Multisource feedback: Lessons learned and implications for practice

Organizations around the world are using multisource, or 360-degree, feedback. Although many HR practitioners embrace it as an important mechanism for leadership development, organizations must attend to and address several issues in order to maximize the utility of multisource feedback (MSF). We discuss current research findings and highlight issues for managers to consider both before starting a multisource feedback process and after the feedback is given, plus we review potential outcomes of the process. We also describe lessons learned from an intensive three-year investigation of an MSF implementation in two organizations.