Hi, I am an organizational psychologist, and I am scared of feedback. How about that vulnerability at the start of the post? 😅Why and I scared? Because I work really hard and I want to be a great leader and to be perceived positively. I am also a recovering-ish perfectionist.
I also lead a team who has built an exceptional 360 degree feedback technology. Confused yet? While I am nervous to get feedback, I also understand the tremendous value it brings, and have gone through numerous 360s throughout my career. I know that to really grow and get better, it’s important to get uncomfortable at times. And there are so many benefits to 360 feedback. If you get a bit nervous like me around feedback time, I hope you find this list of benefits useful and that it energizes you right into your next 360 feedback evaluation.
Benefits of 360 Degree Feedback
- Builds better self-awareness. As a part of a 360, the person being evaluated is also asked to provide a self-evaluation, and their scores are compared to the scores of their manager, peers, direct reports, (maybe some more groups) in the report. It is rare that leaders’ self-perception differs greatly from the evaluators. Usually if you’ve made it a leadership position, and your employer is investing in your development, you are not completely oblivious to how others see you. The results between the self-evaluation and the evaluation of others are also unlikely to be perfectly aligned. Often you may also be pleasantly surprised by the opinions of others, as there are likely areas they will think more positively of you than you think of yourself. And in some areas of course you will see you might think you are better than others think, and that’s great to know too so you can understand why that difference exists.
- A tipping point for behavior change. There are likely at least several things in life that we know we should do more of, and somehow we still manage not to. Like consistently drinking enough water (I have a water bottle with hourly markets/goals), eating fruit, exercising regularly. Much of the 360 feedback may not be something we’re shocked to hear or have never heard before, but in this context it may be just enough, or just at the right time, to influence us to make a change in our behavior.
- If we don’t ask for the feedback, it doesn’t mean the perception doesn’t exist. This is one of my favorite points. Those who we work with the closest have a perception of us, what they really enjoy working on with us, where they look to others for support. It’s not like the opinion only starts to exist when we ask, it has existed all along, we just may not know what it is. Going back to my perfectionist self, there have been times that have been nervous to see the feedback, because when you’re working so hard it’s tough to have information stare you in the face that you haven’t “arrived” yet, but every time I have gotten this feedback, I was so glad I had the knowledge, because it helped me so much to become better.
- Being a part of a 360 degree feedback program is a big deal. Running learning and development programs for organizations is important, and it’s usually a significant monetary investment. In most cases not everyone has an opportunity to be a part of it, participants are hand selected by top leadership and their leaders because they believe in their future at the company and want to make that investment to make them better. So, going into the program, know that you are there because you have made a positive impact on the organization and are viewed as someone who can continue to make a significant positive impact in the future.
- A positive impact on those around you. The last big benefit (that we’ll discuss in this article, there are many more) is that the better leader you become, the more positive impact it will have not only on you, but also those you lead and interact with on a daily basis. Many modern measures have also more effectively incorporated feedback on soft skills, like empathy and compassion, which will not only have a positive impact on others in your workplace, but will absolutely translate to more positive interactions outside of work too.
I hope you’re even more excited to become a part of the next 360 feedback program your organization offers!
How can you conduct a 360-degree evaluation in your organization?
In conclusion, embracing 360-degree feedback offers numerous benefits for personal and organizational growth. It builds self-awareness, fosters behavior change, and provides valuable insights from colleagues. Remember, feedback is an opportunity to improve and make a positive impact on those around you.
At QuestionPro, we have developed a user-friendly 360-degree feedback platform to help you conduct evaluations with ease. Take the next step towards becoming an exceptional leader by leveraging the power of feedback with QuestionPro.
Start your journey of growth and development today. Visit our website and learn more about our 360-degree feedback solution. Together, let’s unlock your full potential and create a thriving work environment. Happy feedbacking!
