Once the survey results are in is when the real work begins. Whilst the communication of results is crucial to the business, a major survey mistake that often occurs is the lack of follow-through action. After discussing the results with their team, many leaders fail to implement and follow-through action plan that supports team members, causing there to be no change from before the survey. This also causes team members to doubt their leader’s motivation and capacity to make a difference.

If a manager fails to communicate clear accountabilities and to conduct strict follow-up actions, chance, motivation and improvement are unlikely. Follow-up actions are crucial to a business’s success as if they are not conducted staff members will feel as if their opinion is not valued, become unmotivated, and lapse back into old behaviors. This not only damages productivity, performance and team morale, but also causes a loss in investment.

Through experience we have found that without a formal and structured process, and when left to participants and their managers, less than 30% of 360 degree feedback participants meet with their manager to discuss their feedback, planned actions and development.

If you want to improve your business through feedback surveys, it is crucial that you implement a follow-through action plan to enable communication, motivation and change throughout your business. A carefully designed implementation plan will note clear accountabilities and consequences – which are both essential elements of a follow-through action plan.