Open 360 Peer Coaching
Turn every teammate into a source of specific appreciation and development advice
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 6
- Confidence
- 98%
The Open 360 distributes development coaching across the whole team. Once per quarter, each person receives two forms of feedback from colleagues: a specific statement about what they most admire and a thoughtful suggestion offered because that person's success matters to the team's success. The leader goes first as the recipient to demonstrate openness and set the tone. The round then continues until everyone has received feedback grounded in the previous quarter's experience. Appreciation makes strengths visible, while the suggestion gives each person a practical development signal from multiple vantage points. Repetition changes the team's model of coaching from a private boss-to-subordinate event into a reciprocal responsibility. The intended output is a group of well-intentioned peers who actively help one another level up.
Origin
Keith Ferrazzi introduced the Open 360 while coaching Jasmine Star on moving feedback beyond the leader on The Jasmine Star Show.
Core principles
- 01Development coaching should not come only from the boss
- 02Appreciation establishes specificity and goodwill
- 03Advice should connect individual success to team success
- 04Leaders should model receiving feedback first
- 05Repeated peer feedback turns teammates into coaches
How to run it
- 1
Prepare the Team
Explain that the purpose is mutual development, not ranking or public correction. Ask participants to prepare specific observations from the previous quarter.
Pro tip Provide the two sentence stems in advance.
Watch out Do not surprise the team with an open feedback round.
- 2
Let the Leader Model It
Have the leader receive appreciation and suggestions first. Respond with curiosity and thanks rather than defense.
Pro tip Ask one clarifying question only when it helps understanding.
Watch out A defensive leader will suppress candor for everyone who follows.
- 3
Name What You Admire
Each teammate identifies a concrete strength or contribution they genuinely admire in the recipient. Specificity helps the person understand what to continue.
Pro tip Reference an observed behavior or result.
Watch out Generic praise weakens credibility.
- 4
Offer a Development Suggestion
Give one actionable suggestion framed around care for the person's success and its importance to shared results. Keep the feedback about behavior rather than identity.
Pro tip Describe the effect of the current behavior and a useful alternative.
Watch out Do not disguise personal hostility as candor.
- 5
Rotate Through the Team
Repeat the same sequence for every person so coaching is reciprocal. Capture individual themes without turning the session into debate.
Pro tip Use a facilitator or strict time boxes for larger groups.
Watch out Unequal participation can create status differences.
- 6
Revisit the Feedback
At the next quarterly session, acknowledge progress and update suggestions based on new evidence. Let recurring themes guide development priorities.
Pro tip Choose one behavior to practice between sessions.
Watch out Feedback without follow-through becomes ceremonial.
In the wild
A founder receives the first round. Teammates name a leadership quality they admire and then suggest that the founder create more room for peers to challenge one another instead of routing all feedback through her. The same appreciation-and-suggestion pattern then rotates through the team.
→ Feedback becomes a shared coaching function rather than another responsibility concentrated on the founder.
Common mistakes
Keeping Coaching Leader-Led
If only the boss supplies development advice, teammates never learn to elevate one another and the leader remains the bottleneck.
Offering Vague Praise
Statements without concrete behaviors do not tell recipients what strength to preserve.
Debating Every Suggestion
Immediate rebuttal shifts attention from learning to self-protection. Receive the signal first and evaluate it afterward.
Is it for you?
Best for
Established teams ready to exchange direct, constructive feedback in a transparent and supportive setting.
Not ideal for
New or hostile teams that have not yet established enough trust to prevent public feedback from becoming punitive.
From the transcript
“I call that an open 360.”
“what I most admire about you as a leader is X boom, boom, boom, boom boom. And then, you know, because I care for you…”
“there's a bunch of well-intentioned, thoughtful people who can help me level up.”
From the episode
Building Teams That Win: How Relationships Fuel Success with Keith Ferrazzi
Keith Ferrazzi