Introducing the Handbook
Welcome to the 360 Handbook. We've aimed to make it the most useful, authoritative and up-to-date resource on 360 Feedback. There is proven, practical advice on everything from questionnaire design to coaching to evaluation. Many of its chapters are based on articles from leading HR sources, such as People Management, Selection and Development Review, and the CIPD. Hundreds of HR professionals ask for copies of the Handbook every year.
The online Handbook is free to UK HR managers; to register please complete our Contact us form ticking the Handbook box.
Interestingly, the Handbook has changed a great deal in its six years. HR's thinking on 360 has evolved, and HR's requirements have changed too. The Handbook has kept pace, if not led some of the changes. Perhaps the most significant development has been the shift of focus from software to engagement and coaching.
Reliable, easy, helpful 360 software is really important, but it alone doesn't change people or performance. Hence, today's best practice emphasises the importance of integrated 360 projects, which involve, coach and support individuals. Organisations have learnt that software is just one of several things they need to get right.
For 2010, the Handbook includes a whole new section on feedback and coaching. There's a proven 360 coaching process, and a really helpful directory of personal development options. The business-focus coaching process is the one we've used, improved and evaluated in partnership with our clients over the last 10 years. And, the process which has won acclaim in the HR press. Its simple steps deliver consistently great results.
Finally, this Handbook has a helpful new section on Performance Review. An increasing number of organisations use 360 feedback to create better informed, more rounded Performance Reviews. So, thinking and best practice is changing quickly here. The Performance Review section includes case studies, advice, and a useful summary of the latest research.
Getting started
Chapter 1: CIPD Factsheet. The Factsheet provides the essential information about 360 Feedback. If you are new to 360 this is the place to start. It's also a great document for introducing 360 Feedback to line managers. The Factsheet was drafted by Simply360's Jane Coomber and edited by CIPD staff.
Chapter 2: Making the Case. People Management's guide to making the business case for 360 Feedback. It might be just one page, but there's some really useful advice if you are trying to win support for a 360 project. It is advice based on about 20 years of successful 360 feedback projects.
Chapter 3: Project Management. Practical recommendations on planning and managing 360 projects; what to do, and what not to do. It has been has been one of the most popular Handbook chapters. It explains the importance of starting with a commercial problem, keeping things simple, supporting and using existing HR processes, etc…
Chapter 4: Participants' Q&As. One of the really important things to get right with 360 is explaining things to people and addressing their concerns. This chapter aims to do exactly that! It's a practical guide for managers receiving feedback - many organisations use it to answer their managers' questions about 360.
Design tools and techniques
Chapter 5: 360 Questionnaire Design. Every 360 project needs some careful decisions about the questionnaire's rating scale, rated and comment questions, respondent types, etc… Research suggests questionnaire design is critical - poor design generates muddled, unhelpful feedback. Originally published by Selection and Development Review, this chapter outlines each of the big questionnaire design decisions, describes your major options, and gives their pros and cons.
Chapter 6: Great Questions to Use. A chapter with hundreds of really good, proven questions for your 360 questionnaire. It is organised by keyword, so it's easy to access and adapt its clear, concise questions whatever your competency framework. And, for 2010, there are separate questions for each management level, e.g. for executives, managers, team leaders.
Chapter 7: 360 Report Design. There is an almost endless variety of 360 feedback reports - multiple ways of combining colours, statistics and graphs. Some work well some contexts; others create significant difficulties. You have a choice of 360 reports, and ought to choose the format and content that will work for your managers.
Feedback and Coaching
Chapter 8: Getting it Right. Published by People Management, 'How to get 360 coaching right' describes our simple (but powerful) approach to feedback and action planning. It has lead a number of senior HR professionals to rethink how they feedback and coach with 360.
Chapter 9: A Great Process. An introduction and explanation of our step-by-step approach to feedback and coaching. It begins and ends with performance, and it consistently produces practical, pertinent action plans. This is the process to use if you want 360 to deliver tangible business improvements. Incidentally, it's a process managers can acquire quickly and use effectively.
Chapter 10: Development Options. An online directory with hundreds of practical, helpful ways of improving competencies and performance. It is structured by keyword, with links to other relevant pages, so it's very easy to find good personal development ideas.
Performance Review
Chapter 11: Adding value with 360. An increasing number of organisations use 360 to produce more rounded, better informed performance reviews. Both appraisers and appraisees appreciate 360 contribution to performance reviews. But, how does it work, what value does it add?
Chapter 12: Practical Advice. Contrary to the accepted wisdom, it seems that almost any organisation can use 360 in performance review, if it is handled carefully. This short article, published by HRzone, should answer most of your questions about implementing 360 in performance review.
Chapter 13: One company's experience. Published by HR Magazine, here is a case study of one organisation using 360 in performance review, and doing so really successfully year-on-year. Although the organisation hadn't used 360 at all before, their intelligent communications support and evaluation worked really well.
Reference Section
Chapter 14: Key research on 360. Broadly, this review of the recent academic research addresses three areas: self-awareness, performance improvement, and what might be described as "noise" in 360 Feedback. It is technical, but there are a few very important implications for practice.
Chapter 15: How 360 works. If you understand how 360 Feedback works, you'll design and deliver a much better project. Published by Selection and Development Review, the chapter explains how 360 Feedback changes perceptions and people. There are some important pieces of practical advice.
Chapter 16: Checking Validity. Finding out how well your 360 tool is working doesn't have to be a big, expensive project. This chapter presents some straightforward, low-cost steps, and it explains some of the technicalities, such as "validity".
Chapter 17: HR Reports and MI. 360 HR reports are an essential tool for understanding your organisation and levels of competence within it. But, there are some essential things to know about averages, what the figures really mean, and the easily made (but dangerous) assumptions.
How we could help you
More Information: How We Might Help.: An introduction to ourselves, our services and how we can help you.