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360 degree feedback can be an incredibly powerful and rewarding tool for organisations to use. It can also cause irrevocable damage. Yes, there is a middle-ground too, but what organisation wants to be there? Let’s explore how you can be sure to manage a successful 360 Feedback Programme using these straight-forward tips.
360 degree feedback is best defined as a skills and behavioural development tool, it’s a tool for self-awareness that is delivered usually the results of a survey, presented in a report. The 360 feedback report includes both quantitative and qualitative data against an individual’s behaviour or performance against specific criteria. The term ‘360 degree feedback’ means collecting feedback from a range of sources from all around the individual, hence 360. These usually include managers, colleagues, customers and direct reports, however, this can vary depending on the recipient.
Tip: Be sure to explain to your audience what 360 feedback is. Ideally show them a sample reports or template so they are clear. You can download a sample Actus 360 NOW report below:
Resource: Need to delve deeper? Take a look at our white paper: 360 Feedback: The Pros and Cons of 360 feedback
Before undertaking a 360 feedback programme it is important to define the purpose. Is it being used for personal development? Could it be a gateway to career progression? Or is it being used more broadly to embed values? The purpose of the 360 should define the questions that are asked. If you plan to use a system that can build 360 feedback templates, think about only having one purpose for each template to avoid confusion.
Who will see the 360 reports? Will they be completely confidential to the individual or seen by managers? We would recommend that whatever approach is taken, the individual receives the feedback before anyone else to avoid any suspicion. Give the control to the individual to decide who sees the feedback afterwards to build trust.
Ideally, feedback should be captured from a minimum of 3 respondents per category to encourage anonymity and a maximum of 7 or 8 to avoid dilution. Certainly, if you are looking to conduct a series of feedback, it is best to stagger this over time or in cohorts to lessen workloads.
As part of managing a 360 feedback programme, it is important to recognise the emotions involved in giving and receiving feedback. Recognising that it can make people feel nervous and can evoke a ‘fight or flight’ response will help you to prepare for this. Additionally, educate people as to what good quality feedback looks like to maximise the quality of the feedback.
Tip: Start the 360 feedback process from the top-down to encourage sensitivity and self-awareness about the process amongst senior management. This will likely result in better quality feedback.
Ensuring you have the right 360 feedback tools to manage the process is essential. If you are planning to use software, ask yourself the following questions:
Can you build your own templates? Customise ratings and email templates? Are you able to control anonymity and visibility?
Can you conduct Employee, Manager or HR initiated reviews? Also, can you instantly generate reports and monitor progress easily?
Is your 360 feedback tool configured to align with your processes? Lastly, have you received expert guidance, training or support to ensure a smooth running?
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If you have any questions, enquiries or just want to say how much you like us (or what we can do better), please drop us a line.