........Don't bother doing it.

This might sound a little odd coming from someone who works for a business which handwrites 360 feedback reports for some of the world's leading businesses, but 360 really isn't worth doing unless you do it properly.

And doing it properly requires quite a bit of effort, time and - of course - money. Because doing it properly is about spending time analysing what reviewers have said, and working out what the common trends and themes are. If you're simply going to tot up scores and hand your managers a sheet of averages and perhaps some pretty colours, you're better off not bothering.

360 feedback is only helpful if people understand why they have been rated by reviewers in the way that they have. Otherwise you're just telling them something that they may or may not already know, but without any understanding of what they can do about it. This is particularly important for senior leaders, who really need to know what instant and longer term changes they can make to impact on profitability and morale.

So unless you are opting for text-based, qualitative 360 feedback, my advice is to save your money. If, however, you recognise the benefits of 360 feedback (and I consider myself to be one of the world's biggest 360 fans - provided it's done properly), then here's the deal - the first 3 people or organisations to respond to this blog post will get a free, premium 360 report. Just email me at nick.jefferson@couraud.com and put "I'll check these guys out" in the subject title. Offer ends today, Weds 3 October, at 5pm GMT.