Doing 360 Feedback for the Second Time – Tracking Development Progress

360 feedback is a powerful tool for supporting long-term growth. However, simply comparing numerical ratings from a previous report to the current one is rarely the most effective way to track development. Taking a more reflective and structured approach can help participants understand how their behaviours are perceived over time, identify where genuine progress has been made, and plan the next stage of their development.

Start by Looking Backwards Before Forwards

Before reviewing the new 360 report, it’s helpful to reflect on the development progress made (or not!) since the last report by exploring the following questions:

• Successes: What are the areas I believe I’ve developed in, and why was that development successful?
• Disappointments: Which areas was I hoping to develop, but didn’t go as well as expected – and why might that have been?
• Things to carry forward: Which development goals (if any) need to be reinstigated?
• Personal learning: What have I learned about how I learn and develop, and how could I improve my learning process in the future?

These questions create space for self-awareness and honest appraisal, encouraging individuals to recognise both progress and persistent barriers.

Making the Most of the New 360 Feedback Report

To maximise the value of a follow-up 360 feedback report, we recommend reviewing the new report independently before making any direct comparisons with earlier surveys. The aim at this stage is to understand how current behaviours are perceived, without getting distracted by scores or metrics. Key questions to consider include:

• What are my currently perceived strengths? (i.e. the behaviours receiving the highest ratings)
• Which behaviours do people believe I could further improve? (i.e. those receiving the lowest ratings)
• What are the biggest differences in perceptions?
• Are there any surprises?

Monitoring and Measuring Progress

Once the key insights from the new report have been identified, a high-level comparison with earlier feedback report can help track meaningful progress over time. Useful questions to guide this phase include:

• How has my world and my responsibilities changed – and how should this be reflected in the new feedback?
• Where have others noticed improvement in my development?
• How have perceptions changed in the areas I’ve consciously tried to develop – including my own view?
• Are my original perceived strengths still seen as such?
• Have any new development areas emerged?
• Where are the current gaps in perception?

Planning the Next Phase

The final step is to look ahead. Participants should identify a small number of specific development goals, ensuring these are informed by:

• Insights into how they learn and develop best
• Aspirations for what they would like to see reflected in their next 360 feedback report, 18–24 months from now

By anchoring future goals in self-awareness and stakeholder feedback, individuals can create a development plan that is personal, purposeful, and measurable.

For more on why an 18-month 360 feedback cycle works best, read How frequently should 360 degree feedback be done?, and explore our sample Comparative 360 Feedback Report to see how tracking progress works in practice.

FAQs: Reviewing a Follow-up 360 Degree Feedback Report

Q. How do I review my second 360 feedback report without just comparing scores?

A. Start by looking backwards before forwards (successes, disappointments, what to reinstate, personal learning). Then review the new report on its own (perceived strengths, where you could still improve, key perception gaps). Finally, make a high-level comparison to confirm the big perception shifts.

Q. How do I turn my second 360 feedback report into a focused development plan?

A. Identify a small number of specific development goals informed by your new report. The key component is to ensure the ‘how you will achieve them’ is anchored in your reflective learning about ‘how you learn and develop best’.