Beginning of 360 Feedback

Clark Wilson, Ph.D., Innovator of 360 Feedback for Training and Development Applications

Industrial psychologist Dr. Clark L. Wilson introduced the concept of 360 feedback for training and development in 1970 when he began to develop the Multi-Level Management Surveys. An expert in psychological measurement and statistics, he developed assessment tools for managers that provided feedback on relevant managerial and leadership skills from the manager him/herself, the supervisor, direct reports, and peers. The leadership surveys were developed with the cooperation of the World Bank. Over time, multi-level feedback, or 360-degree feedback as it is now known, became a powerful instructional technique that enabled individuals to see themselves as others see them and improve their managerial effectiveness.

The following excerpt from 7th edition of Organizational Behavior*, a leading industrial psychology textbook, offers this assessment in a two-page article in Chapter One:

“Many attempts have been made over the years to paint a realistic picture of what managers do … Fortunately, a stream of research over the past 20 years by Clark Wilson and others has given us a practical and statistically validated profile of managerial skills.”

The Survey of Management Practices, Survey of Leadership Practices, and Survey of Executive Leadership, are among his most popular titles. Up to the time of his death in 2006, Wilson continued to develop and publish a full range of assessment tools that were of rigorous psychometric standards and highly regarded in the field. The surveys addressed many aspects of organizational behavior and were used throughout the world to improve the performance of managers and leaders.

Clark Wilson was a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and a Fellow of the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychologists.

Clark Wilson published his last book in 2003 at the age of 90. How and Why Effective Managers Balance Their Skills offers conclusions based on 30 years of research. Wilson summarizes: "After over 30 years of analysis, the problem of most managers is very clear. Too many managers try to exercise control without providing the technical and teambuilding skills needed to achieve their goals." This imbalance derails individuals and undermines organizational performance, he says, while the presence of these skills -- which can be learned -- measurably improves business outcomes.

*Authors: Kreitner and Kinicki, published by McGraw-Hill Irwin.