From battlefield to investing: Find out why a 360-degree review is useful for your investment portfolio!

Wednesday: The Independent Investor FROM THE DESK OF MILES EVERSON: Hello! We’re thrilled to share with you another investing insight in today’s “The Independent Investor!” Every Wednesday, we publish various articles about investing because we believe this activity will help us achieve true financial freedom. In this article, we’ll be sharing a simple tip that will help you improve your trading strategy. Read on to know how this performance evaluation tool can enhance your financial decision-making. CEO, MBO Partners Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

From battlefield to investing: Find out why a 360-degree review is useful for your investment portfolio! Have you heard about multi-source feedback, or what is commonly known as the 360-degree review? This performance evaluation tool provides its recipients with feedback from multiple individuals. It has seen widespread adoption by multiple firms since the 1990s because of its usefulness in assessing performance. Did you know the practice of gathering feedback from multiple individuals traces its origins from the battlefield? During the 1940s, the United Kingdom’s Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) used 360-degree reviews to determine the fitness of applicants for the agency’s intelligence operative positions. The agency conducted multiple tests for its recruits as part of the selection process. At the end of each test, a group of evaluators provided their assessment of the applicants to the SIS. Due to the sensitive and complex nature of the SIS’ operations, its leadership team had to be very careful in recruiting personnel. To gather the best assessment possible, the agency gathered trainee assessments from multiple evaluators. The British weren’t the only ones who benefited from 360-degree reviews; the Germans did as well. Fighting together on a battlefield required coordination and teamwork. Armies relied on the performance of its soldiers and their leaders to win military engagements. The Germans understood this quite well, so they used the same review style to assess the performance of their armed forces. Taking it a step further, the Wehrmacht, Germany’s military during World War II, built assessment centers for the sole purpose of reviewing battlefield performance. The insights the Germans gathered in these hubs were used in creating military plans and guidelines. While World War II may have ended in 1945, 360-degree reviews are still useful in getting insights about individual and organizational performance. As a result, modern-day corporations use this evaluation tool as well. From the Battlefield to Corporate Boardrooms A firm’s performance, like an army, depends on the collective ability of its employees, managers, and top executives. In 360-degree reviews, employees receive feedback from co-workers, direct superiors, and other people they work with. They are also given the opportunity to provide their opinions on the performance of their bosses, peers, and the firm they’re working for. Because of this performance evaluation tool, organizations are able to identify what they need to work on to improve at every level. A 360-Degree Review in Investing A 360-degree review isn’t just a tool for evaluating the performance of a firm’s management team and employees. You can also use it for investing! How? By conducting an assessment of your trades. As an investor, it’s not enough to know you bought a high-earning stock. You should also ask how and why that particular stock gave you good returns. The same principle applies to stocks with poor dividends. In evaluating your actions as an investor, gathering insights about the performance of your investments is important. How can you go about this? For starters, consult your financial adviser, financial planner, or wealth manager. These professionals will help you identify the aspects of your investing strategy that need improvement. Keep an open mind about what these professionals have to say about your investment portfolio’s performance. Examining your past trades with another set of eyes will help you gain additional insights about your investments. Aside from gathering professional feedback, you should look at the financial performance and statements of the companies you’ve invested in. Balance sheets will help you understand why a certain stock performs well over others. A 360-degree review in investing is about gathering useful investment insights from different sources. This type of review helps you understand the meaning behind your gains and losses. By adopting this evaluation tool, you’ll effectively take your financial decision-making to the next level and your trading strategy will positively impact the performance of the stocks in your portfolio. Apply this performance evaluation tool to help you pick the right firms to invest in! Hope you’ve found this week’s insights interesting and helpful. Follow us on LinkedIn.     Stay tuned for next Wednesday’s The Independent Investor! What are the forces behind your actions? Learn more about why incentive is important in determining your investment behavior in next week’s article!