidentiality to the user of the software, he adds.

The 360 degree software is comprehensive, user friendly and unique, and itis the only software that allows the user to change/modify thequestionnaires to suit his individual requirements. All other such softwareavailable internationally have fixed questionnaires, David says.

Manford Allianz has conducted specialised workshops and training for variousnational and multinational organisations, including American Express, UnitedNations (India, Nepal Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Myanmar, Bhutan, Sudan,Modova, Laos, Mangolia, Samoa and Philippines), Gillette, Reebok, HeroHonda, Maruti Suzuki, Bharti BT Internet, Bharti Cellular Ltd, Airtel (asubsidiary of British Telecom), Telstra V.comm, ACC Babcock, Kanbay SoftwareIndia Pvt. Ltd and Aptech. ``In fact, all these companies have benefittedfrom our training,'' says David.