What You Need to Know:
For Leaders Participating in the 360-Degree Assessment Process

Welcome to the Benchmarks® for Managers assessment process, led by Translator's Consulting Group (TCG). This research-backed tool from the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) helps middle-to-upper-level managers gain insights into their leadership impact. Discover how feedback from colleagues and step-by-step guidance from our team will help you grow and create a personalized action plan for success.

Watch the video to the right for what you’ll need to know to get started — and look out for your link from CCL Benchmarks® for Managers.

Expected Outcomes

  • Improved effectiveness as a leader

  • Increased self-awareness and understanding of impact

  • Enhanced stakeholder relationship management

  • Targeted, focused personal development

  • Stronger commitment to continuous improvement

What’s Measured

Backed by over 50 years of research from the CCL, the assessment helps managers to identify strengths and areas for growth based on real-world workplace experiences.

The assessment, compiled from feedback from your feedback (rater) group, focuses on three competency clusters essential to successful leadership:

  • Leading Yourself – Personal development skills

  • Leading Others – Interpersonal and relationship skills

  • Leading the Organization – Organizational and strategic skills

Additionally, the assessments enables managers to address potential career-stalling issues by gaining insight into derailers that may hinder success.

What to Expect

This timeline shows the steps for your 360-degree assessment process, but it might be shorter or longer depending on your agreement with TCG.

WEEK ONE: GETTING STARTED

  1. Congratulations! Your 360-degree assessment journey with TCG is officially starting.

  2. Meet with your TCG facilitator for a quick consultation about the process and set key deadlines to keep everything on track.

  3. Check your email inbox for two important messages:

    • One from your TCG facilitator with an overview and helpful links.

    • One from the CCL with access to your participant assessment portal.

  4. Decide who to include in your feedback group.

  5. Log in to your participant assessment portal and invite your feedback group to complete their surveys.

    • Fill out your About Me 2.0 and Self-Assessment forms in the portal.

  6. Send personalized emails to your feedback group to explain the process. (A sample email is included in the Helpful Links below.)

  7. Your TCG facilitator will schedule your debrief session for the end of the process.

WEEK TWO: COMPLETE YOUR SELF-ASSESSMENT

  1. Finish your Self-Assessment. (This must be done for your 360 report to be scored.)

    • In the portal, go to CCL Benchmarks® for Managers and click Begin Assessment.

    • Answer all questions and click Submit Survey to complete it.

  2. The CCL assessment tool will automatically send reminders to your feedback group to finish their surveys.

  3. If you have questions, reach out to your TCG facilitator for support.

WEEK THREE: MONITOR FEEDBACK PROCESS

  1. Your feedback group will keep receiving reminders to complete their surveys.

  2. If some people haven’t finished their surveys, your TCG facilitator may contact you for help following up as you are your feedback group’s point of contact.

  3. Work with your TCG facilitator to resolve any issues and keep the process on track.

WEEK FOUR: SCORING & DEBRIEFING

  1. Once all feedback is submitted, your TCG facilitator will ask CCL to score your 360-degree assessment report.

    • Scoring usually takes 24-48 hours.

  2. Take a deep breath when you get your report.

    • Read through it carefully.

    • Write down any key takeaways or thoughts.

    • Hold off on drawing conclusions until you meet with your TCG facilitator to go over it together.

  3. If feedback isn’t complete, your facilitator will discuss next steps and adjust the process timeline if needed.

  4. Your facilitator will prepare for your debrief session.

  5. Your debrief session may happen this week, where you’ll review your report with your TCG facilitator.

WEEK FIVE: WRAPPING UP

  1. If the process was delayed, this week will conclude your assessment journey.

    • Your report will be scored, and you’ll meet with your facilitator to go over it.

  2. Explore CCL Compass™, an online tool with tips and resources to help you create a leadership development plan.

  3. If your engagement includes coaching sessions, schedule them with your TCG facilitator to build on your assessment results.

How to Choose Your Feedback Group

To gather meaningful and confidential feedback, you’ll need to invite people you regularly work with in your role. These people are called "raters." As the participant, you are responsible for inviting your raters. You will set this up when you access the CCL Benchmarks® for Managers participant assessment portal by entering your raters names and emails address. If you need help, you can find detailed directions for using the portal in the Helpful Links section below.

  • TAKE NOTE: Make sure to enter email addresses correctly. If an address is entered wrong, you’ll need to delete the person and add them again—you cannot simply edit the email address.

To ensure your results are well-rounded and confidential, 3 people from each group, such as peers, direct reports or others must respond to be reported. This helps protect individual responses and provides robust, balanced feedback.

If you need help, you can find detailed directions for using the portal in the Helpful Links below.

Here’s how to build your group:

REQUIRED

  • You: This is your self-assessment, and you must complete it.

  • Peers: Invite at least 5-7 colleagues at your level to ensure at least 3 complete the feedback process.
    and/or
    Direct Reports: Invite at least 5-7 direct reports to ensure at least 3 complete the feedback process.

  • Your Boss and/or Supervisor

OPTIONAL/NOT REQUIRED

  • A mix of representatives from all the rater groups listed above.

    • You are encouraged to invite individuals from each group. However, you still need to meet the minimum requirement of at least 3 feedback raters from the peer group and/or the direct report group to ensure confidentiality and robust feedback for your report to be scored.

    • If you add people to the peer and direct report groups, the minimum requirement of 3 responses must be met for your report to be scored.

  • Others: Invite 3 or more colleagues in other departments, suppliers or vendors you work with often.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Our 360-degree assessment process begins with a kickoff meeting where you’ll meet your TCG facilitator to set expectations and timelines. You’ll invite feedback from a carefully selected group of colleagues—supervisors, peers and direct reports—through an online portal provided by CCL (Center for Creative Leadership). Once feedback is gathered and scored, you’ll participate in a personalized debrief session to understand your results and create a targeted development plan. The process typically takes 4-5 weeks, but timelines can be adjusted based on your organization’s needs.

  • Your feedback group should include a diverse set of colleagues who can provide well-rounded insights into your leadership style. Ideally, this includes your supervisor(s), peers and direct reports. Depending on your role, you may also want to include clients or external stakeholders. Your TCG facilitator will guide you in selecting the right mix of participants for meaningful feedback.

  • The process typically spans 4-5 weeks from start to finish. This includes time for self-assessment, feedback collection, report scoring and the debrief session. However, the timeline can be customized based on your organization’s schedule and needs.

  • Feedback is collected through an online portal managed by the Center for Creative Leadership. Once feedback is complete, the data is scored and benchmarked against a norm group to provide context for your results. Scoring usually takes 24-48 hours once all feedback has been submitted.

  • Feedback is completely confidential. Individual responses are combined and presented as aggregate data in your report. This ensures anonymity and encourages honest, constructive feedback from your colleagues.

  • The debrief session is a key component of the 360-degree assessment process. Led by a TCG facilitator, this session helps you interpret your results, understand key strengths and areas for development and begin creating a personal action plan. It ensures that you gain meaningful insights and take actionable steps toward leadership growth.

  • CCL Compass™ is an advanced online tool that complements your 360-degree assessment by providing personalized strategies, resources, and guidance. It helps you track your progress, set goals and access practical modules designed to enhance your leadership development journey.

  • TCG offers ongoing coaching and facilitation to help managers turn feedback into lasting improvement. This includes follow-up coaching sessions, leadership development planning and guidance on building a culture of continuous growth within your organization.

  • To prepare for the assessment process, it’s important to:

    • Select your feedback group carefully.

    • Set aside time to complete your self-assessment thoughtfully.

    • Communicate with your feedback group to explain the purpose and importance of their participation.

    • Be open to feedback and ready to engage in meaningful self-reflection during your debrief session.

  • If feedback isn’t submitted by your selected raters, your TCG facilitator will work with you to follow up or adjust the timeline as needed. It’s important to engage with your feedback group early in the process and ensure they understand the importance of their input.

Helpful Links

Need More Help?

If you should need additional assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to a member of our team.

Are you ready to start a conversation about our learning and development sessions?