Performance Management, 360 Degree Feedback, and Succession Planning Insights

360-degree feedback provides a unique opportunity to evaluate how various individuals rate an employee’s performance. It empowers employees to identify strengths and areas for improvement; serves as a catalyst for change; and helps with team-building, career development, and nurturing leaders.

Organizations seeking to implement a 360 feedback process still encounter resistance to the use of this powerful tool. Resistance can come from a variety of sources and is often associated with myths and half-truths. As I wrote in the article, Exposing the Truth About 360 Degree Feedback, poor implementation of 360 feedback can cause misinformation and distrust in the 360 feedback process.

360 Feedback Norms - Distraction or Helpful Context? It is natural to want to know how you compare with others, especially when receiving feedback on your leadership skills. 360 degree feedback is about individual self-awareness, change and development. As such, one could argue that when an individual is provided with comparison information it provides an opportunity to focus on how they compare to others versus their own strengths and opportunities for improvement. Consider a leader who receives feedback that puts them “above average” relative to those in their comparison group. Their relative ranking as compared to others may cause them to be less motivated to continuously improve their skills as they do not see a need for change. So, should we avoid the use of normative information in 360 degree feedback?