Running 360° feedback projects in your company is like any other undertaking – you need a clear plan if the project is to create maximum benefit. Such a plan involves at least the following elements.
Objectives
Why are we doing this? What do we hope to achieve? What will be different when we have completed the project? How does it fit in with and complement other processes in the company? Is it for leadership development or for performance appraisal purposes? Why does that matter?
What is the best instrument?
Is 360° feedback the best instrument for our objectives? Should we rather be using a climate survey? If the 360 is the correct tool, how do we select the 360° questionnaire which is best for our purposes?
Who will be involved?
Who will be receiving the 360° feedback, and who will be the raters? Who is going to ensure that the participants will receive skilled support to understand and make the best use of the feedback in the weeks and months following the project? How do we engage the raters to participate constructively in what can be a time consuming and possibly anxiety provoking exercise?
What steps are involved and how long will it take?
There are quite a few steps to implementing a 360° feedback project. It is important to implement the programme efficiently, so that participants stay interested and engaged, but not in such a hurry that it undermines participation, understanding and effectiveness. Time must be allowed for finalising the process, selecting the raters, distributing the questionnaire (online), giving the raters a fair time to respond, distributing reports and arranging feedback coaching sessions for the participants. There may be other steps (such as briefing all participants), that will need to be part of the project plan.
What are the risks and how do we mitigate them?
With any project, an important part of success involves understanding what could go wrong and taking steps to minimise those risks and making sure things go right. This is particularly important in any feedback project where all parties (those giving feedback and those receiving feedback) might be feeling vulnerable or even offended. Amongst the important issues to consider are questions such as:
- Recent experiences of 360s in the company
- Anxieties about confidentiality
- Participants knowledge about purpose and process
- Uncertainty about what happens next.
How can the company maximise the benefits?
- It can happen that a company goes into autopilot after commissioning the 360° feedback project, and ticks off the process rather than monitoring progress
- Embedding the individual learning is a challenge that must be met
- 360° feedback is a series of individual reports. There are ways for the company to gain useful insight into leadership trends and opportunities as well, which creates benefits beyond the individual reports.
- Follow-up feedback and repeat 360° projects can enhance the value.
This series includes a number of short articles that will help you think through these questions in more detail.
Thornhill consultants will gladly answer any questions you may have to ensure the successful implementation of a 360° feedback process in your organisation.
For more information on Thornhill’s various products and services for all levels within your organisation, please contact us on admin@thornhill.co.za.
Written by Cedric de Beer