360-Degree Feedback

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 appropriate articles in our Managing Around the World 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.