1.
Petra Schulte / Gerhard Liska
White Paper
360 Degree Feedback
Group Report

2.
360 Degree Feedback is appreciated and actively deployed as an
efficient diagnostics tool by many companies. With regard to successful
executive development and constructive talent management, this tool
makes a valuable contribution.
The Group Report consolidates the individual reports on a team or
group level, offering additional benefits insofar as the team or
organization level is purposefully integrated into the evaluation.
Individual leadership performance is thus more closely networked with
the performance of the team and the organization.
In this way, different locations or divisions within the company
organization can be compared to one another in a condensed form.
In so doing, the criteria on which the analysis in the Group Report are
based can be fine-tuned to the respective customer needs. This way,
hindrances to growth and frictional losses, for instance, can be
examined and the need for support determined. The next step usually
involves team development and the creation of a foundation of trust, so
that the causes of any obstacles that have been identified can be
broken down and eliminated. The analysis may also focus on an
organizational unit as a whole. In this case, internal hindrances to
success within a division or the shared leadership culture will be
examined in greater detail.
Initial situation
Companies are required to an ever greater extent to use and develop
the potential of executives and employees in an optimal way – a
formidable challenge indeed against the backdrop of increasing cost
pressures and the intense search for unique selling points on the
market. That is why the demands on the added value of tools for
potential analysis and aptitude diagnostics are also on the rise. On the
one hand, tools are designed for a wider range of applications; on the
other, they must satisfy several objectives at once: 360 Degree
Feedback serves the purpose of assessing and supporting the
individual. In addition, it is designed to allow for insights into the
performance of the organization as a whole, thus generating added
value.
360 Degree Feedback is a development-oriented feedback tool for
potential diagnostics which usually focuses on individuals, e.g.
executives. How can added value for the organization which goes
beyond behavior-related statements about the participating feedback
recipients be generated with this tool? The present White Paper
discusses the issue. It presents the 360 Degree Feedback Group
Report as a tool of strategic HR work.
2© USP-D 2015 / Petra Schulte/Gerhard Liska: 360 Grad Feedback Group Report
Companies look
for the added value
of tools for
potential analysis
and aptitude diagnostics

3.
The concept of aggregation
A 360 Degree Feedback Group Report consolidates the individual re-
ports of a previously defined group and interprets the results from
a meta-perspective as well as with regard to the organizational
perspective. The individual statements about a feedback participant
are more closely networked with the perspective of the team or
organization. Hence, 360 Degree Feedback is used for personnel
development and organizational development in a targeted manner.
The idea of a Group Report has grown in various steps into a
productive concept in the portfolio of USP-D Consulting GmbH. The
continuous experience from several different customer projects have
been integrated into the concept over many years. Our own curiosity
about the potential of the tool and the needs of individual customers for
comparative data resulted in the implementation of the first aggregated
Group Reports (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: Development of the 360 Degree Feedback Group Report
in USP-D
The Group Report tool allows for the processing of specific questions.
The analysis fields of the Group Report are customized and fine-tuned
to the respective customer needs. Three specific examples will be
described in greater detail here:
1. The management team of a division that, despite great efforts,
does not approach the peak performance defined as realizable, goes
through the 360 Degree Feedback process based upon individuals.
The target group has its individual results summarized anonymously
to evaluate them with regard to the team level. Guiding principles
and axioms acting on an unconscious level become visible in the
group result and can thus be addressed. Issues and aspects of
team development, the creation of a foundation of trust or latent,
unspoken parts of the team culture are frequently the topics that
emerge.
3© USP-D 2015 / Petra Schulte/Gerhard Liska: 360 Grad Feedback Group Report
Individual statements
are consolidated into
the perspective
of the team and the
organization.

4.
2. From the perspective of the overall organization, the management
is interested in a comparison of the production site in Germany
and the site in Malaysia. Differences or shared features of
leadership culture can be more strongly focused on here, which in
turn leads to the question as to how company-wide leadership
criteria are actually practiced at both sites. This creates a clear
organizational awareness. The need for change becomes more
evident. The strategic focus for HR work becomes more tangible.
3. As part of a program for executive development, the different
executive levels, from top management downward, go through
360 Degree Feedback. In the process, the main emphases of the
development and program are elaborated for every group, based
on the respective target group. The direct involvement of the group
is a vital, constructive part of the analysis.
Thus it becomes clear that a 360 Degree Feedback Group Report is a
meaningful tool for a wide range of questions. The approach essentially
correlates different areas in the organization with regard to
selected questions, and the data material is bundled accordingly.
Method
The typical procedure includes several steps as presented in the Figure
below. A ‘normal’ 360 Degree Feedback project constitutes the basis.
At the onset, during and after the implementation of the 360 Degree
Feedback cycle, it is established whether there will be a Group Report
and which result variables will be examined. A debriefing of the
participants follows subsequent to the cycle of the 360 Degree
Feedback for individuals. In tandem with this, the preparation and
assessment of the Group Report can take place. This is carried out in
close consultation with the management team/the HR Department of
the customer, since the case examples show how broad the possible
scope of application of a Group Report is. The definition of the Group
Report includes the decision on any further use of the result and its
possible interpretation as well as its communication.
Two classic evaluation levels are defined target groups such as a
specific team or the organization as such. For the preparation of the
Group Report, different analysis focuses are set for the defined target
group or the management of the organization – so-called analysis
parameters which allow interpretations and hypotheses based on the
consolidated data. In the next step, specific measures and points of
action are inferred from the hypotheses that, depending on the extent of
collaboration with the client, may lead to specific transfer packages. The
concluding review phase serves for reflecting on the overall process.
4© USP-D 2015 / Petra Schulte/Gerhard Liska: 360 Grad Feedback Group Report
Interconnected
process steps
support the targeted
process of refeeding
the results.

5.
Figure 2: The process steps of a 360 Degree Feedback Group
Report
The following overview summarizes the core aspects of different Group
Reports.
Targets for the team, or the evaluated group (team level).
Focus: Buildup of trust and commitment.
Potential analysis, optimization of team performance and team
culture, the identification of learning fields and causes of conflict,
team development, the strengthening of internal and cross-team
cooperation, interaction between performance and leadership.
Targets for the organization
Focus: Buildup of understanding and growth orientation.
Boosting or establishing corporate culture, information about
performance of the organization, strategic embedding of current
and future management skills, planning of educational requirements,
strengthening feedback culture.
Target group: Top management, divisions and teams such as
management teams, internal service units, staff units and company
units.
Indication: Implementation of company-wide competence criteria,
check-up from a strategic HR perspective, comparison of different
divisions/organizational units, implications from a strategic
organizational development-oriented perspective.
5© USP-D 2015 / Petra Schulte/Gerhard Liska: 360 Grad Feedback Group Report

6.
Formats: Cumulative feedback report, sorted at customer request
by areas, regions, functions, positions, teams, responsibilities, based
on company-specific 360 Degree Feedback questionnaires and
performance criteria.
What is the benefit of a 360 Degree Feedback Group
Report?
According to our experience, top management is interested in specific
hypotheses, recommendations and suggestions for action. Columns of
figures and colorful diagrams simply do not suffice for experienced
managers who want to score big with sophisticated statistical data.
A combination of both visualization possibilities – presented in an
attractive and easily comprehensible manner – does much in a
constructive way and is far more informative: Aggregated comparative
tables and diagrams on the performance criteria, hypotheses in the form
of charts, specific action plans and an assessment of effectiveness.
The advantage of this lies in the fact that the numerical data support the
hypotheses and interpretations in equal measure, thus making the
validity more comprehensible. The direct linking of figures and
hypotheses encourages managers to discuss feasible solutions.
Figure 3: Example pages from a 360 Degree Feedback Group
Report
Over the course of the last few years, we interviewed our customers
as to their views and the added value that the 360 Degree Feedback
Group Report might bring. From their answers, we inferred the following
core wishes:
6© USP-D 2015 / Petra Schulte/Gerhard Liska: 360 Grad Feedback Group Report
The clear
visualization helps
with the development of
hypotheses and the
inference of suitable
measures.

7.
Management:
Establishing performance criteria
Identifying and recognizing mechanisms inhibiting success (strategy)
Cooperation in the team/link to organizational development
Improving leadership/management style
Improving corporate culture
Setting the industry benchmark
HR:
Aligning strategy to human capital management (HCM)
Establishing performance criteria
Identifying changes in the management style
Linking individual leadership to team/organizational development
Optimizing cooperation
Setting the industry benchmark
Management and HR are in agreement in their endeavor to achieve a
close link between strategic and operational measures concerning the
development of the organization and personnel.
To sum up, the following benefits illustrating the usefulness and added
value of a 360 Degree Feedback Group Report can be defined:
Due to the analysis at the meta-level, aggregated results allow for a
better understanding of the individual areas within the overall
organization. Success-inhibiting mechanisms, which are often
developed unconsciously, are identified.
For HR, strategic control options open up in terms of parameters
that impact the culture and affect success, such as leadership
culture, feedback culture or the establishment of organization-wide
success skills.
Individual leadership performance is more sustainably linked to the
development of the organization. Executives become more aware
of their role as change agents.
Processes of trust building, team development and
identification within hierarchical leadership levels (management
teams) are initiated.
Culture-creating effect: The basis for culture campaigns, e.g. on
the topics of trust or work climate.
7© USP-D 2015 / Petra Schulte/Gerhard Liska: 360 Grad Feedback Group Report

8.
Conclusion
Vital findings from the Group Reports compiled with us:
The strategic purpose of the Group Report defines the points of
comparison. For example: The company management places
emphasis on different parameters than the HR department or other
company representatives. The focus of the approach is customized
to the customer’s needs.
The Group Report should be evaluated and reported back only
following the feedback discussions and team debriefings, otherwise
it will influence the individual feedback processes, and the consultant
would have to spend more time on separating the total picture from
the individual results.
Individual feedback recipients tend to qualify their own need for
action against the background of the group result.
On the level of the target group, Group Reports should always be
read in anonymized form.
Before the overall result is communicated, it has to be made clear
who in the company should receive the Group Report, in which form
he/she should receive it and how the result is communicated to
the organization. How should follow-up measures that might be
necessary be implemented? Once defined, these principles have to
be consistently adhered to, because: Transparency provides
orientation and creates trust.
Follow-up measures have to be discussed in conjunction with the
customer and be aligned to the organizational structure.
The client (HR or company management) is glad to deal with
hypotheses and recommendations. On a broader basis, only
coordinated statements will be communicated, however.
The best result is achieved if the target group concerned performs
the analysis itself with support from the 360 Degree Feedback
experts. Subsequently, it can be discussed with HR or the company
management whether organizational measures are relevant beyond
the level of the target group.
Small-format Group Reports relating to specific target groups are
more effective than reports with a larger organization-wide
comparison: The respective target group will pay greater attention to
the presentation of the report, and acceptance will be higher. In
addition, the evaluation of the results of small-format Group Reports
is more easily comprehensible.
8© USP-D 2015 / Petra Schulte/Gerhard Liska: 360 Grad Feedback Group Report
Authors:
Petra Schulte
petra.schulte@usp-d.com
Gerhard Liska
gerhard.liska@usp-d.com
USP-D
Deutschland Consulting GmbH
Moltkestraße 101
D-40479 Düsseldorf
Tel. +49 (0)211 913 697 00
Fax +49 (0)211 913 697 10
office.duesseldorf@usp-d.com
USP-D Consulting GmbH
Winckelmannstraße 8/6+7
A-1150 Wien
Tel. +43 (0)1 585 55 94
Fax +43 (0)1 585 62 26
office.wien@usp-d.com
www.usp-d.com