10 Comments

Reminds me of student evaluations of professors, though a lot higher quality and without the complaints about unfairness.

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What a great implementation of a 360. I’ve seen them done so poorly and end up being an exercise in discouragement.

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Great article, now for how to have this done for the little guys. I do not work with peers exactly in an office and such. How to get this done for yourself honestly and anonymously enough to actually get that kind of good input is going to be a challenge. Any ideas Aaron?

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author

I wish I had some great suggestions, but I don't. That's one reason having a mentor who can do this stuff is so important. It's basically impossible to do on your own. But a mention doesn't have to be a professional colleague. I might suggest looking for those in your social circle who might be trustworthy advisors.

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Off-topic: Two recent good reviews of gender-related books by Nancy Pearcey and Peachy Keenan, and Shirley Jackson's 1944 take on the childless professional woman

https://lawliberty.org/book-review/why-good-men-are-hard-to-find/

https://theworthyhouse.com/2023/09/13/domestic-extremist-a-practical-guide-to-winning-the-culture-war-peachy-keenan/

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/miss-clarence-all-alone/

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founding

As a recipient once of 360 feedback, I agree it can sting and be very useful. I wonder how this could work outside of a professional environment. I've been involved in many volunteer efforts, including in the church, where feedback for myself or others would've been incredibly useful, to help the group get past obstacles and work better together. But, perhaps because it's volunteer, no one feels comfortable offering any kind of real, constructive, invasive feedback.

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This sounds great, but probably it requires unusual and expensive skill on the part of the consultant/mentor to extract the information from the various people, to filter out what's useful, and to anonymize (which is crucial). Hence, too expensive for daily life.

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founding

I agree the corporate format for this kind of feedback is expensive. But we can forgo that expense if we're willing to invest in relationships with those we volunteer with. Especially in ongoing volunteer associations like in the church.

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Social feedback loops are missing in our society today. Few people offer or give social feedback/advice that is personal in nature.

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I wonder if it's ever been better. Basically, you need to have your mother and father tell you these things.

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