There is a profound moment when a self responds to a 360° survey that the deepest of existential questions is unexpectedly summoned for answering. “Who am I?”
The bell-curve of drama probably depends on the mindset of the individual, and for many the experience may be more benign, just another item on their to-do list. But, a non-trivial percentage will truly grapple with the questions and agonise as if confronted by a full gallery of life witnesses who have assembled to hold them to account.
“There is as much difference between us and ourselves as there is between us and others.”
Philosopher Michel de Montaigne (1580’s)
The 360° Opportunity
In some ways, a 360° survey is an exercise in self-awareness. It dangles an intriguing opportunity to hold up a mirror to who we are and see if that fuzzy reflection aligns with the self we present to others. I am reminded of philosopher Michel de Montaigne (1580’s) whose striking observation that “There is as much difference between us and ourselves as there is between us and others.” carries within in it the humble realisation that the view we have of ourselves is prone to distortion. Ironic that the gravity of this idea finds expression in the most routine of corporate enquiry – a 360° survey.
The 360° tool is limited by design. It is not intended to reveal the full majesty of our complex selves. Instead, it offers a window through which we can only glimpse the mark we make on those around us. The psychology of this moment is both daunting and bountiful.
Danger and opportunity. Why? Because it is rare to have the (relatively) unfiltered views of ourselves served up to us in this fashion. 360’s are mostly anonymous. Both quantitative and qualitative, they provide a platform for some of the people who know us best to say what they think about us in a manner that is uncommon in the conventional realm of human interaction. Outside of this context it is rare for people to reflect on our behaviours without the shadow of personal recrimination being felt. We don’t often tell work colleagues what we think of them. We make peace with each other’s foibles and do our best to muddle along.
The alignment problem
In our business we see the results of many 360° surveys. The trends are interesting and they tell us something about the human condition. For about half the surveys people’s ratings were broadly aligned to the ratings of others. We could surmise that this group of people see themselves realistically with a decent understanding of their growth areas and strengths.
Of the remaining people the vast majority tended to overrate themselves. The widest gaps are often between Self and Manager and Self and Colleagues. The simple observation is that people see themselves as being more effective than as seen by others. There are probably complex variables in this equation, but it is humbling to observe that we might not be as good as we think we are. Perhaps our mechanisms of self-worth try to protect us by boosting the way we think about our performance. Or, as one our associates (Lee Conway) suggests, it might be while people rate themselves on effort, others rate them on delivery. Our internal striving to succeed is opaque to others who then rate us on what is more evident – the visible fruits of our efforts.
The under-raters
A small group of people, about 10%, underrate themselves. Here the gap works the other way around. Managers and perhaps colleagues score them notably higher than they score themselves. So many things could be going on. They may set very high standards for themselves and never feel good enough. It may just be false modesty where it is safer to score yourself low rather than suffer the indignity of being told you don’t measure up. It may just be that you are demotivated and make little effort at work and the low scores reflect your low effort. Many other possibilities.
Compounding the mystery here is that this group is populated by double the number of females than males. Sociological reasons come to mind but its guesswork. One thought may be that in predominantly male privileged work spaces women feel less entitled to broadcast their successes. Perhaps it is safer to play them down. Or maybe women just set higher standards where they are less likely to be complacent and more likely to see their corporate selves as being work in progress. Put more plainly, they could simply be less arrogant than men.
Going inward
The point is that the psychological processes behind a 360° are complex. It taps into identity, self-knowledge, emotional intelligence, career strategy, impression management and relationship dynamics. The moment of truth comes with the feedback session. Some people may recoil at the self-awareness gaps that emerge in their 360° review. It can be a big ask to absorb unexpected characteristics about yourself and not be unsettled. For the self, they have to make the decision to be receptive, to take a deep breath and go inward. Not the usual response to hearing hard truths about yourself.
The self-aware leader
These days I see self-awareness as a cornerstone of effective leadership. One cannot lead others if they cannot first lead themselves. Self-awareness means understanding where you are strong and where you are vulnerable. It means owning and embracing your failures as opportunities to learn. The self-aware leader is no saint. They are human. They mess up, they take short-cuts, they can be impulsive and make wrong judgements. Sometimes their emotions get in the way and sometimes their moods get the better of them. The difference is that they do not kid themselves that they are in any superior. Self-awareness is, and must be, packaged with humility. Recognising your own vulnerabilities brings the latitude to have empathy for the vulnerabilities of others.
The narrow bridge
At the beginning of a session I find myself using the words “Open your heart to the messages you are about to receive, they come as a gift”. An astute facilitator will frame the session benevolently and while allowing ideas to be challenged, they will discourage outright defensiveness and “explaining away”. They will steer away from outliers and harvest robust themes for behaviour change. Three or four areas to change should be the maximum. The self is required to build a bridge between their world and views of others. And they need to walk across that narrow bridge. Easier said than done, but great rewards await when it happens. That is the magic of the 360° review, mere food for thought or the start of a journey on a new trajectory.
Author: Hilton Rudnick
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