Six steps to successful 360 degree feedback
The EMC360 is a multi-rater, or 360 degree feedback tool that has been specifically designed by hfi to gather accurate, focused information on an organization’s developmental needs, while also providing individuals with clear insight into their own strengths and development needs. Effectively using the feedback will help you to not only reach, but exceed, your developmental goals.
The EMC360 gives participants feedback from their peers, managers and people who report directly to them. You can accurately measure team and individual performance, and take a clear look at how individuals view themselves and their colleagues. It also gives participants an insight into their behavior at work and can highlight areas of strength and those that require development. Using the questionnaire on an ongoing basis is an excellent way to monitor the impact of training or change initiatives and when or if there are any further areas to focus on.
Administering a 360 degree feedback questionnaire is sometimes be seen as a nuisance – but it doesn’t have to be. The following are six ‘how to’ tips will help you ensure you maximize the results of the survey without that nuisance factor:
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Communicate
The first step to a successful 360 degree assessment is to communicate clearly what the objectives of the survey are, and what is expected of all those involved whether they are participating, responding, administrating or organizing. Make it clear the results will be used. Participants should be fully briefed on how the results may or may not affect them, e.g. will they be a factor in future bonuses and career opportunities? hfi can provide communication plans and templates to help, depending on what your objectives are.
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Reassure
Participating in a colleague’s 360 degree feedback survey is entirely confidential and anonymous. hfi’s standard instructions explain this in the initial briefing email. It can be useful for you to reinforce this through other communications. Encourage honesty from every participant. The ratings are entirely secure so do stress to participants they can have every confidence in responding honestly and accurately.
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Personal participation
The person who is going through the feedback should contact potential respondents and request their participation. This ensures respondents understand that the survey is not simply an external exercise. As a result they should be more aware of the value of their contribution. To make this simple and straightforward, hfi provide template emails for the participants to use. People often personalize these, describing what they hope to get out of the exercise.
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Emphasize the positive
The questionnaire is designed so that feedback will be used for self-development. Make sure those who have been rated understand the findings fully, what it means for them as an individual, and how positive changes – if needed – will be followed up. Whilst the feedback does highlight potential development needs, it also highlights key strengths, and any follow-up conversations should be sure to cover both.
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Act on the results
Running a successful 360 degree feedback program is not the end of the process. The key now is to act upon the results. The feedback allows individuals to create developmental goals and action plans in direct response to where need lies. Aggregated results also provide you with an overview of where participants need the most support. hfi will support you with statistical analysis and identifying insights into the results that can be used to drive team and organizational development programs.
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Now, do it all over again
Regularly participating in and incorporating 360 degree feedback into your organization is essential if you want to effectively measure your team and individual performance. EMC360 reports can be used to track individual, team and organizational progress as you implement changes and provide support based on the initial feedback.
Keep these six key steps in mind when managing and implementing your EMC360 or any 360 degree feedback process. They are the first stepping stones to effectively developing both individual and group performance.
Remember – the power of the EMC360 lies in how you use the results. Introducing EMC360 feedback into your organization means you are embracing the possibility for change and development. We have delivered thousands of 360 degree feedback implementations and pride ourselves in being your first choice for all your talent management needs.
If you are ready to explore EMC360 and want to incorporate this into your business contact us now!
