In this video I cover the key areas that have been shown to be most effective when using bespoke 360 Feedback for behaviour change.

360 Degree Feedback is a tool that organisations use to measure and improve employee behaviours. With 360 Feedback, the organisation can define the key behaviours, skills and values for its success. Employees at all levels can then receive feedback from colleagues based on those criteria. Individuals have a clear view of how they’re performing. And the data provides information on organisation and team areas for improvement.

So how do you create a bespoke 360 feedback for behaviour change in your organisation that leads to the behaviour changes you are looking for?

Here are some key ways of doing this, taken from research and our own experience in design and implementing 360:

– Use a customisable, professional platform for your 360. Ideally this is easy to adapt to your needs. It should also make reporting simple and quick.

– Ratees should ask for feedback from around 12 colleagues. With good communication and follow up, they should receive 6-10 pieces of feedback. This will provide enough feedback that is robust and meaningful. The colleagues providing feedback should have worked with the ratee for at least 6 months. In addition, they should also have worked enough with them to be able to observe the skills required.

– Include ratings questions (for example, ‘Jay helps me to set goals’, Always, Sometimes, Never). These are reported back as averages, and provide useful trends for feedback on specific topics. Also, include ‘free’ text feedback, a place for comments from the raters. This gives the ratings context.

– Offer ratees an opportunity to discuss their 360 report in confidence. This can be with a coach, a colleague or a manager. It’s a important step because it helps the ratee to understand their feedback better. A one to one session also allows the ratee to question the feedback. The coach can provide a sounding-board and help focus on the key messages.

Additional points to consider

– Line managers are an important part of the 360. Line managers can support their team members to use their 360 feedback to create a development plan. The manager is also in the best position to help that team member change what they’re doing on a daily basis, so creating improvement in performance.

– Repeat the 360 between 9 and 24 months to maintain focus on the key skills. The 360 is very useful for tracking behaviour change over time.

With a flexible 360 tool you can also update or change the 360 to reflect changes in business goals.

– Finally, the 360 data can be aggregated to show trends across teams, departments and the whole organisation. This allows you to monitor progress on leadership and management development, and any values-led change programmes.

More information

For more information on 360 feedback, please contact us.

Track 360

Track 360 is a online software tool you can customise to your organisation’s unique competencies. To find out how it works, and request a trial, click here