20 Important Questions for your 360 Leadership Feedback

A 360-degree leadership feedback program helps the leaders in your organization to improve their performance. But which questions should you include in your 360 leadership feedback program – and which questions should you NOT include? Get 20 examples of important questions for your 360-degree leadership feedback survey right here. 

What is the 360 feedback method?

360-degree feedback is a performance evaluation method that gathers input from various sources to provide a comprehensive assessment of an individual’s skills, competencies, and behaviors in a workplace setting.

The 360-degree feedback is often used for leadership development. The term ‘360’ refers to the idea that feedback on the leader is collected from all around the leader, including peers, subordinates, leader’s leader, and the leader’s self-assessment.

The feedback is typically gathered anonymously through a structured survey or questionnaire.

Why collect 360 leadership feedback?

Collecting 360-degree leadership feedback can offer several benefits for the leader and the organization:

1. Comprehensive assessment: 360-degree feedback provides a more complete and well-rounded assessment of a leader’s performance compared to traditional top-down evaluations.
   
   
2. Self-awareness: It helps the leader gain a better understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses. 
   
   
3. Identification of blind spots: The leader may have blind spots or areas of weakness that they are unaware of. Feedback from others can highlight these blind spots, allowing the leader to address them and become more effective.
   
   
4. Motivation and engagement: Involving employees in the feedback process can lead to increased employee engagement and motivation. When people see that their input is valued and contributes to leadership development, they may feel more invested in the organization’s success. 
   
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5. Alignment with organizational goals: 360-degree feedback can ensure that leadership behaviors align with the organization’s values and goals. It can help shed light on whether the leader is effectively communicating the organization’s vision and mission to the team. 

20 good questions for your 360 leadership feedback survey

Effective questions for a 360-degree leadership feedback survey are crucial to gather meaningful and actionable insights. It is important that your questions are clear, specific, and focused on relevant leadership competencies and behaviors. Here are some examples of good questions for your 360-degree leadership feedback survey:

1. Communication skills:
   1. Does the leader effectively communicate their expectations and vision to the team?
   2. How does the leader listen and consider the input of team members?
2. Decision-making:
   1. Does the leader make informed and timely decisions that benefit the team and organization?
   2. How open is the leader to input from others when making decisions?
3. Teamwork and collaboration:
   1. To what extent does the leader promote a collaborative and inclusive work environment?
   2. How effectively does the leader build and maintain strong working relationships with team members?
4. Vision and strategy:
   1. Does the leader have a clear vision for the team’s future?
   2. How well does the leader communicate and align team goals with the organization’s strategy?
5. Empowerment and delegation:
   1. Does the leader empower team members by delegating tasks and responsibilities?
   2. How well does the leader provide support and resources to help team members succeed?
6. Conflict resolution:
   1. How effectively does the leader handle conflicts and disagreements within the team?
   2. Does the leader create a safe environment for discussing and resolving conflicts?
7. Feedback and coaching:
   1. Does the leader provide constructive feedback to help team members improve?
   2. How well does the leader mentor and coach team members for professional growth?
8. Innovation and creativity:
   1. To what extent does the leader encourage innovation and creative thinking within the team?
   2. How open is the leader to new ideas and approaches?
9. Performance management:
   1. Does the leader set clear performance expectations for team members?
   2. How well does the leader provide recognition and address performance issues?
10. Leadership development:
    1. Is the leader committed to their own professional development and growth?
    2. How well does the leader support the development of team members? 

Questions NOT to include in your 360 leadership feedback survey

In a 360-degree leadership feedback survey it is important to be thoughtful and considerate about the questions you include. That means you should avoid certain types of questions, because without these questions, you will get a feedback process that remains constrictive and focused on professional development.

Types of questions to avoid:

1. Personal or invasive questions – questions that delve into the leader’s personal life and which are unrelated to the job performance.
   
   
2. Negative assumptions or accusatory questions – questions that make unfounded assumptions or accuse the leader of negative behavior.
   
   
3. Loaded or leading questions – questions that lead respondents toward a particular response or assumption.
   
   
4. Overly broad or ambiguous questions – questions that are too vague or open-ended will not yield useful feedback. Be specific and clear instead.
   
   
5. Sensitive or discriminatory questions – questions that touch on topics such as race, gender, religion, etc.
   
   
6. Questions that encourage gossip – questions that encourage respondents to share rumors or engage in gossip.
   
   
7. Questions that are not actionable – the feedback from the respondents should lead to actionable insights and improvements. The questions should therefore contribute to professional growth. 

When choosing the questions to include in your 360-degree leadership feedback survey, remember that the primary goal is to support the leader’s individual and organizational development. The questions should encourage constructive feedback and offer insight that leaders can use to enhance their skills and performance. Ensure that the feedback program maintains confidentiality and anonymity, to promote honest and open responses. 

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