360 Feedback Report Best Practices - Part 5 of 6: Shifting from Theory to Practical Action

Our last post talked about the importance of not multi-tasking when trying to improve a skill. When focusing on one task, they teach themselves the development process and enhance their ability to improve other skills.

The fifth design principle that is essential for a report that transforms feedback into behavior change is that it should:

5) Shift From Theory to Practical Action

Transitioning between the feedback and what to do next, needs to be bridged with small, practical steps, defined by change process, not the feedback or formal recommendations. Recommendations are like reading a book, or taking a training class - they take so long to complete that participants can lose their motivation, interest, and focus before the action is completed.

Small steps such as scheduling a conversation with three people, start participants taking action on the skill development immediately. Additional small steps such as recording their notes of the conversations and discussing their conversation notes with their manager, keep participants moving forward without having to wait for a training class or other formal events.

In taking steps that involve others, such as conversations, participants are making subtle, public commitments to their action plan. Managers are given the opportunity to support without setting the expectation that the manager is an expert in the development topic. One step motivates the next and the action plan turns into an ongoing change process.

To read Part 1, click here.

To read Part 2, click here.

To read Part 3, click here.

To read Part 4, click here.