In today’s fast-paced business world, we all know that feedback is gold. But, do you ever wonder how to make it work wonders in your organisation? Well, that’s where a 360 Feedback program comes into play. In this blog post, we’re going to dive into the world of 360 feedback, giving you insights and real-life examples on how to set up a program that’s not only effective but also feels like a breeze.
How Do I Start a 360 Feedback Program?
Kickstart Your 360 Feedback Program
In most cases, 360 Feedback questionnaires are anonymous, so you can be honest. If your workplace has a culture of positive feedback, you might not have anonymous surveys. In that case, treat feedback for your boss just like you would for peers.
But if it’s a bit delicate because your organisation is still warming up to feedback, remember that you want your manager to keep doing the good stuff and improve where needed. So, be honest in the rating questions. And in open-text feedback, explain how changes benefit you and the team.
By framing it this way, it feels less personal and more like valuable input for improvement. Your manager is more likely to take it to heart.
Before you launch headfirst into a 360 Feedback program, you’ve got to make sure your people are ready for it. Are they prepared to give and take feedback in a constructive and professional manner? If not, consider some feedback training courses like the Art of Giving Feedback or a Peer-to-Peer Feedback course to get everyone on the same page.
Now, let’s talk about setting clear expectations. Make sure everyone understands that this isn’t a “gotcha” exercise. It’s about honing strengths and working on growth areas. And remember, diversity is key. Don’t just gather feedback from your closest members; mix it up. Also, keep an eye on how much HR gets involved; too much can cloud objectivity.
Lastly, make sure your managers aren’t just throwing feedback around; they should follow up with their team members. This could be a yearly questionnaire, but the focus is on continuous growth, where individuals own their own development. This prep work will help you nail down the perfect launch date.
What Does It Mean When Someone Does a 360?
Unlocking the Power of 360-Degree Feedback
Let’s delve deeper into what it truly means when someone engages in a 360-degree feedback process.
Ever heard of the Johari Window? It’s a nifty framework to understand biases, both known and unknown. 360 feedback taps into this concept. Think of participating in a 360 Feedback process as looking at yourself through a four-pane window:
- Known Strengths and Weaknesses: These are things you’re aware of about yourself.
- Blind Spots: Strengths and weaknesses others see, but you might not.
- Hidden Perspectives: What you’re aware of but others may not see.
- Perceptions of Others: How others perceive you, which can be critical in business.
Remember, this isn’t about being critical; it’s a constructive exercise for business growth. The feedback is intended to guide your growth and development, helping you become even better in your role.
We also highly recommend involving an independent coach in this process. They can work closely with the individual to navigate and take ownership of the actions that stem from the 360 Feedback. This coaching element adds valuable support and ensures that the feedback is effectively translated into personal and professional growth.
In essence, participating in a 360 Feedback process means opening yourself up to a 360-degree view of your professional self. It’s an opportunity to unearth hidden strengths, address weaknesses, and align your perception of yourself with how others see you professionally. It’s a journey towards personal and professional growth, with the guidance of a trusted coach, to help you become the best version of yourself in your career.
How Do You Write a Good 360 Feedback?
Crafting an Effective 360 Feedback Survey
So, how do you set up a killer 360-degree feedback program? There are user-friendly systems out there like SurveySparrow, SpiderGap, and RealityCheck. These make building a questionnaire, auditing it, and quality-checking it a breeze.
But here’s where the magic really happens: crafting the questionnaire itself. While there’s no one-size-fits-all template, there are some key principles to consider:
Align with Your Organisation's Values
If your organisation has well-defined core values, this is the perfect foundation. Group questions around these values to reinforce their importance in operational terms. This not only strengthens your organisational culture but also directs individuals toward areas of development that resonate with your values.
The Four Core Parts of 360
If your organisation doesn’t have strong core values, you can structure your questionnaire around four critical areas:
1. Communication and Collaboration
Assess how effectively individuals communicate and collaborate with their peers and teams. For example:
✅ “How effectively does this person collaborate with team members to achieve common goals?”
✅ “Does this person listen and encourage honest communication within the team?”
2. Strategic Thinking
Dive into their ability to think strategically and contribute to the bigger picture. For example:
✅ “How well does this person align their focus with the long-term strategy?”
✅ “How well does this individual identify and address critical issues or blockers?”
3. Decision-Making and Operational Impact
Explore their decision-making processes and how they impact day-to-day operations. For example:
✅ “Does this individual demonstrate an awareness of both short-term and long-term impacts when making decisions?”
✅ “How effectively does this person handle situations where their decisions need to be revised or reversed?”
4. Leading Others
For leaders, this section focuses on their ability to lead and manage their teams effectively. For example:
✅ “Does this manager recognise and develop their team’s potential?”
✅ “How well does this person create a positive team culture where everyone respects each other’s unique strengths and ideas?”
Self-Development
This is the hidden gem within your questionnaire. Here, you can delve into softer skills like emotional intelligence and integrity, which are often overlooked but incredibly vital. Additionally, consider incorporating ‘Stop, Start, Continue’ open-text questions. These allow feedback givers to provide comprehensive feedback, highlighting what needs to stop, what should start, and what should continue for personal growth and improved performance.
✅ “Can you provide specific examples of behaviours they should stop doing, start doing or continue doing to enhance their effectiveness?”
Remember, the questionnaire is the backbone of your 360-degree feedback program. Crafting it with care and strategic intent ensures that you extract the most valuable insights, and it guides individuals on their journey toward personal and professional development. So, when building your questionnaire, don’t just think of it as a formality; consider it a powerful tool for growth and improvement.
How Do You Present 360 Feedback to Employees?
Types of 360 Questions to Include
Now, let’s explore the crucial aspect of sharing 360-degree feedback with your employees. This is where the insights you’ve gathered through the questionnaire become a catalyst for growth and development throughout your organisation.
Here are some things to consider:
- Clarity is Key: Ensure that your questionnaire is clear, concise, and free from jargon. It should be easy for anyone to grasp the intent of the questions without confusion.
- Involving HR and a Third Party: If HR is responsible for designing the questionnaire, consider involving a third party to ensure clarity. This external perspective can help identify any potential ambiguities and ensure that the questions make sense to all participants.
Rating Scale Questions
These are excellent for benchmarking and providing a snapshot of an individual’s strengths and focus areas. However, they often lack detailed, constructive information. Rating scales can be beneficial for high-level comparisons but may not provide the nuanced feedback needed for personal growth.
Example of Rating Scale Questions using SpiderGap
Example of a Rating Scale Question using SurveySparrow
Open-Text Questions
These are where you’ll uncover the real gems of feedback. Consider including questions like ‘Stop, Start, Continue’. These open-text questions empower feedback givers to provide substantial insights. They can explain their ratings, offer suggestions for improvement, and highlight specific behaviours or actions that should be encouraged or changed.
Example of Stop, Start, Continue Open-Text Questions using SpiderGap
Example of an Open-Text Question using SurveySparrow
How Do You Give Good Feedback?
The Art of Giving Good Feedback
Giving 360-degree feedback isn’t rocket science; it’s the art of balancing constructive insights with respect. Let’s walk through some guiding principles in a more conversational tone:
Positive Framing
Imagine you’re in their shoes and share feedback that’s helpful. Instead of tearing down, offer suggestions for improvement. For instance, consider this shift:
❌ “Clark has terrible attention to detail. There are always lots of mistakes in his work.”
✅ “Clark could enhance his work by dedicating more time to quality-checking the details.”
Work-Centric Focus
Keep it work-related. This isn’t about personal feedback around the staff as individuals. This is feedback focused on working behaviours, working practices and the work itself. Unless there’s a solid business reason, avoid diving into personal stuff. Let’s take feedback on poor people skills as an example. Such feedback is constructive when given to a Team Leader but not so much when given to a developer.
❌ (to a developer:) “Perry tends to keep to herself and prefers working alone.”
✅ (to a Team Leader:) “Frankie’s communication style could be more empathetic and supportive.”
Business Impact
Explain how the feedback ties into the bigger picture of the organisation. Why does it matter? Connecting the dots can motivate change.
✅ “Clark could enhance his work by dedicating more time to quality-checking the details. Improved accuracy and quality of work, reduce the risk of costly mistakes.”
✅ “Frankie’s communication style could be more empathetic and supportive to increase employee morale and motivation.”
Clarify Low Ratings
If you’ve got to give someone a low rating, explain why using an appropriate free-text question. This helps them understand where they can improve.
✅ “I marked Ollie with a low rating in the Feedback Delivery question because I think it would be more beneficial if he shares feedback privately rather than in front of the entire team. It would improve trust and create a safer work environment.”
✅ “I would like to clarify the reason I gave Sadie a low rating in the Active Listening question earlier. She tends to dominate discussions and not enough time given to others to share ideas. Sadie should practice active listening during meetings and consider allowing others to contribute more.”
Direct, Concise and Caring
Be straightforward but compassionate. Your feedback should empower them to get better at what they do best.
✅ “Your recent presentation lacked clarity and engagement, making it hard for the audience to follow.”
✅ “Your approach to resolving conflicts can be confrontational, which may escalate situations and potentially damage your relationship with your peers.”
Remember, 360-degree feedback is about helping people grow and excel. When you keep that in mind, your feedback can be a spark for continuous improvement.
What Should I Say in My Boss Review?
Navigating Your Boss Review with Finesse
In most cases, 360 Feedback questionnaires are anonymous, so you can be honest. If your workplace has a culture of positive feedback, you might not have anonymous surveys. In that case, treat feedback for your boss just like you would for peers.
But if it’s a bit delicate because your organisation is still warming up to feedback, remember that you want your manager to keep doing the good stuff and improve where needed. So, be honest in the rating questions. And in open-text feedback, explain how changes benefit you and the team. Take a look at this example:
✅ “I would be more organised in planning my work and my team would be quicker to adapt to changes if my manager communicates information that will help us understand the impact of such changes and the reasons behind them.”
By framing it this way, it feels less personal and more like valuable input for improvement. Your manager is more likely to take it to heart.
The Power of a Well-Structured 360 Feedback Program
To put it simply, a well-structured 360 Feedback program can work wonders for your organisation. It’s not just about paperwork or charts; it’s much more. It’s about connecting, understanding, and, most importantly, growing together.
But if you don’t set up feedback right, things can go downhill. Over time, it can make people unhappy, break trust in feedback, and lead to a disengaged workforce. So, it’s crucial to start it right, keep it honest, and always, always focus on positive growth.
So why wait? Just fill out the form below to start your journey toward a more informed and empowered workforce today!
