How 360-Degree Reviews Help Leaders Grow in Grace

Most Christians who work in vocational ministry have a genuine desire to serve and equip God’s people. When we enter ministry, we bring the gifts God has given us for building up the church, but our gifts are always underdeveloped. They need refinement. Couple that with our sinful nature, and it’s clear even qualified leaders aren’t immune to needing correction.

Correction is a medicine to heal us, not a poison to destroy us. We all need purposeful discipleship and a community of believers to sharpen us as iron sharpens iron (Prov. 27:17).

One way to facilitate such sharpening is a 360-degree review, an evaluation strategy that involves seeking and receiving constructive feedback on a leader’s performance from people who surround him at every level of a ministry organization—those in authority over the leader, his peers, and those who report to him. The benefits of the 360-degree review process to both the individual leader and a ministry organization are immense.

Striking Iron with Iron

Here are some steps to set up a 360-degree review.

1. Develop two customized questionnaires.

One questionnaire is for the reviewers (example) and the other is for the leader to self-review (example). Topics may include spiritual disciplines, family life, communication, conflict resolution, or other competencies required for the position. The self-review allows the leader to spend some time in thoughtful reflection and can be compared to what the reviewers reported to see if the leader’s self-perception matches what others perceive.

We all need purposeful discipleship and a community of believers to sharpen us as iron sharpens iron.

2. Select the reviewers.

If you’re a board member of a church and you want to review the church’s senior pastor, you’ll need to include people on the board who hold the pastor accountable, any staff who report to the pastor, the pastor’s personal friends within the church, and even leaders of other ministries within the church who don’t report to the senior pastor. Similar steps should be taken for the executive leader of a non-profit parachurch ministry. It’s important to have both men and women as reviewers. A range of people with differing perspectives will help you to see themes in the leader’s life so you can offer specific encouragement and feedback.

3. Include clear directions.

When you send out the questionnaires, help reviewers see the purpose of the review is to help, not to harm. Remind reviewers that what they report will be anonymous and confidential. Encourage them to offer feedback in love. By setting clear ground rules and expectations, you head off the possibility a reviewer will use the review to air every petty grievance.

4. Analyze the reviews and share the results.

When analyzing a 360-degree review, I’ve typically written out all the themes, starting with the encouragements and then the identified areas of growth. From there, I work with the leader to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for growth. If multiple reviewers have the same troubling concerns, there may be a need to admonish the leader. And if any allegations of criminal behavior (such as physical or sexual abuse) appear, the proper civil authorities should also be notified immediately.

When the mission agency I served conducted 360-degree reviews of me, the feedback I received was shared with our board. At the church I serve, the entire elder board receives the report. If there are issues, it’s better for my accountability for the entire board to know so they can keep track of themes in my leadership over time and weigh in with ways to help in my weaknesses.

Correction to Help the Leader

No leader sets out to stunt his growth or hurt people. But a leader who begins to trust himself too much, think of himself too highly, and regard correction as a threat to his power can end up doing just that. This is the danger a good 360-degree review is designed to prevent.

The hope is that the reviews will spur a leader on toward love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24), that they add up to noticeable growth over time and result in celebration of the Lord’s work in the leader’s life. A leader willing to submit to a 360-degree review communicates he isn’t afraid to have people point out areas of strength or weakness. He isn’t insecure in what he’s been called to do.

To track God’s kindness in my life, I’ve kept all my reviews. I laugh at some of my weaknesses from years ago, and those old reviews remind me to be patient with younger leaders as well.

Correction to Help the Organization

A 360-degree review process can also help an organization assess and correct its work culture and promote a healthier one.

Are reviews consistently harsh? Do reviewers see them as an opportunity to be critical? Do the staff reporting to the leader feel empowered and supported? Have the people within your church or organization given the leader the mandate to lead them? Answering these questions can help boards to see when a change in leadership is necessary. The review gives the board the evidence they need to justify a painful but necessary parting of ways.

No leader sets out to stunt his growth or hurt people. But a leader who begins to regard correction as a threat to his power can end up doing just that.

But beyond situations where a change is needed, the transparent nature of the 360-degree review helps to create a culture of honest communication where individuals are encouraged to share their thoughts and feelings. Consequently, it strengthens relationships and trust among ministry team members. Working within a ministry that fosters kind accountability increases people’s awareness of how they’re perceived by others, of ways others are grateful for them, and of potential areas that need work.

By embracing the 360-degree review process, ministries and churches can foster a culture of continuous growth, accountability, and open communication. You’ll help leaders grow in maturity over time to become more effective servants. In turn, they’ll be able to better fulfill the mandate to equip the saints for the work of ministry, building up the body of Christ and growing in the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God (Eph. 4:12–13).