I don’t care who you are, the status you hold or how long in the tooth you are, there’s a little part of you that feels slightly nauseous as your 360 report lands on your desk!

Ken Blanchard said, “Feedback is the breakfast of champions” and you know he’s spot on, whatever the human endeavour, the ability to receive feedback, filter out what is or isn’t applicable and helpful and then do something with it is the absolute differential for success.

Take sports as an example, I teach a martial art called Thai Boxing and it’s a pretty tough old game. As such it attracts two types of people, those that are:

1. Completely open to learning and feedback (I like these)
2. Already thinking they are great, before they even have had a lesson (I have patience with these)

It goes without saying that it’s easier to coach someone who is open to feedback and in the gym you really do get 360 degree feedback, let me tell you everyone has an opinion and just like 360 feedback, it’s not always scientific and backed up with sound credentials….but none the less, it’s still an opinion. A good instructor (the leader of that group) creates an environment where people aren’t just shouting from the sidelines or for that matter where people keep quite. There’s balance! Feedback at the right time, not always just because you want to give it.

A formal 360 process at work can feel like an onerous task, 20-40 minutes of a persons quality time filling out a form that you often have no real sense of outcome with (what ever happens to the feedback?).

Make a 360 feedback live:

1. A slick IT system that is accessible via the internet: So it can be done anytime.
2. Questions that are linked to a leadership behaviour framework: So there is a definable benchmark standard.
3. Complete and utter anonymity. The only people identified are line managers and if you are the only person in a category (the only direct report), then you know about this: Enabling people to write the truth without fear of repercussions.
4. Training for all. Show people how to complete a 360 in terms of language, intent, content: So that their words are received with full credibility.
5. Train (though you may have to call it a Master Class for the senior population) line managers how to turn feedback into some form of Development Plan: So that 360 is seen and felt to lead to something tangible. Preferably changed behaviour!
6. DO NOT (and I’ll say it again), do not under any circumstances use 360 as ‘evidence’ in any form of disciplinary: Because the moment you do this, well you may as well write the whole thing off. People might not like someone, but most of the time they’d rather see the person change as opposed to being ‘sacked’.
7. Demonstrate that 360 generates changes in behaviour, this is change in the individual, the team and ultimately the culture: Via conversation, promotion, development opportunities, forum bring 360 to life as a exercise that adds real value.

Tip: Employee satisfaction surveys should be considered as part of the same process in essence an employee satisfaction survey is the 360 of the business and represents the 360 of the executive team.