Organizational Leadership: Why 360 Degree Feedback Is Essential

 You may struggle to use a compass, but understanding 360 degree feedback is becoming increasingly important if you work in an organization. The 360 process is often linked to 'Personal Development' or 'Competency Review', but the full potential is more wide-ranging. Look a little more closely and it becomes evident that 360 degree feedback is now an essential means of developing leadership capability in organizations. Do you have what it takes to be the 360 leader of the future?

What is 360 Feedback?

The basic principles of 360 degree feedback are anchored in the view that senior professionals, and particularly managers, need to be Self Aware and responsive to feedback. Everyone has a blind-spot and there is potential benefit in receiving feedback on behaviour that affects work relationships. The 360 design process therefore involves identifying different groups of people who can provide feedback. These Contact Groups usually include the individual's Immediate Manager, Direct Reports, Peers/Colleagues, Customers, External Stakeholders and possibly others, including Business Partners.

Although the concept of 360 feedback has been around for many years, it is only since the widespread availability of internet broadband that it has become easy to administer. Modern systems make it possible to set up tailored questionnaires and reports - or quickly adapt standard designs. One of the most important features is the automatic, email reminder process, which ensures that Focus People i.e. the subjects of the 360, will receive feedback from most of the people invited to contribute.

The feedback is generally Competency Related and seeks to highlight key aspects of behaviour linked to more effective performance at work. Statements are self-assessed by the Focus Person and the FP's approach is also rated by those providing feedback. A feedback meeting then enables a facilitator to review differences in ratings and discuss areas for Personal Development. However, the process is strengthened if the feedback also includes written comments from the respondents, which compliment the numerical ratings.

Organizational Leadership and 360 Degree Feedback

The reasons why 360 degree feedback forms a key part of personal development in modern organizations is closely linked to the need for effective management of Role Relationships. The ability to network with others and be responsive to their expectations is increasingly important and makes 360 an essential tool. However, it also signifies a change in the level of Self Awareness required to be successful in complex work environments. 360 surveys provide an opportunity to increase the Focus Person's understanding of various competencies, but at a more specific level, the process also offers insight into how best to manage difficult scenarios involving particular groups of people.

It is therefore useful for those involved in designing the 360 survey to think about the more challenging situations that may occur when someone in a given role is working with different groups. New 360 systems now provide the opportunity to ask specific questions, directed to a particular group of respondents. In addition to standard questions, there is scope to get written feedback that may offer valuable insights. It is also possible to generate Group Reports that review overall feedback and can be used to support Training Needs Analysis. This is particularly useful when 'targeted questions' are used to explore specific issues affecting different groups of respondents.