360 degree feedback coaching can be vital in maintaining and nurturing high-performing teams. Used predominantly in performance reviews, this type of feedback assesses a member of your team’s behaviours and skills across multiple dimensions.
After facilitating many 360 degree feedback coaching sessions for clients’ senior teams over the last few years, it still overwhelms me. The power of the feedback to raise people’s self-awareness and make them think deeply about what they want to change—or what they should keep—is astounding.
As the dictionary definition states, 360 degree feedback is feedback that comes from all around the employee. The feedback is provided by their direct reports, peers, and manager, as well as a self-assessment.
360 degree feedback coaching adds significant value to an individual’s performance review because it holds the mirror up to them, making them more aware of others’ perception of their strengths and weaker areas. Even acknowledging that people may have a different view can be extremely powerful, and it is the precursor to any behavioural change. It often answers the "why should I?" question—crucial for successful coaching.
360 degree feedback coaching also helps to reduce manager bias, as input is provided confidentially by several people, and any extreme differences in ratings can be explored, encouraging open team communication. This process increases credibility and robustness of measurement.
The benefits of 360 degree feedback coaching are two-fold, being impactful for both individuals and the business.
Increased self-awareness
Improved accuracy of self-perception
Greater ownership of self-development
Enhanced performance
Increased employee engagement
When someone participates in 360 degree feedback coaching, they gain insights from all sides of their working relationships, which can often be more honest and balanced than traditional top-down feedback alone.
Increased awareness of behavioural expectations
Encourages a feedback culture
Higher employee engagement
Improved customer loyalty and retention
Upturn in performance and profitability
360 degree feedback coaching is also instrumental as an assessment tool for internal promotions or people moves. Furthermore, it’s highly effective as a “training needs analysis” for a person’s development, particularly in leadership development. This feedback approach tracks progress on individual development and helps towards quantifying the return on training investment, which is notoriously hard to do without robust measurement.
There’s a well-known saying:
"What gets measured, gets done."
It’s a truth recognised throughout business—improvement begins with measurement. The great thing about 360 degree feedback coaching is that results are entirely measurable, forming a robust system for benchmarking and progress tracking.
We can help you get the right information by advising you on:
The right questionnaire – Experience shows it needs to be easy for people to complete. You should ensure you’re asking the right questions in your 360 survey.
Internal company briefing – All delegates and feedback providers should attend a brief session covering the what, why, how and when of the survey, boosting response rates and feedback quality.
A simple and effective online platform – Confidential, dedicated platforms make feedback secure and easy to complete, with enhanced accuracy of information.
In-depth reporting – Colourful, graphical PDF reports for each delegate, including peer benchmarking and actionable insights.
Personal debriefs – Often the missing ingredient, an intensive, coaching-style debrief with a specialist coach ensures each delegate understands and acknowledges key messages in their report. This session includes agreed actions and the creation of a realistic action plan.
Many clients conduct a 360 degree feedback coaching survey for all key leaders and line managers annually. As a result, these businesses often move culturally to a place where feedback becomes an integral part of their organisational DNA. Yearly progress reports and benchmarking allow them to see where their investments pay back and signal where further improvement is needed.
360 degree feedback coaching doesn’t just improve individual awareness—it builds a culture of accountability, openness, and continuous improvement. It supports talent development, informs strategic leadership decisions, and contributes directly to engagement and retention. With robust benchmarking and transparent measurement, organisations can see the true value of feedback, year after year.
We have more information on 360 degree feedback coaching here. If you believe your business or organisation could benefit from expert guidance and facilitation, contact us today for more information.