What’s a 360 degree assessment?
It’s a tool for getting feedback from everyone around you: your boss, subordinates, clients or customers and your peers. Hence the name: 360 degree assessments.
Tons of companies offer it assessment in many variations, some focusing on specific industries or by using different questions. In general, it identifies the strengths and the feedback seeker’s opportunities for improvement.
Businesses use it to gauge customer satisfaction, improve employee performance and monitor the effectiveness communication strategies in leaders and employees.
When Assessments Fail
Yes, this feedback tool is nothing new. It’s just one of the few effective communication strategies out there: ask for feedback and apply it.
But if you want to learn how to communicate effectively and improve yourself, there’s one more thing you need. It’s something no feedback tool can give you.
You have to be truly interested in what people have to say.
Prior to undergoing the assessment, facilitators usually warn participants that they may not like the feedback they’ll get.
How do most people react?
“Pffftt… I can handle it” (Cue dismissive hand gesture)
“My team loves me!”
“I’m used to getting feedback” (plus eye rolling…)
And how do they react AFTER reading the results?
“I can’t believe he said that…”
“Wow! That was unexpected….”
“That’s not true! I’m not like that…”
Some people cry, some get defensive. Only a committed few take action.
Worst case scenario, the assessment will breed anger, mistrust and more issues within the team. Although the test is done anonymously, it doesn’t stop the recipient from suspecting the people around him.
Set a Few Rules and Implement Effective Communication Strategies before Rolling Out the Assessments
- Give a Disclosure Statement
Tell the feedback recipient and the feedback providers that the 360 assessment is not a performance review. It’s a tool to help people learn how to communicate effectively, while improving other soft skills like initiative, organization, and leadership.
- No One is on Trial Here!
You may not like what you read. You may not even agree with it. Accept it just the same. Don’t make excuses or try to justify your actions. Realize that the feedback doesn’t have to be right or wrong—it’s just that, feedback.
Take notes, and then ponder over it the next day—or as soon as you stop acting like a drama queen. What’s the basis for that feedback? Is there anything you can do to improve?
- Personality Profiles are so 48 Years Ago!
Some 360 degree assessments don’t have questions to measure customer satisfaction, not even questions to measure effective communication strategies.
So what do such surveys have? They’ll tell you what your personality is, as if you’re taking Cosmo’s latest personality quiz.
Find an assessment tool that allows you to input specific questions, or at least find one that has questions about management, customer satisfaction, leadership, and communication skills. Otherwise, you’ll have a difficult time translating the feedback into actionable items.
- This is Not the Time to Rant
For the reviewers or feedback providers, please realize this is not the time to rant. You are there to provide honest and constructive feedback—not to bring down a comrade. Yes, your answers will be anonymous but ranting won’t help anyone. It may even destroy the communication lines among team members.
If the recipient has wronged you in anyway, then man up and talk to him or her. Having difficult conversations like mature adults, is the best way to learn how to communicate effectively.
© 2015 Incedo Group, LLC
