Tongue firmly in cheek here with the title, but it is another common 360 degree feedback debrief scenario; the recipient who has contradictory feedback from respondents.

This 360 feedback could be polarised within a respondent group i.e. within their 'direct reports' category, with some direct reports believing the recipient has a clear strength whilst others see it as a key development area.

Similarly, this can happen between respondent groups i.e. 'peers' might hold a very different view to the 'direct reports'; in both instances, this is highlighting that one group of people have a very different experience of the recipient to another group of people.

Why is this happening? This is the very issue to be explored in the 360 feedback debrief; it probably reflects the relationships the indvidual has with these different groups of people.

So, you would simply ask the recipient why they may have a different perception; how do they behave with one group to the next? Are they aware of a difference?

They may not be, so this vein of questionning can help discover if the recipient treats certain people differently to others.

At the same time, you must discourage a 'witch hunt'; typically heard as ''Well they would say that!" or "I know who said that, so I am not really bothered".

All of these comments suggest the recipient is still focussed on others behaviours rather than their own.

John