How a 360 Review Can Help You Level Up
Think about the last time you were absolutely, 100% aware of how you were coming across to the people around you. Having a hard time remembering? That might be because it almost never happens.
What about the last time you found out that you weren’t landing the way you thought you were with other people? This might be easier to remember, both for positive and negative reasons. It feels really nice to learn that others are experiencing you in a positive way. It doesn’t feel so nice when you thought everything was cool only to find out that your team thinks you’re an asshole.
The truth is that this lack of moment-to-moment certainty about how we show up is part of being a person. We all wander through life trying to do our best without really knowing how we come across to the people around us.
One of the best ways to level up professionally is to increase our awareness of how we really show up to others, and then to use that awareness to make intentional choices about what to do to work together with those around us.
One of the most effective and helpful tools is the 360 review, and that’s why I use them whenever possible when I coach leaders.
What is a 360 review?
In a 360 review is a process where a client collaborates with a coach to formulate interview questions designed to help them get a window into how they show up to others. Then, the client will ask others to participate in one-on-one interviews with the coach guided by those questions. Typically, this will include the client’s direct reports, peers, and supervisors (thus the “360” review). The coach will then conduct interviews with those individuals with the understanding that their answers will be anonymous and not individually identifiable.
After completing the interviews, the coach will go through a data sorting process to pull themes out of the interviews and share those themes with the client.
What kinds of questions do you ask in a 360 review?
In most situations, a 360 review will include fewer than 6 questions. Some of those questions should provide an opportunity for interviewees to share general observations about the client, including strengths and growth opportunities.
For example:
· What are Janet’s strengths? What does she do well?
· What would you like to see more of or less of from Janet?
Some of the questions in the interview will be more specific, depending on what areas the client is most interested to learn about.
For example:
· How well does Steve take feedback from others?
· How would you describe the way Steve communicates with others?
Will I really get more information out of a 360 review than a survey or just asking for feedback?
If you really want feedback from others, you do have to ask them directly, and ask often. That’s day-to-day best practice. That said, if you want a more robust and informed picture of yourself to help you grow in significant ways, a 360 is a great tool. There are three main reasons you’ll get additional insights from a 360 review.
1. When you ask ten people the same questions and have a real conversation with them (including follow up questions to get more robust and specific data), patterns will emerge that you don’t see when you only have one or two data points. In other words, even if you’re getting feedback regularly from folks around you, seeing it all together provides additional insights that help you learn about yourself and how you can be most effective.
2. The objective, outside perspective of a coach is yet another reason that 360 reviews can be so beneficial. It’s hard to see our own stuff objectively, including our strengths. My favorite part of 360s is when I get to tell a client about some of the cool things they bring to the table that they might not even be aware of, like that people really value their perspective and want to hear more from them, or that people feel comfortable and accepted by them, or that people appreciate they way they push them to be their best.
3. I’ve observed over and over that even the most approachable leaders over-estimate how much people will really share with them. Even if you’re the best leader I’ve ever had, the fact that you’re my supervisor makes me think twice before I go volunteering critiques. A 360 review adds a degree of separation that simply makes it more likely that people will share more information that can help you be successful.
In summary
When you’re looking to really understand yourself and how you can better leverage your strengths to get you to the next level, a 360 review is one of the most effective ways to get what you need to make your coaching experience more successful.
Have more questions? Let’s talk.