Consulting Director at Qualintra
Le 360° feedback has a key place in the panoply of tools for developing managerial skills. Its impact can be maximised, provided a few basic rules are followed. To complement our article on " 360° well tempered "However, recent experience suggests that there are three additional key success factors.
360° is first and foremost a development tool. By using it as part of annual performance appraisal campaigns, companies run the risk of diverting this tool from its initial objective. The potential link with remuneration (fixed and/or variable) and promotion decisions induces a bias which is often automatically reflected in the evaluations by an artificial hyperbole in the scores. It is therefore advisable, wherever possible, to shift the dates of 360° campaigns significantly away from the annual appraisal interview period.
Holiday periods, budgets or inventories are not very favourable either, and are likely to lengthen the response times of the observers approached.
Finally, it should be remembered that 360° feedback is given at a given moment in a given situation. In the case of someone who has just taken up their post or who is about to move to a radically different function, it is therefore preferable to wait until they have settled into their new role.
Every 360° project can raise questions and fears, and it is absolutely critical to invest in robust communication. This communication must cover ethical rules, of course, but not only that. It is important to ensure that everyone involved understands certain principles, for example that the line manager will be identified as a category and that his or her answers to the closed questions will be visible to the beneficiary. It is also important not to change the rules for disseminating results during the course of the project, as this could undermine the credibility of the approach and its initiators.
Information for different target audiences
The success of the project depends on how the feedback is used, through beneficiaries taking ownership of the results and implementing their development plan. There are many debriefing options currently available: individual face-to-face, online or via an intelligent interactive platform. It is important to ensure that the beneficiary understands their results and is able to build a development plan. Finally, the relevance of this plan must be validated with the N+1 and the HR advisor, who must monitor its implementation and ensure that the investment represented by the 360° will bear fruit for individuals and the organisation.
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