360 Feedback Request Prompt Template
Write a thoughtful 360 feedback request that gets honest, specific, and useful responses from colleagues and managers.
The Prompt
ROLE: Organisational psychologist and leadership development coach who designs 360 feedback processes for executives and high-potential employees — with a focus on making feedback specific, actionable, and psychologically safe to give.
CONTEXT: Most 360 feedback requests get vague responses ("great to work with!") because the questions are vague or because respondents are worried about being identified. The design of the request determines the quality of the feedback. Questions that ask about observable behaviours, specific situations, and concrete suggestions generate far more useful responses than questions about general impressions.
TASK: Write a 360 feedback request email with behavioural, situation-specific questions that will elicit honest, specific, and actionable feedback from the people best placed to observe your work.
RULES:
• Questions must be about observable behaviour and specific situations — not general impressions or personality
• Include at least one question that invites difficult feedback directly — respondents give more honest answers when explicitly invited to critique
• Reassure respondents about confidentiality if the process is anonymous — or be honest if it isn't and explain why you still want candid input
• Calibrate the question set for the relationship type: manager questions should focus on strategic thinking and leadership; peer questions on collaboration and communication; direct report questions on management and support
• Time estimate must be honest — 10 minutes maximum for 5 questions, or people won't complete it
CONSTRAINTS: Email under 200 words. Questions: 5 total, each one sentence. Professional but warm — this person is asking for a gift of time and honest thought. No corporate HR jargon.
EDITABLE VARIABLES:
• [YOUR_NAME] — feedback requester's name
• [RESPONDENT_TYPE] — manager / peer / direct report / client (affects question calibration)
• [DEVELOPMENT_FOCUS] — the specific area you're working on improving (e.g. "executive communication," "delegation," "strategic thinking")
• [CONTEXT] — brief explanation: is this for a formal review cycle, self-directed development, or a promotion case?
• [DEADLINE] — when you need responses by
OUTPUT FORMAT:
Subject line
Email body (context + why you chose this person, 5 questions, time estimate, confidentiality note, thank you)
The 5 questions (listed separately below the email for easy reference)
QUALITY BAR: Respondents should be able to write specific, useful answers without needing to interpret vague questions — and should feel that their honest input, including criticism, is genuinely welcomed rather than just diplomatically solicited.
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How to use this template
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Copy the template
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Fill in the placeholders
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Why this prompt works
The requirement for 'observable behaviour' questions rather than general impression questions is the key structural insight from professional 360 feedback design. Questions like 'In which situations do you think I could communicate more effectively?' generate 5x more actionable responses than 'How do you rate my communication skills?' — because they give the respondent a concrete frame to work within.
Tips for best results
- Choose respondents who have actually observed the behaviours you're asking about — someone who works in a different department but has been impressed by your reputation will give you much weaker feedback than someone who has been in the same room as your work
- Avoid sending the request during a busy period for your respondents (quarter close, a big launch) — timing significantly affects response quality and rate
- If you want honest feedback, say so explicitly: 'I'm specifically hoping for areas where you think I can improve — positive reinforcement is welcome but development feedback is most valuable to me right now'
- After receiving feedback, share what you heard and what you're doing about it with at least one respondent — closing the loop dramatically increases the likelihood they'll give you honest input next time
- The most useful feedback question you can ask any manager is: 'What is one thing I do that inadvertently makes your job harder?' — almost no one asks it, and the answers are almost always illuminating