360-Degree Feedback

Encouraging Teamwork and Improving Performance (Sometimes!)

iStockphoto
sebastian-julian

When some people think about 360-degree evaluations they're

reminded of a classic body image exercise where you are told to
stand naked in front of a mirror and make an honest assessment of
yourself. It's a frightening task to say the least. However, once you
open your eyes and take an honest look, you can relatively easily
scrutinize your front and sides; it's the rear that takes some work!
The same is true for work performance yours or your employees'. There are aspects of it that you can
readily identify as needing work and others parts that you know are working really well. However, with
normal performance reviews, you rarely see a full picture: Your judgment is necessarily clouded by your
perspective and biases. With a 360-degree evaluation you get others to fill in the "rear view" and help you
see what you couldn't quite picture before.

With 360-degree feedback you gather information from the main people working with, or affected by, the
person being evaluated (as well as his or her managers.) This is then amalgamated it into one full and
complete image. One person can have a limited and sometimes biased view, whereas many people
should provide a more accurate and more complete picture.

Not only does this create a clearer picture of areas of improvement, it also encourages teamwork. After all,
there's no point in someone "sucking up to the boss" if everyone else is going to point out arrogance,
unhelpfulness, and political behavior!

However it's at about this point in the explanation of 360-degree feedback that many managers gasp and
raise the following types of objections:

"You want my staff to evaluate me? I don't think so!"

"It'll weaken discipline and compromise respect for authority."

"It'll crystallize feelings that are better left vague and undefined."

"It'll cause problems where none exist."

 "The bureaucracy created by the process of each team member rating each other team member is far
too time consuming for the amount of extra benefit we'd get over the usual appraisal method."

"People will rate their friends high and take the opportunity to criticize others they don't like or get along
with."

Is 360-Degree Feedback Really for You?

Arguably, therefore, 360-degree feedback is not for the faint of heart. It takes a very confident
management group to implement it one that is clear about the value in hearing the good and the bad
from a whole bunch of different perspectives. The whole point of 360-degree feedback is to get the topic of
performance out in the open.

In traditional workplaces performance is discussed in private, once a year (if you're lucky!), and is simply
one person's assessment of how another is doing. However, think about how rich a performance review
could be if the results were based on information received from everyone a person interacts with!

Where 360-degree feedback works, it works really well. Where it doesn't, it can be disastrous. There are
many precursors and steps for implementation that will improve your chances of success. None of these
will be sufficient to overcome a core level of disagreement with the underlying philosophy of 360-degree
feedback, though. If you can handle giving more "power to the people", then it is worth serious
consideration. If, for whatever reason, you're not there yet, then take a look at the program and see if there
are bits and pieces that you might be able to use to enhance your current feedback system.

Note 1:
Within a well-designed 360-degree feedback system, the entire evaluation process is potentially much
fairer than traditional approaches. No longer is it a case of one person's opinion about another; now
the evaluation considers performance from a company-wide perspective. The notion of favoritism is all
but eliminated and supervisors have much more information upon which to customize personal
development plans designed to address specific behaviors. This makes it a great tool for promoting
teamwork and countering bad team behavior.

However make sure that this is what you want: Some organizations depend for success on the
exceptional performance of a few star players. If this describes your organization, then perhaps it
makes good business sense to tolerate a certain amount of "prima donna" behavior. Here, the good of
the team may just have to take a back seat.

Note 2:
Different cultures around the world will look at 360-degree feedback in different ways. An approach
that may be seen as perfectly normal and acceptable in the U.S., for example, may cause serious
problems in more reserved countries like the U.K. or Japan.

For specific guidance on giving and receiving feedback in different countries and cultures, see the
articles in the Managing Around the World area of our Team Management section.

Note 3:
 Other names for 360-degree feedback are "Multi-Rater Feedback," "Full-Circle Appraisal," "Group
Performance Review", and "Upward Feedback."

What Is 360-Degree Feedback Exactly?

360-degree feedback is the process of getting feedback from other people as well as an employee's direct
supervisor. In typical employee evaluations, the boss rates the employee on a number of performance
factors. The employee may have an opportunity to do a self-rating as well. The feedback is discussed,
goals may or may not be set, and the employee lives to tell about another year with the company.

By contrast, with 360-degree feedback, the employee's boss, team members and other people who have
regular contact with him or her are asked to provide an anonymous evaluation. Some companies choose
to have clients provide feedback ratings as well. These evaluations are compiled, and a full view of the
employee's performance is generated.

Sometimes an outside consultant is called in to develop a profile for the employee. Alternatively someone
not involved in the feedback itself, typically an HR representative, will do the final reporting. Using this
profile report, the employee and supervisor discuss the competencies surveyed and a goal plan for
improvement is agreed upon.

The evaluations themselves are delivered in survey form, open-ended questions, or a combination of the
two. The survey responses are typically easier for data gathering, however the open-ended questions will
probably yield more specific information to work with.

A survey question might ask a series of questions related to time management (i.e. Employee completes
work in assigned time) and ask the evaluator to respond based on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = not at all, 2 =
occasionally, 3 = usually, 4 = often, 5 = always).

An open ended question on the other hand, would say, "Comment on this employee's ability to manage
his/her time." The evaluator would then have to come up with specific instances where the person did or
did not use effective time management.

While 360-degree feedback does give you a panoramic view of a person's performance, it is not the
panacea to employee evaluations that people have made it out to be either. Soliciting feedback is always a
risky prospect. People have their own agendas and bias. Multiply these biases across a number of people
who have different relationships with the person being evaluated.

Precursors for Implementing 360-Degree Feedback

Conditions for using 360-degree feedback within an organization need to be carefully analyzed and
monitored. The culture of the organization is the largest determining factor for determining whether 360-
degree feedback will work: Not all organizations are ready for the openness and honesty this panoramic
viewpoint provides.

The first thing to ask is, "What is the purpose of implementing 360-degree feedback in the first place?" If
the sole reason is for performance appraisal then that is not enough. A key component of 360-degree
evaluation is employee development. You have to be prepared to use the information gathered to
determine learning and growth.

Here are some questions to consider as you evaluate your 360-degree feedback:

Is there executive or upper level management support?

Is the culture open and honest?

Is there a sufficient level of trust among members of the organization?

Is the management model participative and engaging?

Are employees clear about how their role fits into the big picture?

Is employee performance solidly tied to corporate objectives?

Is there commitment for coaching or facilitating support to help employees meet their objectives?

Perhaps the most important thing to remember when considering 360-degree evaluations is the fact that
360 degree is not a program; it is a process. It is a process of employee and organizational improvement.
The two must be taken together in order for this type of multiple-rating system to work.

360-Degree Feedback Objective Feedback

An important notion to remember with 360-degree feedback is that the feedback itself is still subjective.
Each piece of feedback comes from an individual source with his or her own biases, preferences,
preconceived notions and, perhaps, hidden agenda.

What 360-degree feedback does accomplish is increased reliability. By increasing the amount and
source of feedback, you increase the reliability that similar opinions are in fact true and indicative of
the person's real behavior. The power of 360-degree feedback lies in hearing the same thing from
different sources, not simply from gathering a variety of opinions.

Designing and Implementing a 360-Degree Feedback System

360-degree evaluations provide a prime opportunity for self-analysis and when combined with an
appropriate, and action-oriented development plan, they can help to create a more harmonious and
productive workplace. There are many companies that provide custom and off-the-shelf tools for
implementing 360-degree feedback systems. Whether you plan to use an outside consultant or design a
system yourself, there are some important aspects of a successful program you need to consider.

Plan Thoroughly

Collaborate with top managers and executive to clarify the purpose, aims and objectives of the 360-
degree process.
 Identify a 360-degree planning committee to coordinate implementation and communicate program
objectives.

Set program policies:

Confidentiality.

How insensitive or inappropriate feedback will be handled.

Set timelines and schedules as appropriate.

Start communicating what the program is and how it will be applied as soon as possible.

Design the Program

Evaluate the job descriptions and define the underlying competencies.

Consult with employees to gain further insight into the positions being evaluated.

Determine what type of survey tool will be used:

Rating scales?

Open ended questions?

Paper format or online?

Decide how the process will work:

Will employees have a say in who gets a survey?

Who will be raters? Employees, bosses, coworkers, clients?

What timeline will the process follow?

How will surveys be returned?

Who will compile the information into a profile?

Will the surveys be shared with the employee?

Communicate how the 360-degree feedback system is designed.

Implement the Program

Conduct information sessions and brief all the participants and raters on the objectives, policies, and
processes involved.
 Ensure all the managers and supervisors know what to do to facilitate the process.

Continue communicating.

Provide necessary support to interpret and debrief employees on the feedback.

Create employee development plans utilizing the direct feedback received.

Use the information gathered to develop organization-wide development plans based on the training
and other identified needs of employees.

Use the development plans to align employee performance, behaviors, and expectations with the
organization's needs and overall strategy.

Measure and report progress or improvements in achieving the company's overall goal or strategy.

Monitor and Evaluate

Create a feedback process for the program itself.

Make changes as required.

Communicate the effectiveness and changes made.

By being very purposeful from the very beginning of a 360-degree feedback program, you are developing
the exact infrastructure needed to provide the coaching and support required for successful
implementation. When you have a clear and well-defined process, the information gathered can be used to
develop the employees and the organization as a whole.

Key Points

There are some very compelling reasons for implementing 360-degree evaluations, and the results of
a well-orchestrated program can be impressive, particularly where successful teamwork is important
for an organization's success.

The key to a success rollout is to ensure openness and readiness. 360-degree evaluation is a
significant departure from traditional methods, involving a considerable increase in vulnerability to the
opinions of peers, colleagues, and superiors, as to what they truly think of your performance.

360-degree evaluation is not for all organizations but successful, performance oriented, and team
based corporations will benefit enormously from the self-confidence and self-awareness it will instill in
all employees.