What is Feedback?
How to Survive a 360 Feedback Survey

Why We Have a Love/Hate Relationship with this Leadership Management Training Tool

What is feedback? Why do we need it? Why do we struggle with it? How can we survive and thrive in the midst of it?

A colleague once shared her view of feedback and of 360 surveys,

"Imagine standing in the center of a circle of people, naked. That's what a 360 (feedback survey) can feel like. There is an incredible sense of vulnerability..."

Even American pop singer and television actress Miley Cyrus struggles with feedback.

She admitted, even though she's been on stage performing for millions since she was 11 years old, that she would never want to sing as a contestant on American Idol because of the public and blunt feedback from the judges.

"That would be too hard for me." When asked about getting feedback from Simon Cowell, the American Idol 'mean' judge she added, "He scares me!"

Some feedback from some people in certain situations can be downright scary. No wonder we have a love/hate relationship with feedback and the leadership management training tool the 360 feedback survey.

Feedback can leave us feeling vulnerable. So why do we need it? Why not just steer clear of it? Why don't we avoid all feedback at all costs?

What is Feedback and How It Helps Us

What is Feedback?

• It's when you're at an important networking meeting, noshing on appetizers and an acquaintance tells you, right before you start walking around, "I just wanted to let you know, and I hope you don't mind, you have a little bit of spinach on your tooth, right here..."

  What is feedback?
  It helps us see something we cannot see, literally!

• It's when you walk out of the restroom and a good friend stops you before you go too far to let you know that your skirt is tucked inside your pantyhose.

  What is feedback?
  It can save us from major embarrassment, again, helping us see something we don't, literally!

• It's when you look down while driving to grab your phone and the car next to you beeps their horn to let you know you're moving into their lane.

  What is feedback?
  It let's know when we're veering off track, so we can quickly get back on track.

• It's when a police officer gives your teenager, a new driver, a ticket for driving too fast and without a seat belt.

  What is feedback?
  It can help us stay safe and learn when we're crossing boundaries that could hurt ourselves or someone else.

• It's when the people (peers, customers, bosses, employees) share what they think and feel, what they need and expect, and what they experience when working with and for us.

  What is feedback?
  It helps us understand how our behavior is impacting others. It helps us leverage strengths and address perception problems and skill gaps, quickly.




What is feedback?
It can be varied, contradictory, confusing, helpful AND hurtful. (For example: The four American Idol all see the same performance and often rate them differently.)




What is feedback?
It's a time and place for people to share their opinions. It's a time for us to listen to those opinions with a focus on understanding what they see and feel and think. It's a time for listening for themes and new understandings that can be used to catapult leadership success and strength.




What is a feedback?
It's a tool that helps us improve our awareness, our skills and our knowledge about ourselves.

Some Humor from Sitcom
The Office:

Michael's a goof isn't he?

My examples of all the different kinds of feedback we receive reminds us that: Feedback can be our friend. Without feedback we'd have:

spinach in our teeth,
'behind-exposure' embarrassment stories,
car wrecks,
kids with no sense of their boundaries,
no idea what the people we care about
and depend upon need from us,
& low self awareness, keeping us from
reaching our greatest potential.

Yes, feedback IS our friend!

Without it we'd be like colleague 'Kim' (we all probably know someone like this) who dominates every conversation by talking about herself. This behavior turns lot of people off, but 'Kim' is not aware that she does this.

'Recently she complained about a peer, "All he does is talk about himself..."

Without feedback we remain clueless - like Kim - about how our behaviors are affecting others.

With feedback, although not always easy to take, at least we know. When we know we can then make decisions to alter and change the habits that get in the way of our success.

How to Survive All Feedback
Including the 360 Feedback Survey

• Focus on Facts and Behaviors when giving feedback to others. Be specific by sharing examples of situations and things that you've seen and heard.

  Read this Leadership Characteristics article for examples of this skill and two action steps you can take.

  Get immediate online training about this skill in the What is Communication? What is Leadership? Online Workshop

• Giving and getting feedback effectively is a skill you can improve, but it requires practice. Commit to Practicing.

  Read this Improving Self Confidence: What is Feedback article with a definition of good feedback, 10 specific tips and tools.

• If you're participating in a 360 feedback survey - Make sure you avoid these errors plus, learn from leadership management training expert on feedback Marshall Goldsmith. Learn about his book on feedback and review two different videos about feedback on this page.
• Your job when receiving feedback is to listen. Focus on being really good at listening aggressively.

  If you focus on understanding their view, by listening aggressively, you'll be less defensive. You'll also learn and understand what others are seeing.

  But keep in mind - just because you listen, it does not mean you must obey. Other people do not decide or fully know you or the circumstances, they can help you steer, but you are in charge of you.

  This mindset can help: Listening is not optional, but obeying is...you are in charge of you and you get to decide.

• Change your view on feedback, if you've been avoiding it. It really can be your best friend.

  Use this online video workshop, Defeat CommunicationAnxiety & Worry @ Conflict to improve your skills and re-frame how you view feedback.

Share Your What is Feedback Insights, Comments and Questions Here...

What about you? Do you love or hate feedback? Why?

What are your what is feedback questions or comments? Do you have more 360 feedback survey tips that would benefit others? Have you discovered what works and what doesn't? Share here.

Contribute to the Wake Up Eager Community by sharing your insights, questions, tips and experiences.

I am not collecting emails from this page.

I add What is Feedback and 360 feedback survey information often. To be notified of updates, click on the bright green RSS feed, up and to your left.

You can also be notified when new material is added through my online eNewsletter.

Join the Wake Up Eager Community & List Get My Email on the List: