Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers about executive coaching and 360° executive reviews — grounded in the International Coaching Federation's core competencies for executive coaching — plus how the process works and what to expect from Coachability.
Common Executive Coaching Questions
What is a 360° executive review, and why does it matter?
A 360° review pulls in perspectives from the people who actually work with an executive — their manager, peers, direct reports, sometimes board members or clients. The goal is simple: increase self-awareness. Most non-optimal executive behavior isn’t intentional — it’s invisible to the person doing it, because self-perception and how others experience someone are never perfectly aligned. A 360° closes that gap.
How does the 360° process actually work?
Five steps: we research and finalize the right competencies to assess for each executive’s specific role, in partnership with the CEO and HR; we interview every contributor individually, cleaning each comment for confidentiality while preserving the real substance; we build a customized report — summary, scored breakdown, verbatim themes, and a development plan; we deliver the report in a working session with the executive, tying it to any KPIs already used to measure their performance; and we build a coaching plan from there if the executive is continuing into coaching.
Can our internal HR team run this instead of bringing in an outside team?
HR should absolutely be part of the culture around feedback — but running the review itself works better as an outside, objective process. It protects confidentiality for contributors, allows an unbiased look at HR executives too, and keeps HR out of the friction that inevitably comes with delivering hard feedback. Executive-level reviews also carry a different weight and competency scope than standard performance reviews.
What does a 360° review cost?
It depends on team size, scope, and number of contributors — every engagement is scoped individually. Reach out for a conversation about your specific situation →
How often should we run a 360°?
The first review sets a baseline. From there, every 12–18 months keeps it current without turning it into a constant audit.
We’re not sure a full 360° is the right move yet — what else is there?
If you already know what the issue is and it’s specific to one executive, Executive Smackdown — our direct-accountability offer — might be the faster fit. If you want a lower-friction starting point, the $299 Leadership Assessment gives you a scored, structured read before committing to a full engagement.
Are the results confidential?
Yes. Every contributor’s comments are cleaned of identifying detail before they reach the executive being reviewed, so people can give honest, specific feedback without it being traceable back to them individually.