What Is 360° feedback?
360° feedback is feedback that comes from the combined perspective of direct reports, peers and managers as well as the leader self-assessment. In some cases it can also include feedback from external sources, such as customers and vendors. The raters comment about the leader’s communication, team work, and leadership and management skills. Successful 360s are not used for performance review or appraisal–performance reviews are about the job an employee is doing. The purpose of the 360° feedback should be to encourage and support the development of excellent leadership within the organization. The 360° review from combined perspectives helps to provide a clear picture for the employee about their behavior, impact and interpersonal relationships. They are an effective tool to hone professional skills and focus on developing leaders by giving them insights into how others see them.
How Does The DiSC 363 Work?
The Everything DiSC 363 for Leaders Profile is based on a combination of 360° feedback from colleagues and a leader’s self-assessment. It is a simple yet comprehensive way to help leaders become more effective in the interpersonal aspects of leaders. Like other profiles that use 360° feedback, this DiSC Leadership Profile is filled with data and useful information from the points of view of both the leader and the raters. Unlike other profiles, this DiSC Leadership Profile shows leaders what to do with that information by giving three strategies for continued leadership development. With a lot of 360s, the leader’s response can be, “Now what?”
Everything DiSC 363 for Leaders answers that question by giving leaders their next steps with three things they can focus on now and telling the leader where to spend their energy to improve their leadership effectiveness. It is designed to give leaders a better understanding of how their colleagues see their leadership behaviors—both strengths and challenges—and to get direction on how to become more effective leaders. This DiSC Leadership Profile deals with the big picture of leading an organization or group and the way the leader affects the entire group. The profile is designed for leaders at every level, whether they’re emerging, high-potential leaders or experienced executives.
Everything DiSC 363 Videos
Set aside any preconceived notions you may have about 360° assessments. Rather than collecting open-ended comments that can be unhelpful and destructive, the 363 uses CommentSmart, a proprietary selectable comments feature that will give more richness and context to your report. CommentSmart is our exclusive technology that allows raters to give anonymous, focused, balanced, constructive feedback that the leader can actually use. These comments eliminate the issue of snide, unhelpful comments that derail the learning process. In addition, CommentSmart saves time by allowing raters to choose from a list of pre-written, highly-tested comments.
The 363 Model
No confusing data dumps – 363 uses visuals and a conversational narrative to explain the data and make the report easier to use. The 363 for Leaders report takes the participant step-by-step through the discovery process providing the context they need to understand the feedback they’ve being given.
DiSC is not explicitly addressed in the report, but it is behind the scenes. In assessing the leader we do gather their DiSC style which provides context and informs the narrative. Leaders quickly learn to navigate the Everything DiSC 363 model, a circumplex that describes a rich spectrum of eight approaches to effective leadership: Pioneering, Energizing, Affirming, Inclusive, Humble, Deliberate, Resolute, and Commanding.
A 360° Program is most effective when results are delivered directly to the leader by an experienced coach who can guide the leader in using the feedback to achieve meaningful professional development. Simply handing a final report to the leader to review alone rarely results in any real improvement.
What Else Does the 363 Have?
In addition to the 363 for Leaders report, you have the option of also generating the Everything DiSC 363 for Leaders Coaching Supplement Report. The purpose of the Coaching Supplement is to provide supplemental information to help coach the leader. It assumes the coach has a strong working knowledge of the DiSC model. The Supplement provides the leader’s DiSC style, normative data, and a performance gap analysis.
While this DiSC Leadership Profile is based on the DiSC Model, the leader does not need to know DiSC to understand their feedback. However, for the coach it may be helpful in interpreting the multi-rater feedback.
Delivering The 363 Results
When delivering 363 results, the coach’s role is to help the leader make sense of the data, interpret the feedback, and frame it constructively. Key points for the coach to include:
- 360-feedback reports are designed to show differences between rater and leader perceptions. Explore the perception differences between the leader and raters. Where the differences are large, there is often potential for growth.
- Leadership is influenced by a variety of factors such as character, life experiences, cognitive abilities, and maturity. This specific DiSC Leadership Profile focuses on the interpersonal aspects of leadership.
- Explain the Everything DiSC Leadership model. While it is not necessary to excel in all eight leadership approaches presented in this profile, at least some level of competency in each area is needed to be a great leader.
- Celebrate the positives. Leaders are more likely to excel in areas that are compatible with their DiSC styles (include if DiSC is used in the organization).
- Explore development opportunities in Three Strategies for Development
There is no trainer kit for the profile because it was specifically developed as a coaching tool, not for a workshop or classroom. Successful 360° programs depend on clear and timely communication.
Why Is An EPIC Account Important?
An EPIC Account is the most efficient and cost-effective tool to administer the 363 for Leaders process from beginning to end throughout the organization.
Note: You can assign unlimited Raters per Leader with an EPIC Account.
EPIC (Electronic Profile Information Center) is an easy to use, virtual warehouse that allows you to effectively manage the access, completion, and viewing through the Internet. A variety of resources are also available to help you get Everything DiSC 363 for Leaders up and running in your organization—at no additional charge!
In conclusion, if you are looking for an effective way to develop and deliver 360° programs look no further than The Everything DiSC 363 for Leaders Profile and an EPIC Account.
About Steve Giles
Co-owner/Co-founder of Intesi! Resources. Educated as an architect I transitioned to technology during my career in architecture. Intesi! Resources was founded in 2004 and my focus is everything Web/eCommerce related from the design and development of our site to all the marketing activities involved. I also provide significant support for our clients on all our products and how they are used to deliver assessment-driven learning solutions that develop self-awareness and interpersonal skills.
