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Programme and project managers of one of the largest municipalities in The Netherlands are working on increasingly large projects: complex projects with many different interests, large budgets, and tough responsibilities. This requires solid direction and specific skillsets. To better do so, a mirror is held up to them to help develop their talents.

This mirror is Spiegelapp ('spiegel' meaning 'mirror' in Dutch): a feedback system that allows you to request specific feedback about specific competencies and your performance. Of course we train managers, professionals, and employees, and of course we discover their talents and determine their development potential. However, the pool of potential talent needs self-management and interim measurements to know where they currently stand in their development. We wanted to offer a tool that would have the desired functionality, but would also be inspiring, accessible, and fun.

Customisable tool

A team of people with different disciplines set to work to build the tool our client needed: an innovative, fun, and above all practical tool with useful functions that would help programme and project managers. Thus, Spiegelapp was born: an online feedback system that was introduced to the municipality after an extensive test phase. Technology, design, security, protection of personal data, certified hosting: careful attention has been paid to everything.

Competency development starts with you, Spiegelapp helps you with it

Spiegelapp contains the organisational competencies and the competencies associated with various different job profiles. Employees are able to ask for targeted feedback on specific competencies within their own job profile. Within the same secure environment they can:

• chat with colleagues to share knowledge and experiences,

• send personal video messages with feedback invitations,

• download unlimited reports over any desired period,

• utilise feedforward and receive development tips.

Employees can read feedback that comes back both on their mobile/desktop devices and in clear feedback reports that they can then discuss with their manager. Want to make a short clip of your presentation and ask for live feedback? This is all possible within  Spiegelapp. A group app is also possible within the secure environment for a project team, for example, or in the context of training and supervising a specific job group or a specific team.

The innovative Spiegelapp offers many possibilities: both as a mirror and to keep control over your own professional development. The tool went live at the beginning of 2019 for a large team of programme and project managers from one of the largest municipalities in the Netherlands.

In-depth development conversation

Soon after the kick-off meeting, we received the first positive signals from the manager. The programme and project managers came to the development interview well prepared, with clear insights thanks to feedback provided through Spiegelapp. According to one of the managers, there was in-depth dialogue with room for coaching. It soon turned to the things that really need to be discussed and that generates new energy.

"The added value of Spiegelapp is great. The development interviews require less time from the manager, deliver more quality, and the responsibility lies where it should."

Inspiration and motivation result in vital and productive employees

The Spiegelapp feedback system makes employees more productive and motivated. A maintenance engineer, for example, who works on location during the day, no longer has to use his personal comupter in the evening, but can request feedback about his performance via his mobile phone at any time of the day. He receives feedback directly and can immediately download a feedback report. This feedback gave him insights into his concrete behavior and taught him how he comes across to others. Through concrete behavioral examples, the man recognised his existing talent and what he could still develop.

"Spiegelapp provides employees with insights for their development and offers managers starting points for the coaching development interview."

Greater quality, while saving time and money

Thanks to Spiegelapp, development interviews between employees and manager has become more content and focuses on the required skills associated with a specific position. Feedback reports provides guidance and interviews requires much less preparation from managers. After all, the control lies with the employee. This allows managers to better manage the conversation. A dialogue can take place about 360-degree feedback, originating from work relationships of the person involved, and the manager can focus on coaching leadership.

 

"Spiegelapp provides better quality and saves time for managers. The handy feedback reporting saves costs."
 

H+C support for excellent organisations

Our customers look for the best solutions. We think along with you and come up with an integrated approach and effective tools such as Spiegelapp. For more than 25 years, customers have expected us to develop excellent organisations and we want to continue to live up to those high expectations. That is why we regularly look in the mirror.