Over the last two months, we have taken a deep dive into 360-degree feedback. First, we looked at how companies can use 360 feedback to gather performance and developmental insight on their employees. Then we took a deeper look into the 360 summaries and how each reviewer brings their unique perspective to providing feedback. In this article, we will take a look at what you can do as an employee or as a manager to take action on 360 feedback.
Reviewing your 360 Feedback for Strength and Opportunities
A typical 360 feedback report includes statistical data and rater commentaries. Ideally, a neutral third party delivers feedback results to you. You, as the recipient, need to be open to hear what is said, and a neutral third party helps. You also need time to process the feedback. The most critical part of using the 360 for developmental purposes is taking the time review, so you can consider developmental activities you want to take based on the results.
In reality, sometimes your manager provides the initial 360 feedback. You can still have an effective 360 process. The company should be sure to prepare managers to handle 360 briefings. If you’re a manager, practice what works to ensure a proper experience for all employees receiving feedback. Be sure you believe in the process so your employees see you fully engaged, from the delivery of the information to the development plans that you create together.
For employees: Here are a few strategies to help you decipher the data as you prepare for your debrief with your manager:
- Quickly review the whole report for positive trends. Always start with your strengths. A true 360 tells you where, and why, you excel. You will learn things about yourself that surprise you. Focus on the positive items first. This will help to build your confidence in yourself and your role. Once you feel you have had time to process your positive feedback, be courageous about areas for improvement.
- Start with the statistics. Begin your detailed analysis by looking for the areas where your rating of yourself is similar to the ratings others gave you. Then look for the areas with the biggest gaps. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the instructions about what constitutes a statistically significant large gap – some gaps look big but aren’t meaningful. When you find items that have meaningful discrepancies, think about what might have contributed to the different perceptions. Reflect on your experiences with the different rater groups. Write down any takeaways – things you want to remember, come back to, or discuss with your manager. Remember that it’s not about “right” or “wrong” – learn from people’s perceptions, and treat them all as a source of valuable information.
- Move to the commentary. Looking for themes can be difficult when reviewing commentary. You might find it hard to separate the facts of a comment from the way it makes you feel. Start putting the commentary in buckets: strength, weakness, and neutral feedback. Avoid getting into arguments with the raters in your mind. Instead, consider what interactions might have led them to perceive you the way they revealed. After reviewing the commentary, you’ll have organized your thoughts and the feedback for further analysis.
- Look for patterns in the commentary. Look at your strengths first. Are they critical performance factors of your position? Do the strengths make you feel like you are in the right position and you are good at what you do? Now move on to your opportunities for improvement. Find the patterns in what people say you need to develop. Prepare to discuss these areas with your manager. You’ll want to create developmental plans in those areas.
- Look for inconsistencies in the data. The final part of the 360 feedback review deals with looking at those feedback items where different raters offer discrepant perspectives.
- Consider whether you behave differently with different groups. Focus where you have enough information to develop conclusions about the differences.
- Eliminate outliers – You get a lot of data in a 360. You can learn from each comment, but if one or two may be completely at odds with the rest, move on to other feedback items.
- Seek clarity – look for people you trust outside the process – a friend, colleague, or mentor – for clarity on a comment. If you have a trained neutral facilitator, this individual can help you explore your questions. Trusted advisors, colleagues, mentors, and friends can also provide examples of why the commentary may have been provided.
- Prioritize – with so much feedback, it is easy to get trapped into thinking you need to come up with a plan to address each developmental item noted. Pick 2-3 high priority items and work on creating a plan to address your development need.
If your company has a 360 feedback process, you are already one step closer to learning important things about yourself. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that feedback is a gift: try to stay grateful for the opportunity to learn. The strategies above can help you stay on task and effectively and efficiently review the key 360 data. In the end, if you are able to process the 360 feedback into an affirmation of your strengths and a short plan for improvement, you will progress along the path to personal and professional success.