Multi-rater, or 360-degree, feedback providers leaders with insight on how others perceive their leadership effectiveness at a point in time. The purpose of 360s is to provide leaders with honest, useful, and thoughtful views on how those they work with experience their leadership, with the opportunity to evoke strengths and approach opportunities differently.
Based on research, a 360 assessment should be:
- Self-initiated by leaders themselves who are ready to use the insight to grow.
- Supported by one’s supervisor and HR, for developmental (not performance evaluation) purposes.
- Offered as part of leadership coaching or leadership development programming.
Clear communication about the process and how feedback will be used is critical to a successful 360 experience.
Please review the following before contacting Organizational Effectiveness.
Preparing for 360
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a 360?
“360” refers to the 360 degrees in a circle, an all-around view, and 360-degree feedback is also known as multi-rater feedback.
A 360 assessment is a way for multiple individuals, with different perspectives, to share feedback with a colleague related to his/her skill, performance, and leadership. Examples of raters in a 360 assessment include direct reports, team members, peers, and managers or administrators.
What are some of the major features and uses of 360 feedback?
360 assessments:
- Typically measures specific behaviors and competencies associated with job performance and success.
- Provides for a confidential process to obtain feedback from others who work closely with an individual.
- Focuses on observed behaviors that can be modified.
360 assessments can be used for:
- Leadership Development
- Talent Management/Succession Planning
- Personal and Professional Awareness and Growth
- Supervisory and Management Training
Source: Dr. Kenneth Nowack, Envisia Learning
What assessment products are available?
OE will assign you a leadership coach during the consult process to guide you through your 360 assessment journey. Your leadership coach can consult with you to select an assessment tool and approach that fits your needs. Email oe-leader@uiowa.edu to get started and determine what coaching is right for you.
Why is an assessment part of the process?
Assessment is a vital piece in building awareness of your effectiveness in crucial leadership competencies—and tangible evidence of your efforts to enact change.
Our programs begin with a state-of-the-art online assessment through Envisia Learning. Envisia Learning, a forerunner in the field of leadership development, providing leaders with online assessment instruments and developmental tools backed by years of research and experience.
As a participant, you select your raters who will complete the online survey, which provides you with a written report clarifying areas of leadership strength and growth. This is known as a 360-degree assessment, or multi-rater feedback.
Who will see my 360 assessment results?
As the 360 assessment is intended to be used solely for developmental purposes, only participants and their coaches have access to the 360 results. While raters do not receive 360 results, we recommend participants share copies of their Individual Leadership Development Plan (including goals and success measures) with their immediate supervisor or faculty administrator, which may include opportunities identified in the survey results. Consistent with 360-degree best practices, a leadership coach will meet 1:1 with you to facilitate the interpretation of the results report, and to provide support in receiving the feedback.
How is Organizational Effectiveness maintaining confidentiality in this process?
Organizational Effectiveness understands the importance of respecting the confidentiality of raters, while also providing an opportunity for direct feedback from supervisors.*
To this end, we have selected a vendor partner, Envisia Learning, to provide an online process which protects the anonymity of individual raters. Responses and written comments (reported as written) are aggregated, meaning they are batched together by rater group, such as peers, direct reports, or team members. Each rater group, with the exception of one’s supervisor/administrator, has a minimum of six raters.
Using these aggregated responses, Envisia creates a report which will only be shared with the participant and their leadership coach. In this report, response rates are provided, indicating the percentage of raters who have responded to the questionnaire. However, the identity of individual respondents is protected, with the exception of one’s supervisor.
A written comments section will be available. Please provide honest and objective comments, while keeping in mind that your words will be reported as written. Comments are most valuable when they provide examples to make your point more explicit. Carefully review your written words before finalizing them. “Is what I wrote truthful, useful, and kind?”
“Feedback recipients are less likely to react negatively if they believe the feedback is accurate. This is particularly important when open-ended comments are included.” (Atwater, Walderman, Brett, 2002)
*Please note: Supervisor(s)’or faculty administrator(s)’ responses and comments will be reported separately. Our experience and research in leadership coaching have affirmed that direct feedback is imperative to one’s growth and development.
“In most cases, supervisor ratings, as opposed to other sources, are not confidential. In other words, the feedback recipient is aware of the ratings given by the supervisor because these ratings are not aggregated with other raters.” (Tornow & London, 1998)
How will Organizational Effectiveness support me?
Once enrolled, your OE assigned leadership coach will guide you through the assessment process, helping you to:
- Identify, and communicate, with your survey raters;
- Select the assessment tool that best suits your needs;
- Understand how to use your results, and identify salient goals for your Individual Leadership Development Plan;
- Develop skills through coaching;
- Repeat of the survey process in 12-24 months, and
- Consult on ways to convey your results.
Our approach is based on research of best practices in successful 360-degree use. An assessment activity itself is not necessarily developmental. That is why Organizational Effectiveness' leadership programming combines developmental planning and follow-up, plus supervisory involvement, to achieve better results.
Whom do I contact with questions?
If you have any technical questions about this online process, contact Envisia Learning at 800-335-0779 or email clientservices@envisialearning.com. Or, contact UI Leadership Development at oe-leader@uiowa.edu.
To help determine what coaching is right for you, brief leadership coaching is provided at no charge for campus leaders and includes one session with an experienced leadership coach from Organizational Effectiveness. For questions, or to schedule your 360 Assessment, please email oe-leader@uiowa.edu.