The 360° feedback is an investment which may have colossal returns, provided you follow a few simple rules.

Let us begin by reminding ourselves of an obvious fact: the ethical rules of security, anonymity and dissemination to recipients (interested parties alone, HR & participants, HR & line manager & interested parties, etc.), must be followed throughout the project.  How can we build trust if the participants discover their personal reports have been circulated when they are supposed to be the only recipients?

The involvement of senior executives is a key success factor. In many companies, senior executives are entitled to a 360° appraisal but Executive Board members believe “this process is not for them”, or at their level, “they don’t need it.”  These reactions discredit the process and convey disturbing messages to participants.

We should once again remember that the 360 feedback° is an extremely powerful tool when it is used for talent development, but much less as part of an annual performance appraisal process. Its purpose is to highlight those skills already mastered and those that need strengthening or developing. The use of 360° feedbacks for appraisals can produce major distortions: deals between employees (“if you give me a good appraisal, I will give you a good appraisal”), pressure on direct reports (my appraisal impacts my bonus, so it is in your interest to give me a good one”), focus on immediate results (the score) rather than development (development areas).

The results of the 360-degree feedback

Finally, the best way to kill off the tool is not to provide individual results and not to support the resulting development plan.

A poorly managed feedback process can lead to a lot of damage for individuals and organisations. A 360° project with Qualintra is totally secure and focussed on concrete development aims. It is managed in apositive, caring way and in a development-focussed spirit for participants and companies.