Taking a recipient through their 360 degree feedback report is a key moment in the 360 feedback process. It is multi-faceted and requires a good amount of skill and effort. I just wanted to note down my 3 top tips. There's more to the job, but here is my recommendation.
1. Read it, read it again, and read it one more time
The first time you read the report you get a feel for it. No more. As you read the latter parts of the report it perhaps hints at themes from earlier in the report. You can't get these in the first reading because you need to have read the whole thing.
Then you read it again; this time you draw out where you think there may be strengths, development areas and themes. I make my notes of areas I'd like to explore in the debrief meeting. This is only an aide memoire, it most certainly isn't you working out what the report is saying - it just hints at areas you may want to explore in the meeting.
And finally I read it once more when I am with the recipient to refresh my memory and get into the moment of the debrief session.
2. Look at the self feedback
The self feedback hints at the self-perception. How does it compare to the other feedback? Are they aligned, high, low? You should avoid judgment of why you are seeing what you are seeing but make a note and explore it with the recipient in the meeting. All of the 360 feedback is important of course, but the self feedback is the most important.
3. Remind yourself that it is your role to explore the feedback and aid interpretation
By this stage it is easy to fall into a trap of thinking you are an expert. Not just on 360 feedback debriefs (humility is required there) but on this person. You've read one report on them, often you've never met them. You don't know them and you don't know what this report means, however clever you think you are! You are now just well placed to discuss the report with them.
There is much, much more to creating an effective debrief session but these are my top 3 tips.
We run a training course on debriefing 360 feedback. Feel free to contact us if this would help you or you have a general 360 requirement we can help with.
Brendan
1. Read it, read it again, and read it one more time
The first time you read the report you get a feel for it. No more. As you read the latter parts of the report it perhaps hints at themes from earlier in the report. You can't get these in the first reading because you need to have read the whole thing.
Then you read it again; this time you draw out where you think there may be strengths, development areas and themes. I make my notes of areas I'd like to explore in the debrief meeting. This is only an aide memoire, it most certainly isn't you working out what the report is saying - it just hints at areas you may want to explore in the meeting.
And finally I read it once more when I am with the recipient to refresh my memory and get into the moment of the debrief session.
2. Look at the self feedback
The self feedback hints at the self-perception. How does it compare to the other feedback? Are they aligned, high, low? You should avoid judgment of why you are seeing what you are seeing but make a note and explore it with the recipient in the meeting. All of the 360 feedback is important of course, but the self feedback is the most important.
3. Remind yourself that it is your role to explore the feedback and aid interpretation
By this stage it is easy to fall into a trap of thinking you are an expert. Not just on 360 feedback debriefs (humility is required there) but on this person. You've read one report on them, often you've never met them. You don't know them and you don't know what this report means, however clever you think you are! You are now just well placed to discuss the report with them.
There is much, much more to creating an effective debrief session but these are my top 3 tips.
We run a training course on debriefing 360 feedback. Feel free to contact us if this would help you or you have a general 360 requirement we can help with.
Brendan
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