50 Best 360 Feedback Questions for Managers

The right questions turn 360 feedback from a compliance exercise into a genuine development tool. These 50 questions are organized by leadership dimension, tested in real 360 reviews, and written to produce honest, actionable feedback. Use them as-is or adapt them for your team.

What makes a good 360 feedback question?

Good 360 questions share four traits: they are specific (behavior-based, not personality-based), observable (respondents can honestly rate what they have witnessed), actionable (the leader can actually change the behavior), and balanced (covering the full range of leadership dimensions, not just one area).

Bad 360 questions ask about abstract traits ("Is this person charismatic?") or unobservable internal states ("Does this person have high emotional intelligence?"). Good 360 questions ask about concrete behaviors the rater has actually seen.

Leadership & Vision (Questions 1-8)

Keeps the team focused on the right priorities and cuts through distractions.
Communicates a clear vision of where the team is going and why.
Makes decisions confidently, even when information is incomplete.
Translates strategy into concrete priorities the team can act on.
Knows when to dive into details and when to stay out of the weeds.
Says no to work that does not serve the team's mission.
Creates clarity in ambiguous situations rather than adding to confusion.
Demonstrates strong judgment when facing trade-offs.

Communication & Openness (Questions 9-16)

Welcomes disagreement and bad news without becoming defensive.
Shares the reasoning behind their decisions, not just the conclusions.
Listens to understand before responding.
Provides regular updates on team progress and challenges.
Is open about their own mistakes and what they are learning.
Creates space for quieter team members to share their views.
Gives feedback in a way that is clear, timely, and constructive.
Asks for feedback on their own performance and takes it seriously.

Respect & Team Relationships (Questions 17-24)

Respects my time and does not create unnecessary work.
Treats everyone on the team with equal respect regardless of role.
Recognizes individual contributions publicly and privately.
Handles disagreements professionally, without personal attacks.
Protects the team from unreasonable demands from above.
Trusts me to do my job without micromanaging.
Advocates for the team in conversations I am not part of.
Creates an environment where people feel safe to speak up.

Standards & Quality (Questions 25-32)

Consistently delivers high-quality work and expects the same from others.
Holds people accountable without being harsh or demeaning.
Sets a high bar for the team without burning people out.
Addresses underperformance directly rather than ignoring it.
Recognizes great work and makes it visible to others.
Balances speed and quality appropriately for the situation.
Is willing to revisit their own work when the quality is not there.
Models the level of quality they expect from the team.

Growth & Development (Questions 33-40)

Actively makes the people around them better at their jobs.
Offers feedback that helps me grow, not just feedback that evaluates me.
Gives me opportunities to develop new skills and take on new challenges.
Coaches me through difficult problems rather than solving them for me.
Invests time in my career development, not just my current role.
Is willing to let me fail in ways I can learn from.
Celebrates my growth and improvement, not just my output.
Shares their own experience and lessons learned openly.

Integrity & Trust (Questions 41-50)

Consistently follows through on their commitments.
Keeps their word even when it is difficult or inconvenient.
Tells the truth even when it is uncomfortable.
Takes responsibility for mistakes instead of blaming others.
When they speak, it feels sincere.
Acts consistently regardless of who is watching.
Protects confidences and does not gossip about team members.
Would defend me to others if they knew I was being treated unfairly.
I am confident they have my back in difficult moments.
How likely are you to recommend working on a team or project they lead? (Net Talent Score)

How to use these questions in your 360 review

You do not need all 50 questions. A focused 360 review uses 8 to 12 rating questions that cover the full range of leadership dimensions, plus 3 open-ended questions (usually Start-Stop-Continue). Pick the questions most relevant to the leader and the feedback they need most.

Rate each question on a 1-6 scale. Even-numbered scales force respondents to commit to either positive or negative, producing clearer signal than 1-5 or 1-10 scales where people hide in the middle.

The three open-ended questions we recommend: What should this leader start doing? What should they stop doing? What should they continue doing? This Start-Stop-Continue framework captures the nuance that rating scales miss. Question 50 is the Net Talent Score (NTS), 360review's adaptation of the Net Promoter Score methodology (Reichheld, HBR 2003) applied to individual leaders. It produces a score from -100 to +100 and surfaces retention risk before people start leaving.

How the Net Talent Score is calculated →

Or use 360review.io instead

Building your own 360 review from scratch is a lot of work. You need to collect responses, ensure anonymity, aggregate the data, and present it in a usable format. 360review.io does all of this automatically. The Mirror Model distills the 50 questions above into 8 focused dimensions, runs anonymous feedback collection, and generates an AI-powered report with a 90-day action plan. Your team rates you in 5 minutes. You get actionable insights the same day.

Related guides

What is 360-degree feedback? A complete guide to how 360 reviews work, why they matter, and how to run one that produces real change.
Free 360 feedback template A ready-to-use template with rating questions, open-ended prompts, and step-by-step instructions.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best 360 feedback questions?

The best 360 feedback questions are specific, behavior-based, and cover the full range of leadership dimensions including respect, openness, focus, standards, growth, integrity, authenticity, and trust. Avoid vague questions like 'Is this person a good leader?' and instead ask concrete questions like 'Does this person follow through on their commitments?'

How many questions should a 360 review have?

A focused 360 review should have 8 to 15 rating questions and 3 open-ended questions. More than 20 questions causes survey fatigue and lowers response quality. 360review uses just 8 rating questions across the Mirror Model dimensions plus Start-Stop-Continue open-ended questions.

What is the 360 feedback rating scale?

Most effective 360 feedback tools use a 1-6 scale. Even-numbered scales force respondents to commit to either positive or negative rather than hiding in the middle. This produces clearer signal than 1-5 or 1-10 scales.

Should 360 feedback questions be anonymous?

Yes. Anonymous 360 feedback produces more honest responses. When respondents know they will be identified, they soften criticism and withhold hard truths. Anonymity is the single most important factor in getting feedback that actually reflects reality.