360 Degree Feedback Frequently Asked Questions
October 28th, 2009 | Published in 360 Degree Feedback, Feedback, Leadership skills, Management skills, Measuring Performance, appraisal, management development
I found this great summary of questions people often ask about 360 Degree Feedback, and some of the criticisms that can be levelled against the process.
Here’s our response (we’ve repeated the comments/questions at the beginning of each paragraph):
It’s right that 360 focuses on managers and above; this is because 360 is most effective when measuring management, communication and leadership skills, and it’s at manager level that those skills become important.
There are indeed some key things that need to be in place for 360 Degree Feedback to be effective and valuable.
1) giving appraisals is a difficult task.
Yes appraisal can be difficult, but managers need to be trained in giving appraisals. 360 Degree Feedback is an additional tool to help with appraisal, because it gets feedback from multiple perspectives; it is one form of appraisal, not the only one.
2)there may be a gap between an organization’s business objectives and what 360-degree feedback programs measure.
I so agree with you - it is critical that the 360 Degree Feedback measures the behaviours that are needed for the organisation’s business objectives. This is normally the first thing we do when designing 360 Degree Feedback.
3)time and cost associated with 360-degree feedback also are stumbling blocks
Yes, there is time and cost involved in doing any people development work. However good communication and positioning of the 360, and careful planning, can reduce the impact of the activity. And a tool that helps employees, their managers and the organisation to understand skills gaps and strengths, is critical to the organisation’s success.
4) Reviewers and those being reviewed fail to follow up after feedback.
Follow up is essential - as with any people development tool, using it and then forgetting about it is a waste of time and money, and creates negative attitudes in the organisation. The 360 should be integral within the people processes of the organisation, should be meaningful, and should be aligned with other activities like appraisal, training needs analysis and management and leadership development.
For a free guide on 360 Degree Feedback Best Practice, go to our website Track Surveys and download the document.
