360 Degree Feedback - Developing an Integrated Strategy

360 Degree Feedback Survey Items

Most good 360 Surveys measure essentially the same behaviors and competencies. Moreover, a good 360 assessment has been statistically validated, factor analyzed, and refined over time. We have fine-tuned our items and categories through a series of revisions over the course of many years.

You will probably find that about 80% of our categories and items have some overlap with your competency models. The most likely area where you will find gaps will be around your company's specific core values.

As you create your competency models, map any areas in your models to corresponding categories in our model. Within each of these categories, look at our specific items, each of which references a specific behavior or skill. Select which items you want to include and add any additional items to address behaviors or skills you feel are missing.

We don't recommend too much dissecting of our categories or mixing of items from one category with items from another category. The items that are included in each category were selected based on a combination of statistical analyses and practical experience. Adding a few items in each category is fine as long as they stay on topic. Removing a few items is fine as well, especially when particular behaviors or skills are not relevant for different levels.

By using established 360 items instead of writing your own similar item whenever possible, you get the following advantages

Validated item wording
External benchmarking data are available
You don't have to spend time composing your own item

Different Competencies for People at Different Levels

If you are developing a 360 survey that will be used by people at different levels within your organization, the mix of categories and items will vary quite a lot across the various levels. It might help to think about the different levels in terms of the requirements for success in the following three areas:

Vision, Strategy, Inspiration

Upper levels should include a lot of detail in this area.
Middle levels should include some items in this area, but not too many. This is an opportunity to help people see what they will need to succeed at the next level, and also an opportunity for you to identify high potentials for promotions. Some degree of inspiring and motivating is relevant for anybody in a management role.
Lower levels, especially individual contributors, should not include items in this area.

Teambuilding and Relationship Building

Upper levels should include a lot in this area, but some of the things that are included for mid-level might be excluded here. You do not have to be as thorough with regard to basic skills. Instead, focus more on support and relationship building at a higher conceptual level, and creating strategic alliances with other parts of the organization.
Middle levels should include a lot of detail in this area with regard to people-skills, team management, and fostering team effectiveness.
Lower levels should include a reasonable amount here, but look for areas that don't include things that are only relevant for higher levels. Include things related to working with others, cooperating, listening, and supporting team efforts.

Task Management and Execution

Upper levels should include items that are more focused on achieving results - they would not have reached the upper level if they had not been successful at the basic skills when they were at a lower level.
Middle levels should include quite a lot here, but some of the most basic items could be excluded.
Lower levels should include a lot in this area, focusing on the basic, fundamental skills of task management and job performance.

As employees move up in the organization, the set of skills required to succeed at the next level are different than the skills that enabled the employee to succeed at the previous level.

The irony of internal promotion is that the most capable at one level are often promoted to a higher level where they flounder because they need a completely different set of skills at this new level.


	Here is an example of how a specific category might apply across all levels of the organization, but vary in its nature, depending on level: Teamwork Upper Levels Encourages cooperation and collaboration between business units Establishes partnerships at all levels to achieve results Middle Levels Resolves conflicts among team members Sets clear, achievable goals for all team members to follow Lower Levels Works effectively to achieve team goals Cooperates effectively with team members

When you are finished, you will have 3-4 competency models along with a list of survey categories and items for each one. By following these steps, you will have a vertically integrated approach that uses a common core across all levels, but that also maps out a progression from the bottom of the organization to the top.

Part 1 - 360 Degree Feedback Competency Models

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Article Topics

360 Degree Feedback Surveys

Employee Engagement Survey