“Sorry,” said the woman, as she refused to answer a 360-degree feedback questionnaire, “I have become way too cynical for this project.”
She was not alone.
Why these unwilling responders?
Blame history.
Some have lost faith that the organization is serious about making changes, or developing its employees’ skills. They look back at promises broken, and ask quite sensibly, “Why should I believe them now?”
Others have lost faith that confidentiality will be honored. They have learned through hard experience that those who speak their truth risk punishment.
Occasionally the problem is anger at the person being assessed. “Donna needs to be fired,” exclaimed an unwilling responder. “Her failure to program for her department proves the inadequate job she and her staff are doing.”
If you’ve hit against this kind of resistance, it’s clear that you and your leaders have a big job ahead of you.
She was not alone.
Past Failures
Frankly, few organizations have managed employees perfectly.
Frequently, they disciplined people who spoke out about problems.
Paradoxically, they tolerated harsh, vindictive managers. Not to mention employees who failed to produce.
So unless your organization has acknowledged its failures and committed itself to reformation, it can be hard to promote the benign transparency of the 360 process.
Communication Is Crucial
But once your organization has renewed its practices, you have the key to success in your hand: communication.
Make sure everyone knows about the renewed standards and good faith of the organization.
Communicate the organization’s commitment to continuous learning, to open communication, to confidentiality, and to safety for all.
Such commitments are universally accepted as the basic standard for sustainable organizations. Back them up with policy, and they’ll resonate with those formerly cynical responders you want to hear from.
After all, we get the best value from 360-degree feedback when everyone feels it’s worthwhile to contribute.
