1. Most 360-degree surveys are not free and in fact are very expensive if you want to get a license to use them at your organization. However, there are a few free sample 360-degree surveys out there. Do a search on Google or other search engines using terms such as “free 360-degree feedback survey.” Find two or three free surveys and choose one of them that you think would be most applicable to your organization. Explain the reasoning for your choice, and try to use criteria from the readings such as the checklists from Carelli (2010, p. 175) and Fleenor, et al. (2008, p. 37).
2. Now take the survey that you chose in your answer to Question 2 above. Fill out the survey as a self-evaluation – that is, use the survey to evaluate your own leadership skills and other skills. Report the results of your survey. Do you think the survey was useful? What areas for improvement in your leadership skills did you find from using the survey?
3. As a next step, fill out the survey again but this time evaluate your current supervisor or a previous supervisor that you worked with. Report your results. Were the results fair to your supervisor? What are the main areas for improvement for your supervisor based on your results?
4. Now that you have taken the survey twice, what areas for improvement would you make for it before using it again? Would you change the wording of the questions? Any questions that you would add? Use the concepts from Carelli (2010) and Fleenor, et al. (2008) as well as your own experiences filling out the survey to assess the usefulness of the survey that you took.
5. Finally, take a look at pages 153-155 of Carelli (2010) where she discusses pitfalls and potential biases of a 360-degree survey. Which pitfalls do you think would apply to your organization and the leaders you work with? How might you overcome these pitfalls if you were to lead a 360-degree survey process in your organization?