Problem: Develop your Career Potential

360-Degree Feedback Whereas most performance appraisal ratings have traditionally come from just one person, the boss, 360-degree feedback is obtained from four sources: the boss, subordinates, peers and coworkers, and the employees themselves. In this assignment, you will be gathering 360-degree feedback from people whom you work with or from a team or group that you're a member of for a class. Here are some guidelines for obtaining your 360- degree feedback:

• Carefully select respondents. One of the keys to good 360-degree feedback is getting feedback from the right people. In general, the people you ask for feedback should interact with you on a regular basis and should have the chance to regularly observe your behavior. Also, be sure to get a representative sample of opinions from a similar number of coworkers and subordinates (assuming you have some).

• Get a large enough number of responses. In addition to your boss, you should have a minimum of three peers and three subordinates giving you feedback. Five or six respondents in each of those categories is even better.

• Ensure confidentiality. Respondents are much more likely to be honest if they know that their comments are confidential and anonymous. So, when you ask respondents for feedback, have them return their comments to someone other than yourself. This person, your "feedback facilitator," will remove the names and any other information that would identify who made particular comments.

• Explain how the 360-degree feedback will be used. In this case, explain that the feedback is for a class assignment, that the results will be used for your own personal growth and development, and that the feedback they give you will not affect your grade or formal assessment at work.

• Ask respondents to make their feedback as specific as possible. For instance, "bad attitude" isn't very good feedback. "Won't listen to others' suggestions" is much better because it would let you know how to improve your behavior. Have your respondents use the feedback form below to provide your feedback. Here's what you need to turn in for this assignment:

1. The names and relationships (boss, peers, subordinates, classmates, teammates) of those whom you've asked for feedback.

2. The name of the person you've asked to be your feedback facilitator.

3. Copies of all written feedback that was returned to you.

4. A one-page summary of the written feedback.

5. A one-page description of your specific goals and action plans for responding to the feedback you received.