Feedback is an important part of self improvement, especially in identifying our personal blind spots. Many people advocate getting feedback from all stakeholders, with information being fed back for discussion and setting of new goals. There are benefits in this, as long as change is made otherwise stakeholders won’t want to give feedback next time. So any new goals need to be explicitly stated and actively worked on. A mentor or coach can be useful to keep you on track.

The interesting question I am pondering at present is – should 360 degree feedback be anonymous or not? There are arguments for both:
Anonymous
Allows people to express their feelings without fear of reprisal
Can help focus on the issues rather than the people
Identified
Allows for follow up if comments are not understood
Encourages people to be accountable for their comments

Should surveys have room for a comment at all?
Do people speak out more if they can do so in focus groups?

If you have thoughts about this please fill in a short googledocs survey. I’ll share the results in a couple of weeks.