10 Most Common Mistakes in Digesting and Actioning 360 Feedback
This is a time of year when I often am debriefing 360 feedback surveys with leaders and leadership teams. Receiving feedback whether positive and/or negative, is not for the faint hearted. It requires courage, openness and a growth mindset at all stages of the process. Even if uncomfortable and hard to examine perceptions of ourselves, it’s worth the effort and the most efficient and illuminating way to understand our greatest strengths and our greatest opportunities for growth and impact.
Together, a coach and client can put together the pieces of the narrative.
The mining of a 360 report is akin to panning for gold; there is a lot of “matter” or “data” to sift through to get to the most valuable nuggets. Not all of the data can be weighted equally and rater groups are sure to have different biases, experiences and perspectives based on their frequency and types of interactions and relationship with the client. Working with a client to unpack their data is always an exciting journey; while I may know the tool technically and will have a viewpoint on what is most salient data going into a conversation, a client will bring deep context of the forces, people and culture at play, which bring an entirely unique perspective on the data. It is a beautiful partnership and dance to “sensemake” with a client around what is often a 24-36 page report; it offers a mirror to look at perceptions at a particular moment in time and also a window into thinking and behavioral patterns that have likely been learned long ago, which may no longer serve their current role or context.
Here are some of the most common mistakes I see when clients are trying to digest and action around their 360 feedback; some of these patterns run counter to each other as different people make different types of mistakes.
10 Most Common Mistakes in Digesting and Actioning 360 Feedback:
Not fully seeing and taking in all the positive feedback and/or what is working and going well. It can be just as hard if not harder for us to appreciate and in some cases, even believe the complimentary data.
Focusing on Who said what, particularly the most negative comments. It’s easy to get triggered by a couple comments and lose sight of the bigger headlines.
Deflecting or explaining critical feedback vs taking responsibility. At times, leaders may question the reliability and validity of a tool or blame other factors or stakeholders.
Reviewing the data once vs a few separate times over a week or two; without a structured program or coaching engagement, a leader may never come back to the report at all and the investment is completely lost.
Not pulling up to distill higher level themes and narrowing focus to greatest opportunities. A 360 is a story that needs to be unpacked and woven together in a memorable narrative. Otherwise, we lose the disparate threads.
Not sharing the report with a trusted colleague or mentor who can offer another relevant perspective on the data. It is common for the data to reflect the broader culture of the leadership team and a colleague can help tweeze out what needs to be solved collaboratively.
Taking on too many goals (1-3 is ideal). It can be common to make a list of tactical, low hanging fruit without making broader connections on the overarching story and narrowing to just a couple thematic opportunities under which actions can be set.
Not thanking raters for their time and feedback. Even though the lists of who participated will be anonymous, it’s important to acknowledge people for taking the time to share what is hopefully their honest perceptions. Encouraging honesty is an important aspect of leadership and it gets harder to access the more senior you get.
Not sharing the insights and goals from process and getting ideas and support from your stakeholders. Leaders can show vulnerability and a growth mindset to others when they let people know their imperfections and ways they are stretching and growing as well.
Not checking back with people on how they are doing on those areas of focus. It’s important for leaders to open channels for ongoing feedback. The more frequently people seek feedback, the more natural such conversations become.
Indeed, 360 feedback is a big investment for organizations and leaders, and requires a lot more attention and support than most people realize. It is the best way I know to hold a mirror up to ourselves and the most opportune way to kick off an executive coaching engagement with a client.