Insight: Why We Are Less Self-Aware Than We Think—and What to Do About It

by Tasha Eurich

The first method, 360-degree feedback, is seemingly ubiquitous in modern organizations. With a rich history dating back to the 1950s, it’s designed to provide insight into how we’re seen not only by our managers, but by a variety of groups, like direct reports, peers, clients, or board members. (It’s called a 360 because we’re getting data from all directions.) Recent technological advances have made 360s more accessible for workers in companies large and small, while the simultaneous growth of my field, organizational psychology, has made them increasingly popular. And nowadays, depending on who you ask, anywhere from 30 percent to 90 percent of organizations use this tool in one way or another.