Finding the sweet spot: Essential tips to land your 360 feedback process

How many times have you come across leaders who seem blindly unaware of their leadership reputation? While they are leaving a trail of destruction and disengagement in their wake, their teams and peers are often deciding how to work around rather than with them.

We’re all aware of the importance of effective leadership in today's competitive business landscape. A 360 feedback process, with insights provided from multiple perspectives, can help open leaders’ eyes to their key strengths and areas needing growth. Forbes’ Coaching Council1 outlined several excellent suggestions for improving the success of a 360 process.

An unbiased process: While 360’s can be run in-house, there’s something reassuring for everyone when someone external to your organisation collects and delivers the feedback. Contributors are far more likely to provide honest responses when they feel confident about their anonymity. The feedback conversations are also less likely to be tainted with internal politics or constraints and be more focused on developmental opportunities. A combination of one-on-one interviews and reputable online assessment tools, such as Winsborough's Leader 360, help provide a comprehensive view of the participant’s leadership capabilities.

Unique perspectives: Successful 360-degree feedback process involves viewpoints from every angle. Besides team members and peers, it is important to consider involving other stakeholders who may see you in different situations, such as leaders from other departments, partners, vendors, and key customers. This comprehensive approach ensures a well-rounded evaluation and promotes a holistic development plan.

Getting to the gold: Much of the actionable ‘gold’ or richness from a 360 comes from your contributors providing thoughtful commentary. But everyone is busy and its easy for tasks like this to slip their minds. Proactive engagement with each person will help them prioritise completing your review. Have a conversation with the people you’re requesting feedback from up front to explain why their contribution will be meaningful for you. Emphasise the need for humility and honesty, creating a safe environment for them to provide open and constructive feedback

Do you see the donut or the hole? Oscar Wilde said, “The optimist sees the donut, the pessimist sees the hole”. Once the feedback has been collected, it is crucial to identify the development priorities. Your personality will contribute to how you’re likely to react. Some people will angst over every minor critique while others gloss over all but the most direct responses. Rather than becoming overwhelmed by multiple areas of focus, it is recommended to identify "One Big Thing" – a single priority to concentrate on.

Following up and following through:
Next you need to create a specific plan based on the insights gathered. The plan should outline actionable steps for growth and development. Go back to your contributors and thank them for their feedback. Outline what you’re planning to work on. Ask them for ideas on how you could make changes and to give you feedback regularly, so you know whether you’re still on track.

At Winsborough, we’ve helped hundreds of organisations and their leaders navigate the challenges to deliver significant value through a 360 degree feedback process. Our skilled team of professionals can help you implement smoothly and effectively. Maximise the leadership potential in your organisation with our expertise and the power of our Leader 360 tool. Contact us now to start your journey with organisation wide 360 surveys.

1Forbes Coaches Council. (2023, January 23). Six Keys to Maximizing Your 360-Degree Feedback Process. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2023/01/23/six-keys-to-maximizing-your-360-degree-feedback-process/?sh=3356702c32d7

Need more information? Contact the Winsborough Team:
winsborough.co.nz | 0800 222 061 | support@winsborough.co.nz