• 2.1: Talent Management
• 2.2: Learning & Development
• 2.3: Interim Services
• 2.4: Business Consultancy

Why ‘360-degree’ feedback can knock your business into shape?

‘There’s no such thing as reality, only people’s perceptions,’ as the saying goes. We can make assumptions that our team members know whether or not they are doing a good job and understand what we’re thinking, but I’m not so sure we’re always right.

Clearly, giving and receiving feedback can be difficult when there are seemingly more urgent things to do. Yet without it, people are left in the dark, unaware of how their behaviour helps or hinders business. Any feedback tends to come from one source – the boss – and can be limited andprone to prejudices, both positive and negative. But performance feedback from managers, team colleagues, peers, direct reports, customers and other stakeholders, combined with theindividual’s self-assessment – 360-degree feedback – offers a potent cocktail of perceptions from which consistent themes on strengths and weaknesses can be identified.

And from this comes a level of understanding and acceptance that is rarely achieved through traditional appraisal methods.

A robust 360-degree process can prompt real, measurable changes in behaviour

Feedback from one source is easy to rationalise away but consistent feedback from a range of sources is difficult to ignore.

The ability to adapt and change our behaviour will distinguish our business in the future and 360-degree feedback helps to develop that ability. So how does it feel to be on the receiving end of feedback? I recently coached a director as part of a programme for 60 top managers. His feedback overall was excellent but typically he focused on his weaknesses.

‘My initial reactions to some of the less positive comments were disappointment, hurt, even a bit of anger,’ he told me. ‘It felt so personal. At first, I didn’t pay enough attention to some of the really constructive, positive things that people said and there was much more of that.’ Having mulled it over, he realised there were some fair points – both positive and negative. ‘I worked out what I needed to do to address the less positive stuff and took swift action on some really easy wins – like turning away from my computer screen and facing people when they walked into my office.’

An effective feedback system should involve the following three elements:

•  Absolutely clear objectives;
• Staff who are motivated and skilled to give feedback; and
• Support for those on the receiving end.

If used properly, 360-degree feedback can be pure gold.

Greg Brown is a Senior HR & Executive Coaching Associate with over 30 years successful experience in local authorities, the NHS and Social Housing and at senior levels, operating as Director, Chief Executive and Board member.