Free Human Resources Newsletter!
Discuss in my Forum

Goals of the 360 Degree Feedback Process
The Great Debates About 360 Degree Feedback

Filed In:

Organizations differ in their approach to 360 degree feedback. For some, 360 degree feedback is a developmental tool that employees are expected to use to further develop their personal and interpersonal skills. Other organizations use multirater or peer feedback as one component of their performance appraisal process.

My bias about 360 degree feedback is that organizations need to first develop a performance management system. As your organization becomes more comfortable with and has fully integrated this overall performance management system, 360 degree feedback can be effectively introduced.

In today’s more team-oriented organizations, 360 degree feedback has value for every person in the organization. Traditionally and historically, it was a tool used to give executives, and later, managers, feedback, but this has changed.

Participation in a 360 Degree Feedback Process

I participated in a 360 degree feedback process in the mid-1980s at General Motors. Looking back, it was a fairly open process although it was aimed at management development only. Staff members provided anonymous feedback about our manager's management skills and style to an organization development consultant.

The results of the 360 degree feedback were compiled and given to our manager. Then, our manager shared the results of his 360 degree feedback with the staff. He then met with us in a facilitated group meeting to design action plans to move both his managerial style and our office performance forward. The process was comfortable and effective.

Concern About the Impact of 360 Degree Feedback

In working with organizations, one of the biggest fears people have about 360 degree feedback is that a group of anonymous people will determine their raises, promotions, and standing. If this is the process, of course results are untrustworthy; people want to provide feedbck, but for the most part, coworkers do not want responsibility for "bad things" happening to their colleagues.

I am a strong proponent of introducing 360 degree feedback as a developmental tool for individuals. I am not a proponent of the feedback impacting compensation.

In a performance development environment, the question of whether 360 degree feedback should impact performance appraisal becomes irrelevant. The performance appraisal has transformed into the performance development planning process that uses this performance development tool.

The measurements used to determine compensation in such a system include meeting measurable goals, attendance, and contribution. The 360 degree feedback is used for development. Carried out effectively, people begin to trust that the goals of the 360 degree feedback process are truly developmental. Consequently, employees become more comfortable providing legitimate and useful feedback to each other.