There’s a mistaken tendency to undervalue HR and OD professionals.
360-degree feedback vendors sometimes contribute to this when they suggest that their off-the-shelf questionnaires have been universally “validated”. The implication is that your unique skills are not required.
Just plug and play.
But the truth is that an HR or OD professional who designs a 360 questionnaire brings knowledge of the organization and people that a one-size-fits-all approach cannot match.
When you validate a questionnaire for your particular organization, you answer questions like this:
Do the questions fit the organization?
As an insider, you’re uniquely positioned to select valid questions, meaning those that shine a light on the strategic needs and challenges of your workplace.
Will the answers lead to action?
A valid questionnaire is one that communicates clearly to your recipients what they are doing well and where they need to improve, encouraging them to make changes.
You’re in the best position to design a questionnaire that speaks to the people of your organization.
Are the questions clear and unambiguous?
HR and OD professionals have the specialized knowledge to assess whether the questions are valid within the culture and expectations of responders.
They generally follows these two steps:
First, put yourself in the responder’s place. Choose questions that they can answer without straining to figure out their meaning.
Second, test your questionnaire on real people. Again, you add value by locating representative individuals who will tell you whether they understand the questions and can readily answer them.
As an example, we provide Panoramic Feedback users with an excellent library of carefully-designed questionnaires. But because every setting is different, we encourage everyone to rewrite them. We recognize that words can have sharply different meanings in different contexts.
Theoretically you could save effort by not validating your organization’s questionnaire. But would you install new equipment or introduce new work processes without this kind of careful preparation?
To make your 360 more effective and your workplace more productive, trust your own wisdom.
