There are five main parts of your Predictable Success Leadership Skills 360 report. Some are more important than others.
Here's how to analyse each:
1. Introduction and Explanation
From pages 1 through 5, you will see an introduction to the 360 report, and an explanation of how it works. Even if you have been through this process before, it is worth reading, to put your mind on the right 'track'.
If you haven't been through a 360 before, it is essential that you read this section.
There is no 'live' data in this section - it is descriptive only.
The most important part is the sub-section 'How to Interpret Your Scores and Levels'.
2. Per-Quality Results
From page 6 to around page 40-something (the exact page it ends on depends on the length of each response), you will see the summarised data from your assessment for each of the 12 main Qualities of Leadership.
First of all, you'll read a description of the quality that is being assessed, then a graphic representation of your assessment scores, like this:
At the very top is your score for this Quality. Your score is the average of all the scores your received, including your own.
Next, the graphic compares how you scored yourself (the top bar) against the scores from other active categories of Observer (like 'peers', 'subordinates', 'Boss', etc. (If there is no score for a specific category, it is because that category of Observer was not utilized.)
At the bottom is a bar illustrating the 'norm' - the average score for that Quality from all the assessments we've ever completed.
The text immediately under the graphic is important - it interprets your score and gives you tips and techniques on how to improve on this Quality - read it in detail, and particularly if your score is low, commit to implementing the Action Plan for that Quality.
3. Strengths, Areas Needing Improvement, And Blind Spots
On or after page 40 or so (after the final, 12th Quality: 'Commitment and Accountability') you will see three tables, covering:
- Your Strength Areas
- Areas for Improvement, and
- Blind Spots
Each table is explained in the report.
Note: 'Blind Spots' can be positive (you're better at something that you think), or negative (you're not as good at something as you think) - look for a '+' or a '-' ahead of the rating to tell which is which.
This is the heart of your report. Discussion with your manager and your development plans should be built around these tables.
4. Comments (Optional)
Your 360 report may or may not contain 'raw' comments entered by Observers when they completed the report. If your organization has selected this option, the comments will appear from page 42 or so, onward.
If comments are included, view them as supporting data only. Your discussions and development plans should incorporate any useful feedback from the comments, but should be based primarily around the tables referred to above.
5. Per-Question Results: The 'Raw Data'
From around page 43 (the exact page it ends on depends on the length of each response), you will see the summarised data from your assessment for each individual question asked. It lists each question, and then the responses from each category of respondent:
- You ('Self')
- Your subordinates
- Your peers
- Senior management
- Your boss
- A second boss, if you have one
- Others
There will always be entries for 'Self', and at least one other category. The exact categories used depends on who was asked to be a Observer. If no-one for a particular category was asked, there will be a '0' beside that category.
In the next column is the score given to you for that question, by each category of Observer.