Everybody appreciates getting positive or constructive feedback and when the process is done properly, it can be a great help to both the individual and the company. Despite the evidence to support this, studies have shown that the very lack of feedback is the main reason why people choose to leave a company, so it is vitally important that you ensure that your organisation provides this feedback to its employees. This is a wise move, because it will help you assess where your employees need development in skills to help them to increase their performance levels.
Why do we have 360 degree feedback? 360 degree feedback has developed because of this very need to supply feedback to employees in both increased frequency and improved quality. 360 degree feedback is much more than the yearly visit to the manager's office, where you are informed of the positives and negatives of your performance.
Historically, it has been the manager's role to provide feedback and, due to increasing workloads, the manager's feedback has been scant at best. What 360 degree feedback does is widen the circle of feedback providers to include peer evaluation, direct reports and self evaluation. The end result of this process is that the individual has access to a comprehensive report that allows them to compare their own perceptions of their work to those of their close associates. Once they have this report, a performance coach will assist them in making any necessary adjustments through a targeted improvement plan.
There are a number of benefits with 360 degree feedback: when individuals have a greater insight into their strengths and weaknesses they are better able to manage their careers as a result of making improvements to interpersonal skills and building upon leadership skills and the employer is able to take advantage of having a highly skilled, experienced team of employees whose productivity and quality of work is high.
What are the key elements of a successful 360 degree feedback process?
There are six of these.
1. The most senior management must be willing to embrace the process and be supportive of its implementation. As well, employees must obtain the necessary skills to give constructive feedback. The most important factor is that managers have to be willing to implement any skills that they have obtained to give appropriate coaching.
2. Each survey carried out should have a connection with the ethos of the business and any specific skills sought and considered necessary for the success of both the business and the individual.
3. Every member of the team is required to attend a 360 degree orientation. At these training sessions they will be instructed with regards to the fact that 360 is not to 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. A survey or questionnaire is filled out. Most of these are completed online which allows for the use of special encryption software to guarantee the security of the data collection.
5. Completed surveys are collated and placed into a report which includes verbatim comments and then given to the individual in question. The report should be easy to read. Senior management is presented with a summary of the group, in which the ratings are tallied numerically, indicating strengths and weaknesses as a group. Such information is useful to make decisions regarding training to coincide 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 a good 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 cement any skills gained and guarantee accountability.
How can this be successfully implemented in your business? The deciding factor is the amount of effort you are willing to put into the process. The level of improvement has a direct correlation with the amount of feedback and support that is provided. 360 degree feedback has the potential to be extremely powerful in generating feedback and consequently to make changes in your business. - 16732
Why do we have 360 degree feedback? 360 degree feedback has developed because of this very need to supply feedback to employees in both increased frequency and improved quality. 360 degree feedback is much more than the yearly visit to the manager's office, where you are informed of the positives and negatives of your performance.
Historically, it has been the manager's role to provide feedback and, due to increasing workloads, the manager's feedback has been scant at best. What 360 degree feedback does is widen the circle of feedback providers to include peer evaluation, direct reports and self evaluation. The end result of this process is that the individual has access to a comprehensive report that allows them to compare their own perceptions of their work to those of their close associates. Once they have this report, a performance coach will assist them in making any necessary adjustments through a targeted improvement plan.
There are a number of benefits with 360 degree feedback: when individuals have a greater insight into their strengths and weaknesses they are better able to manage their careers as a result of making improvements to interpersonal skills and building upon leadership skills and the employer is able to take advantage of having a highly skilled, experienced team of employees whose productivity and quality of work is high.
What are the key elements of a successful 360 degree feedback process?
There are six of these.
1. The most senior management must be willing to embrace the process and be supportive of its implementation. As well, employees must obtain the necessary skills to give constructive feedback. The most important factor is that managers have to be willing to implement any skills that they have obtained to give appropriate coaching.
2. Each survey carried out should have a connection with the ethos of the business and any specific skills sought and considered necessary for the success of both the business and the individual.
3. Every member of the team is required to attend a 360 degree orientation. At these training sessions they will be instructed with regards to the fact that 360 is not to 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. A survey or questionnaire is filled out. Most of these are completed online which allows for the use of special encryption software to guarantee the security of the data collection.
5. Completed surveys are collated and placed into a report which includes verbatim comments and then given to the individual in question. The report should be easy to read. Senior management is presented with a summary of the group, in which the ratings are tallied numerically, indicating strengths and weaknesses as a group. Such information is useful to make decisions regarding training to coincide 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 a good 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 cement any skills gained and guarantee accountability.
How can this be successfully implemented in your business? The deciding factor is the amount of effort you are willing to put into the process. The level of improvement has a direct correlation with the amount of feedback and support that is provided. 360 degree feedback has the potential to be extremely powerful in generating feedback and consequently to make changes in your business. - 16732
About the Author:
Theo Benmanson has been instructing personnel for that last 15 years. He has written many articles on the topic. Click the links for additional articles on 360 degree feedback. Or visit his website at www.engauge.co.uk.
