Everything you need to know about 360 degree feedback questions

Taking the time to develop 360 appraisal questions that are ‘fit for purpose’ and will provide participants with insightful development feedback against the organisations expectations of them, is a fundamental part of getting 360 feedback right.

Whilst there are many factors to consider when designing a great questionnaire, we believe the following to be key:

• Use the Leadership/Senior Management Team to define the behaviours that will enable the delivery of the organisations needs today and in the future
• Don’t re-invent the wheel – Use a standard data base of tried and tested questions as a start point. The range of Lumus360 off the shelf 360 appraisal questionnaires would form a great start point.
• Ensure each question has a single focus and clearly captures the desired behaviour
• Identify 65 – 75 questions, split into 5 – 6 competency areas
• Provide 3 – 5 free text (qualitative feedback) boxes spread throughout the questionnaire and a summative comments box at the end
• Do a Face Validity test – Invite feedback from potential feedback responders on the understandability of each question and feedback from the top team on the relevance of each question

Lumus360 offer a free questionnaire design service as well as our standard 360 appraisal forms.

Bye for now

David Cooper
Director - Lumus360
www.lumus360.co.uk

Print this snippet

We surveyed 1,500 (1466 to be precise!) feedback respondents from across 14 organisations. The respondents completed questionnaires comprising on average of 70 x 360 appraisal questions each with the opportunity to leave between 4 – 6 sets of written/ free text feedback comments.

Whilst it took 3 people only 2 minutes to complete their questionnaires and 1 person over 2 hours(!), the average completion time was 22 minutes, which broke down as follows:

0 – 5 minutes = 3%
6 – 10 minutes = 18%
11 – 15 minutes = 23%
16 – 20 minutes = 22%
21 – 30 minutes = 21%
31 – 40 minutes = 4%
41 – 60 minutes = 8%
61 – 90 minutes = 0 .7%
90 plus minutes = 0.3%

The other interesting thing that came out of the research was that those who also provided written feedback comments, indicated that they preferred to have a free text box at the end of each competency area, as opposed to several comment boxes spread throughout the questionnaire.

So what does it mean? …. Given that most of us are unable to sustain attention on one thing for more than about 20 minutes at a time – this research draws me to the conclusion that questionnaires should:

• Be 70 x 360 appraisal questions or less
• Have the questions grouped into 5 competency areas/ factors
• Provide the opportunity to leave free text comments at the end of each block of questions

David Cooper
Director - Lumus360
www.lumus360.co.uk

Print this snippet

Resent research that analysed 360 degree feedback data from in excess of 11000 leaders found that the least effective/ worst leaders displayed the following characteristics

During their research they analysed the 360 feedback question data from in excess of 11000 leaders and mapped that against the 10% who were considered least effective..

They concluded that the worst leaders:

• Lack energy and enthusiasm – They see new initiatives as a burden, rarely volunteer, and fear being overwhelmed. One such leader was described as having the ability to “suck all the energy out of any room.”
• Accept their own mediocre performance – They overstate the difficulty of reaching targets so that they look good when they achieve them. They live by the mantra “Underpromise and overdeliver.”
• Lack clear vision and direction – They believe their only job is to execute. Like a hiker who sticks close to the trail, they’re fine until they come to a fork.
• Have poor judgment – They make decisions that colleagues and subordinates consider to be not in the organization’s best interests.
• Don’t collaborate – They avoid peers, act independently, and view other leaders as competitors. As a result, they are set adrift by the very people whose insights and support they need.
• Don’t walk the talk – They set standards of behaviour or expectations of performance and then violate them. They’re perceived as lacking integrity.
• Resist new ideas – They reject suggestions from subordinates and peers. Good ideas aren’t implemented, and the organization gets stuck.
• Don’t learn from mistakes – They may make no more mistakes than their peers, but they fail to use setbacks as opportunities for improvement, hiding their errors and brooding about them instead.
• Lack interpersonal skills – They make sins of both commission (they’re abrasive and bullying) and omission (they’re aloof, unavailable, and reluctant to praise).
• Fail to develop others – They focus on themselves to the exclusion of developing subordinates, causing individuals and teams to disengage.

Whilst I am this first to say that 360 Degree Feedback questionnaires have to meet the organisations current/ future needs and be embedded in their context – the article does raise the question… Should 360 degree questionnaires also contain some of the generic aspects that underpin great leadership?

Need to develop a set or 360 feedback questions? Why not check out or 360 questionnaire design service.

David Cooper
Director - Lumus360
www.lumus360.co.uk

Print this snippet

The analysis was conducted using a polytomous Rasch rating scale model, which in simple terms compares each question against a known quality expectation. Analysing the underperforming 360 degree feedback questions, we were able to identify 8 common trends/ reasons for their low scores and these are:

The worst performing questions were frequently guilty of several of these sins. Conversely, the highest performing questions incorporate the exact opposite of the above findings.

Use the above as a checklist, to ensure your 360 feedback questions hit the mark, or why not use of free 360 degree feedback questionnaire design service.

David Cooper
Director - Lumus360
www.lumus360.co.uk

Print this snippet

We've seen big differences in the completion rate of 360 evaluation questions between organisations. Some get 100% return, with others as low as 18%! Whilst context, culture and time availability undoubtedly play a part, there are some simple activities that if applied, will increase return rates considerably.

Success comes from putting energy into three key areas:

Participant engagement – Ideally done through a short launch session at the beginning of the process, during which participants are encouraged to:

• Send a personalised note to each of their respondents, asking for their support in completing the questionnaire within the time requested
• Review completion rates just before the questionnaire completion date and politely remind/ chase those who haven’t completed

System optimisation – Building the feedback tool so it:

• Automatically sends reminders to respondents who have not completed their questions. We advise doing this on 3 occasions:
• Several days before the questionnaire completion date
• On the questionnaire completion date
• 1 day after the questionnaire completion date (stating the feedback window has been extended by 24/ 48 hours
• Incorporates realistic timeframes for questionnaire completion (two weeks works well)
• Provides clear guidance on completing the survey, time needed, anonymity etc
• Is simple, intuitive and easy/ quick to complete questionnaires. Don’t underestimate the benefit of making the online tool as user friendly as possible

Energising organisational communications – Possibly built around the following:

• Initial – A 'whole organisation' email/ intranet based introduction that outlines – What 360 degree feedback is; the reasons for doing it; how the reports will be used; confidentiality/ anonymity; the importance of completing a questionnaire if invited to do so
• Mid-point – Senior endorsement – Ideally a video in which the CEO/ MD outlines how they benefited from the process and encouraging everyone to complete questionnaires within the allocated time
• Pre-close – final energiser – A ‘whole organisation’ email/ intranet communication sent a couple of days before the close that reminds respondents of the benefits of 360 and what they can expect as a result of their input.

David Cooper
Director - Lumus360
www.lumus360.co.uk

Print this snippet

Having supported hundreds of organisations over the last 20 years to develop their 360 feedback questionnaires, I’ve seen various trends in relation to what organisations expect of their managers. The most recent (and very significant) shift is the increased expectation of managers at all levels to take a key role in prospecting, identifying and growing new business opportunities.

Are your managers clear about what is expected of them in relation to growing the business? – Should your 360 feedback questions incorporate business development behaviours such as:

Setting the right team/ department climate:

• Fostering a climate that encourages the seeking of new business opportunities
• Constantly seeksing to grow the business
• Using an entrepreneurial approach
• Sharing business intelligence
• Ensuring their team know their product/service

Seeking out opportunities:

• Makeing time for prospecting
• Actively looking for new business opportunities
• Pursuing market opportunities
• Maintaining a network focused on growth opportunities
• Using networks to develop business leads
• Opportunities into action

Converting business opportunities into profit:

• Driving business opportunities into business value
• Being ‘deal’ focused
• Closing deals in a ‘win:win’ way; benefiting all parties
• Being systematic in their sales activity

If you need to develop a 360 questionnaire with a clear focus on business development, why not use our 360 feedback questionnaire design service.

David Cooper
Director - Lumus360
www.lumus360.co.uk

Print this snippet

Having supported hundreds of organisations over the last 17 years to develop their 360 feedback models / Competency Frameworks, I’ve seen various trends in relation to what organisations expect of their managers. The most recent (and very significant) shift is the increased expectation of managers at all levels to take a key role in prospecting, identifying and growing new business opportunities.

Are your managers clear about what is expected of them in relation to growing the business? – Should your 360 feedback questionnaire incorporate business development behaviours such as:

Setting the right team/ department climate:

• Fosters a climate that encourages the seeking of new business opportunities
• Constantly seeks to grow the business
• Uses an entrepreneurial approach
• Shares business intelligence
• Ensures their team know their product/service

Seeking out opportunities:

• Makes time for prospecting
• Actively looks for new business opportunities
• Pursues market opportunities
• Maintains a network focused on growth opportunities
• Uses networks to develop business leads
• Opportunities into action

Converting business opportunities into profit:

• Driving business opportunities into business value
• Is ‘deal’ focused
• Closes deals in a ‘win:win’ way; benefiting all parties
• Is systematic in their sales activity

David Cooper
Director - Lumus360
www.lumus360.co.uk

Print this snippet

Supporting new top team members to get off on the right foot is crucial, especially during “their first 100 days,” when they are under intense scrutiny to lay the right foundations and prove they have what it takes.

To assist new senior team members successfully transition into their role, Lumus360 have developed a 360 survey that provides targeted/ specific , 360 appraisal questions on those aspects essential for longer term success. The 360 activity is conducted at the 3 month point and enables participants to capitalise on strengths and identify the things they still need to attend to.

The survey looks at 6 key areas:

• Their 'fit' into the organisation – To what extent they have... Found out what makes the organisation tick; Being accepted by others; Refined their leadership style to adapt and harmonize with the organisations culture; Worked collaboratively with others; Built passion for the organisation.
• Establishing credibility – To what extent they have... Demonstrated credibility in their area of expertise; Been sort out for their opinion; Influenced decisions; Built a good reputation/ respect.
• Role alignment – To what extent they have... Defined their role / mandate; Balanced technical / functional role with senior team responsibilities; Acquired the necessary knowledge and skills needed to be successful in the role.
• Goal Alignment – To what extent they have... Engaged in the Strategic Plan; Established clear targets / priorities for themselves/ others that are aligned to the organizations goals; Taken action to structure their part of the organisation for maximum performance.
• Delivering Results – To what extent they have... Influenced/ brought about improvement change; Got things done within the organisation’s reality; Demonstrated accountability, planning and execution; Got the best out of others; Adopted key processes and systems; Challenged easy assumptions.
• Relationships – To what extent they have... Invested time in building relationships; Established good working relationships with key stakeholders; Developed an information network inside the organisation; Fostered positive "Teamability"; Demonstrated humanity.

All of the above can be tailored to your organisations context.

Lumus360 specialise in the development of 360 appraisal questions for a wide range of managerial roles. Check out our ready to go 360 degree feedback forms (questionnaires)

David Cooper
Director - Lumus360
www.lumus360.co.uk

Print this snippet

Having seen 1000's of 360 feedback reports, there are not many things that surprise me. That said, a couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of coaching a manager through what was a truly outstanding (one in a million) report.

Whilst I’ve never seen such high ratings before... feedback comments that reinforced them (a middle manager within a school support organisation) really had found the holy grail of leading others.

So what is this manager doing that makes those they lead hold them in such high esteem? Having analysed all of the 360 degree feedback question results and feedback, it became clear that the following 6 leadership attributes (in no particular order) underpin their success:

Valuing others:

• Being approachable and a genuine listener
• Taking into account the opinions of others
• Admitting when other viewpoints are more valid than their own
• Making others feel appreciated
• Acting upon others thoughts and ideas

Strength of belief

• Standing own ground when needed
• Challenging negative attitudes of others
• Showing resilience, even in difficult situations

Respect to all:

• Always seeing the best in people
• Handling stressful situations with a positive approach
• Genuinely caring about the team and customers
• Giving credit where due

Realistic improvement with heart:

• Always looking for ways to improve the service
• Promoting a positive attitude to change
• Being realistic with regard to what can be achieved but at the same time having high expectations of others
• Ensuring team members are supported during change no matter how small

Communication credibility:

• Giving honest and open opinions
• Being clear and concise
• Having an opinion that is valued
• Delivering information with appropriate tact and sensitivity
• Behaving calmly under pressure

Delivery excellence:

• Having an ethos of excellence that rubs off on the whole team
• Admitting to mistakes
• Doing what they say
• Understanding team members pressures and supporting them where necessary
• Going further than the extra mile
• Being one step ahead when actions are required
• Assisting with whatever is required to meet the business needs

Looking at the above, you may say … So what’s new? … and I agree, if quizzed we could all come up with a similar list of what our perfect boss would be like. However, the challenge is – How do you make these behaviours the managerial norm?

David Cooper
Director - Lumus360
www.lumus360.co.uk

Print this snippet