Multi-source feedback and 360 feedback are two terms that are often used interchangeably, and essentially share the same meaning.  Take a look at this video which provides an exceptional overview of what it all means, who is involved, and what it’s used for.

Watch the Video - What is 360 Degree Feedback?

As the video outlines, multi-source feedback is a development tool that is used to provide a holistic view of an individual’s performance by collecting and reviewing feedback from a number of sources with whom the employee interacts during the performance of their role.  Soliciting feedback from other sources, which might include colleagues, students, or parents as examples helps to paint a more well-rounded, holistic view for the instructor. These stakeholders should be both internal and external to the organization, and could even include the employee themselves.  Often, these other feedback sources have impactful insights to share that might not have been apparent to the employee themselves or their leader.  Multi-source feedback also supports a feedback culture that encourages the sharing and understanding of perspectives in the spirit of continuous improvement.  

Beyond this, collecting and using multi-source feedback can also support leaders in understanding their employees’ performance and in identifying how they work with others to accomplish their work without needing to observe them directly on a day-to-day basis. 

The video suggests leveraging an online survey administered by a third party to solicit feedback.  While that is certainly an option, not everyone will have the resources or desire to go that route.  In fact, we believe that feedback can be more impactful if it is provided directly to the employee who is seeking the feedback.  As an alternative to an anonymous survey, you might consider recommending your staff use a simple form (which we have created) or even an in-person interview to collect multi-source feedback.  

To support an employee-driven development culture, it is suggested that the instructors themselves take the lead in determining:

1) What sort of feedback to collect

2) Who to collect it from

3) How to collect it  

An Instructor Feedback Guide and corresponding Multi-Source Feedback Form have been created to support them through this process.  You can access these tools in section 9. Complete Toolkit in this course. Once feedback has been collected, the instructor can then reflect on it and incorporate it appropriately into their review and development plans.  

As the leader, you may also choose to solicit feedback regarding your instructors’ performance on your own. Perhaps you’re curious to know how effectively they work with others in accomplishing their work as an example. Should you choose to solicit performance feedback from other sources concerning your instructor(s), you could also leverage the tools mentioned above.  If you do choose to solicit multi-source feedback, be sure to follow these four best practices in order to ensure it has a maximum impact: 

1. Explain the purpose- The people who you are asking to provide feedback should have a clear understanding why they are going through the exercise and how their feedback will be used to support the instructor’s development.  
2. Ask thoughtful, meaningful questions- Invest time in carefully crafting your feedback questions.  Avoid asking simple yes/no questions.  Open-ended questions that are clearly focused and linked to a particular set of skills, outcomes, or behaviours that are relevant to the instructor’s role will yield the most impactful feedback.
3. Digestible results- As the manager, you will need to ensure you present any feedback collected in a way that enables your staff to absorb the results constructively and use the insights gleaned to enhance their personal development plan.  
4. Make it timely- In order for feedback to have the greatest impact, it needs to be shared immediately/as it occurs.  If you (or others) have feedback to share- don’t sit on it or save it up until a formal performance review.

There may also be times when you receive unsolicited feedback concerning your instructors’ performance.  This can be either informally (ex. one of the instructor’s peers casually mentions what an exceptional job the particular instructor did that day delivering a specific lesson) or more formally (ex. an email received from a parent about how a particular situation was handled).  Although this type of feedback wasn’t intentionally sought after, it still has value and should be shared with the employee.  To support you in keeping track of feedback that is unsolicited, it is recommended that you create a file in a format of your choosing for each of your instructors.  It can be a physical file folder that is stored within your desk, or an electronic file that lives within your email, an HR info system, or your organization’s online filing system.  No matter where you decide to store the feedback, the same basic process applies.  Essentially, anytime during the course of the term that someone shares feedback with you concerning a particular instructor within your team, you save that feedback in the file you have created. From there, we’d encourage you to share that feedback (as you receive it) with your instructor in your next 1:1 meeting.  By storing unsolicited feedback in this way, it also enables you to reflect back on it when it comes time for the check-in or final review.  

Another tool that you likely already have in place that supports a multi-source feedback model is the parent survey. If you aren’t already leveraging that tool as a means of collecting feedback concerning instructor performance during the programming, you might consider incorporating a couple of simple questions to the existing survey you send out at the end of the term.  Ex. “Did any instructors stand out as stars to you?  Tell us who and why.” or, “Do you have any advice for our instructors in the future?”  Parents have a unique perspective on an instructor’s performance and are often eager to share their thoughts.