Becoming Who You Want To Be

When it is done properly and sensitively, positive or constructive feedback is valued by the majority of people and can be extremely advantageous to the company and the individual. However, in spite of the evidence that sustains this belief, people still leave businesses due to the lack of this very feedback, so it has to be considered crucial to make sure that your business is able to provide feedback to its employees. To do this is sensible because it enables you to discover the areas in which your employees may benefit from assistance in skills development to consequently increase their productivity.

So, why is 360 degree feedback utilised? It has been generated from the requirement to provide an increase in frequency and quality of feedback to workers. This is as well as the annual appraisal where the employee attends the manager’s office to be given a precis of their strengths and weaknesses.

Throughout time it has been the role of the manager to give this feedback and as a result of increasing workloads, the feedback has not always been comprehensive. 360 degree feedback increases the circle of feedback and includes not only the manager’s comments, but also peer evaluation, self evaluation and direct reports. What occurs at the conclusion of this procedure is a comprehensive report that provides the individual with a comparison between how they perceive their performance and the perception of their associates. This report will then allow them to make any necessary changes through a targeted improvement plan.

360 degree feedback has a number of benefits: the insight that employees obtain regarding their behavioural shortcomings allows them to better manage their careers, working on interpersonal skills and obtaining leadership qualifications and their employer reaps the benefits of having a highly skilled and experienced workforce and the associated increased productivity and quality of work.

What are the main elements of a successful 360 degree feedback process?

There are six components.

1. The senior management are required to take ownership of the process and be supportive of its realisation. As well, employees have to obtain the required skills to be able to provide feedback that is beneficial. The most significant factor is that the managers should be prepared to utilise the skills they have gained in the provision of coaching if and when it is needed.

2. All surveys that are conducted must have a connection with the mission statement of the company and the skills for which the company is searching and should consider the skills that are needed to obtain both individual and company success.

3. Each member of the team has to attend a 360 degree orientation. At these training sessions they will be instructed with regards to the fact that 360 must never be used in performance appraisal, but only as a developmental tool. The importance of confidentiality is stressed to assure those who are being rated and those doing the rating.

4. Questionnaires or surveys are filled out. Most of these surveys are filled in online where special encryption software is able to guarantee the security of the data collection.

5. These surveys are collated into a report, including any comments made verbatim and given to the individual. The report should be in an easy to read format. Senior management is usually provided with a group summary report where numeric ratings are tallied to indicate strengths and weaknesses on a group level. This information can then be used to make decisions regarding training initiatives that correlate with the needs of the group.

6. Coaching that is considered necessary for improvements is then given to those requiring it. Impartiality is one of the best qualities of an effective coach as is their ability to focus on realistic, useful goal setting. It is also appropriate for managers to adopt the role of coach as it will help to reinforce any skills gained and guarantee accountability.

So, what can all this do to benefit your organisation? The success of the process depends upon how much effort you are prepared to put into it. The level of change you are able to see is directly related to the level of feedback presented as well as the amount of support offered. 360 degree feedback, when used appropriately, can be extremely powerful in producing the amount of feedback you will need to make those necessary changes in your business.