What happens after the 360?
Last week, I confessed that holiday gift-giving stresses me out. This week, let's talk about the gifts that never get opened.
You know the ones. For me it was a gift certificate to the Milwaukee Florentine Opera that ended up in my kitchen drawer. A friend had heard me share interest and generously gifted me the opportunity to see a performance. Someone chose it with care. It had real potential. And then... life happened. Don’t worry, I finally did realize I needed to get tickets before the end of the season and got to see Don Giovani - but the frantic process to make it happen? I wouldn’t want to repeat it.
Many 360 assessments meet the same fate.
Here's the pattern I see:
An organization invests in a 360 for a leader.
Colleagues take the time to give honest, thoughtful feedback.
The leader reads the report and feels the sting, the glow, or a little of both.
And then the calendar wins.
The report goes into the (digital) drawer.
The cost isn't just the assessment. When nothing visibly changes:
The people who gave feedback start to wonder whether it mattered, and they're a little less candid next time.
The leader misses one of the clearest growth opportunities they'll ever be handed.
The organization pays for insight and never sees the return.
One leader I worked with put it this way: without that feedback and support, she would have known she needed to do something, but she wouldn't have known where to start. Pairing her 360 with coaching gave her clarity, and the motivation to build systems that last.
That's the difference. The leaders I see grow in measurable ways don't stop at the report. They pair it with a clear growth plan, a way to measure progress, and a partner who holds them to it over six to twelve months.
So here's a question worth asking before 2027: Is there a 360 sitting in a drawer in your organization, or one planned for next year that deserves a better ending?
If so, let's start a conversation to see what's possible. I'm an email away. Let me know and we’ll get some time on the calendar.
To feedback that gets put to use,
Claire
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