Nothing quite fuels leadership transformation like a 360-degree review done right.
A 360-degree review is a leadership development tool used to provide the recipient with feedback from all directions, including peers, direct and indirect reports, direct and indirect managers, external stakeholders, and (in the case of a CEO or ED) the board of directors. It’s typically anonymous or offers anonymous options for those sharing feedback and is often administered as an online survey.
Having been the recipient of 360s and now as a coach and guide for clients, I have four tips for you on designing a great process to maximize impact for senior leaders undergoing a 360. Whether you are the leader requesting a 360 or the board encouraging it, it’s important to keep these tips in mind.
#1: Create Clear and Aligned Goals
Both the subject of the 360 and their board (or their direct supervisor) should be 100% aligned on the goal of the 360. There are usually two different goals, and they serve very different purposes:
- Developmental 360s are all about leveling up leadership and building on strength, uncovering blind spots, and delivering feedback in a way that encourages reflection.
- Evaluative 360s are all about getting feedback from everyone on the executive’s performance so that the board or direct supervisor can factor that feedback into a holistic review.
One of the ways to live the values that most nonprofits I’ve come across espouse (think: equity, transparency, fairness, etc.) are to make explicit the rules of the 360 game. Why is this process taking place? How will it be used? Who will see the results? Will the survey be anonymous or anonymized? Will the results influence compensation decisions; if so, how? These are all valid questions for the subject of the 360, the supervisor, and the individuals investing their time to share feedback.
#2: Get Deep
When setting up the 360-degree review process, give the subject the gift of both quantitative and qualitative data—in-depth surveys with a handful of follow-up interviews are the best way to do so. Establish a process that allows for participant anonymity and communicate to what degree their comments will be anonymous at the start of the process.
When it’s time to analyze the data, break responses into sub-groups whenever possible. This helps to differentiate responses between peers, direct reports, board members, and other outside stakeholders. Themes will be more pronounced and nuanced. An individual question or grouping of questions might have an average that hovers around the midpoint of the range, but the helpful learning comes from seeing how differently the board vs. direct reports rated that area.
When it’s time to interpret the feedback, start with the data. We, as humans, tend to over index on comments (vs. numbers/data), and we love to give negative/critical feedback top billing in our memory. So, just like any survey, start with the data. Use data to sketch the scene before you and allow commentary to add color and nuance.
#3: Make It Easy to Participate
We are all busy. When we ask team members, board members, external stakeholders, and others to engage in a feedback loop, we are asking for them to prioritize this process among the many other tasks and projects they may have on their plates.
If you can communicate the rationale for why this 360 is important and participants understand how their feedback will be considered, there is a greater likelihood that they will be willing to prioritize participation. If the leader can communicate how helpful they find feedback and what they hope to do once they receive the report, that can also nudge the team towards action.
Beyond making the case clear, making participation easy is another way to ensure participation. Take 30 minutes of a scheduled board meeting or an existing internal meeting and ask all participants to log into the 360 survey and complete it.
For external stakeholders, expect to provide more than a couple of reminders. Understand that the rates of completion for external stakeholders will be lower than internal.
#4: Act
Finally, the most important aspect of the 360 process comes near its end. The leader who was the subject of the 360 must have space to reflect and debrief so that they can create an action plan. Sometimes that will be in collaboration with a direct supervisor, but it’s critically important to have that leader share how valuable the feedback is with the team. The leader does not owe a detailed report to the team—but if the leader can share a few key takeaways and ways in which they are adjusting their leadership with team members, staff will be more eager to provide their feedback the next time it’s requested.
Getting a 360-degree review done right takes time and intentionality, but it’s always worth the investment. Reach out to DRG Talent to learn more about how we might support your efforts.
