As talent professionals, we faithfully believe that 360 feedback will help managers change their behaviors or at least increase their motivation to change. Unfortunately, those expectations are completely unrealistic. To actually get great results from 360s, we need to focus on what science says works and forget most of what we believe is true, including:

Feedback does not lead to change. Many HR professionals believe that simply receiving feedback causes sustained behavior change, but there is no science that supports it. Research says feedback often creates negative emotional reactions that inhibit change and, in one-third of cases, actually worsens performance.

Gaps between self-perceptions and others’ perceptions do not motivate change. Many of us believe that when confronted with a gap between how we see ourselves and how others see us, we will try to close that gap. While this is an intuitive model of human behavior, it’s not supported by science.

Research says that when confronted with that perception gap, we will diligently try to excuse it or explain its cause. We aren’t resisting feedback; we’re experiencing what’s called cognitive dissonance. Our mind works hard to preserve our carefully developed self-image. When feedback conflicts with that image or could cast us in a negative light, the natural reaction is to reject it.

Most of us chronically overrate our capabilities, which means cognitive dissonance only increases when we see our self-ratings compared to others’.

Comparison to norms isn’t helpful. Data comparing you to other 360 participants don’t provide guidance or motivation for change. If you score below others, cognitive dissonance inhibits action. When our ratings compare favorably to norms, we don’t experience any positive emotions; we simply don’t experience any negative ones. The science is clear: We respond best when given information about only our behaviors, not when those behaviors are compared to others.

More information is not more helpful. Typical 360 reports have more than 50 pages filled with charts, graphs, norms, bars, icons and comments. It’s nearly impossible for someone to tell what they should do and how they should do it.