We asked several heads of human resource functions and managers of training and development how their organizations decided which level of manager should be the first to receive 360-degree feedback. The decision appears to be strongly linked to the purpose of the 360 initiative. For example, when Eisai, Inc., introduced their Leadership Expectations, they started the 360 feedback process with the senior executive team. “We developed our leadership expectations to clarify what it means to be a leader at Eisai,” says Janis Lane, the senior director of human resources. “We knew that to manage the transition and hold people accountable for these behaviors we would need to integrate them into our performance management system and provide people with feedback on how effectively they were currently using these behaviors. We decided we needed to start at the top of the house and the senior team was more than willing to get behind the initiative and model the behavior they wanted from the rest of the organization. This sent a clear message that we were serious about the change and about holding people accountable.”

At Wilmington Trust their 360 process is a tool that supports development related to succession planning. It is used as a standard source of feedback in two high-potential leadership development programs targeted primarily at middle managers. “Our leadership excellence model outlines the competencies that are critical to creating the kind of company we want to be,” says Gail Howard, the senior vice president of human resources. “In the beginning we used the model in the form of a checklist to collect data from the boss on strengths and development needs of possible successors. We recently moved to an electronic questionnaire, which allows us to collect data more efficiently and from many more perspectives.”

American Express uses 360 with their high-potential entry-level vice presidents. “The 360 is part of a broader initiative called the Compass Program,” says Paul Leone, Ph.D., manager of assessment and evaluation. “The program participants get a pre- and post-test, which is intended to create self-awareness and provide insights for how to target their learning experience. The 360 data is also used as input for each individual’s development planning, and we also use the results of the pre- and post-test to measure the effectiveness of the program.”