Success Indicators

A successful 360° program is: 

• Relevant to the needs of the individual, focusing on the most important aspects of his or her job.
• Oriented toward generating commitment – to following through on the 360° process and to using the information obtained to plan for and implement action that will foster change, personally and professionally.
• Goal focused, encouraging the individual to set targets for change and improvement.
• Safe, for the participant and his/her respondents. This process has the potential to provide very accurate and candid feedback to a participant. Information does, after all, come from a variety of sources, all with a significant stake in the participant’s success. Participants will only be honest if they believe the anonymity of their responses is protected. Safety also relates to the potential impact of the 360° on the participant. Frequently, participants are surprised, sometimes pleasantly, but often less so by information that is unfavourably at odds with their self-perception. It is very important for participants not to be “left alone” with their results. They need to be guided through their review of the data by individuals who are qualified to facilitate reaction to, analysis, and interpretation of feedback.
• Confidential. Participant results must be shared only with the participant, who must in turn have the option to share their results with others as they see fit. It’s important to note that the focus of the 360° process is on individual development, not job assessment, compensation, or other external factors. The important information is not the assessment itself, but the action the participant decides to take as a result of the feedback they receive.
• Challenging. The outcome of a solid 360° program should be an individual who is motivated by the knowledge of what his or her goals are, informed about the activities and skills needed to achieve them, and encouraged to be self-directed in achieving results.
• Focused and supported, by an organization’s willingness to provide the employee with the time to participate in the program, plan developmental action, and access the necessary resources and support to achieve their goals. 

Ensuring all these requirements are met involves significant planning and effort. The payoff though, is an elevated level of feedback among individuals and within the organization as a whole.