There are a few important things to consider when you want to implement 360 degree feedback in your organisation.
Be clear about how and why you are using 360
Make sure you are clear about the objectives for using 360 feedback and the outcomes that you are looking to achieve. In others words, why do you want to use 360 feedback reports, who should be taking part and what do you want the organisation to get out of the process?
Consider the culture of your organisation right now
Where is your organisational culture now in terms of giving and receiving feedback? If you have never used a 360 degree feedback
Tool before, it’s important to consider, for example, how such an initiative is likely to be received, how to communicate the aims and objectives and whether some training needs to take place around giving feedback.
Get commitment from your senior team
Like any initiative, if your senior people are seen to be supporting the 360 process (and maybe even taking part themselves first) this will make a big difference to how it is perceived. Consider creating 360 champions – key influential members of your team who will communicate positive messages about the initiative.
Think about the framework
If you are building your 360 process using your own competency framework (rather than an off-the-shelf one) then take some time to review the competencies. Are they up to date? Do they represent what your organisation values now and looking to the future? Making sure that the framework is right before you roll out the process is essential to gaining meaningful feedback .
Plan for the roll out of the 360 process
Organisations use 360 in many different ways for example, some offer 360 to specific individuals as part of a wider development process. Other organisations want to use 360 much more widely across, say, one layer of leaders. Whichever is the case for your organisation, it is important to make sure that you plan the roll out carefully so that individuals are not overwhelmed by a series of questionnaires to complete all at the same time.
Have a plan for communicating the 360 process
It is critical that everyone taking part in a 360 process (including those providing the feedback) understand the purpose of the process and how the process will happen. In particular, confidentiality will be a key question in people’s minds and you will need to consider carefully the boundaries of confidentiality and then communicate them to everyone involved.
Think about what happens next and have a process for moving forward
360 feedback is most useful when it is understood and acted upon. Individuals do have responsibility for their own self-development. However, they will need support and encouragement to take action and then monitor their progress. Aligning your Carousel 360 process with other learning and development activities will help people make the connections and take action to develop their skills.
Review the 360 Feedback process
It’s vital to review your 360 feedback process. This should include reviewing the process itself, i.e the quality of the feedback and facilitation as well as understanding the impact the process is having.
If you’re unsure of your next steps or need any help implementing 360 feedback or psychometric assessments into your organisation then please do get in touch.
