360 DEGREES FEEDBACK "There is no failure: only feedback" While the value of 360-degree feedback is often seen in terms of individual development, aggregate reporting of all recipients' results can provide valuable data for the organization as a whole. It enables leaders to: o Take advantage of under-utilized personnel strengths to increase productivity o Avoid the trap of counting on skills that may be weak in the organization o Apply human assets data to the valuation of the organization o Make succession planning more accurate o Design more efficient coaching and training initiatives o Support the organization in marketing the skills of its members Benefits: o Individuals get a broader perspective of how they are perceived by others than previously possible. o Increased awareness of and relevance of competencies. o Increased awareness by senior management that they too have development needs. o More reliable feedback to senior managers about their performance. o Gaining acceptance of the principle of multiple stakeholders as a measure of performance. o Encouraging more open feedback — new insights. o Reinforcing the desired competencies of the business. o Provided a clearer picture to senior management of individual’s real worth (although there tended to be some ‘halo’ effect syndromes). o Clarified to employees critical performance aspects. o Opens up feedback and gives people a more rounded view of performance than they had previously. o Identifying key development areas for the individual, a department and the organization as a whole. o Identifying strengths that can be used to the best advantage of the business. o A rounded view of the individual’s/ team’s/ organization’s performance and what the strengths and weaknesses are. o Raised the self-awareness of people managers of how they personally impact upon others — positively and negatively. o Supporting a climate of continuous improvement. o Starting to improve the climate/ morale, as measured through the survey. o Focused agenda for development. Forced line managers to discuss development issues. o Perception of feedback as more valid and objective, leading to acceptance of results and actions required. o Gaps are identified in one's self-perception versus the perception of the manager, peer or direct reports. o Customizing the questions to one's organizational competencies. Introducing 360 feedback in an organization Before introducing 360 feedback in an organization the planning process must include the step addressing the benefits and perceived risks of all participants. Recipients of feedback and reviewers may have concerns about issues like confidentiality of reviews, how the completed reviews will be used in the organization and what sort of follow up they can expect. Communication and support provided throughout the project must take this into account if the program is to provide maximum value for the individuals and the organization using 360 feedback.