Best Examples of Communication Skills Feedback in 360-Degree Feedback

Strong examples of communication skills feedback in 360-degree feedback

Before any theory, it helps to see real wording you can copy, tweak, and use. Below are several of the best examples of communication skills feedback in 360-degree feedback, grouped by situation.

For a strong communicator:

“You explain complex topics in a way that’s easy for non-experts to follow. In last quarter’s project update meetings, you broke down technical risks into plain language so stakeholders could make informed decisions quickly.”

“You consistently listen without interrupting and summarize what you heard before responding. This has helped our cross-functional meetings stay focused and has reduced misunderstandings.”

For someone who needs to improve clarity:

“Your written updates are often detailed, but key points can get buried. For example, in your weekly status emails, the main decisions and action items are sometimes hard to find. Using bullet points and clear subject lines would make your messages easier to act on.”

For someone who dominates conversations:

“You bring strong ideas to discussions, but you often speak for most of the meeting and leave limited space for others. In the last two planning sessions, several team members didn’t get to share their perspectives. Pausing to invite input could lead to better decisions and stronger buy-in.”

For someone who avoids difficult conversations:

“When conflicts arise, you tend to move the conversation to email or delay addressing it. In the vendor issue last month, this led to more confusion and frustration. Handling disagreements directly and sooner, even if it feels uncomfortable, would likely resolve issues faster.”

These are real examples of communication skills feedback in 360-degree feedback that feel specific, respectful, and actionable—exactly what most employees say they want.

Key areas to cover with examples of communication skills feedback in 360-degree feedback

When you’re drafting comments, it helps to think in categories. The best examples of communication skills feedback in 360-degree feedback usually touch on a few core areas:

• Listening and empathy
• Clarity and structure
• Tone and professionalism
• Adaptability to audience
• Written vs. verbal communication
• Communication in remote or hybrid settings
• Handling conflict and difficult conversations

Instead of labeling someone as “good” or “bad” at communication, focus on what they do or don’t do in these areas. That’s where the most helpful examples of communication skills feedback in 360-degree feedback come from.

Listening and empathy

Listening is often the hidden half of communication. Here’s how you might describe strong listening behaviors:

“You regularly paraphrase what others say to confirm understanding, which helps everyone feel heard. During the budget review, you restated each stakeholder’s concern before responding, and it noticeably lowered the tension in the room.”

For growth feedback:

“In fast-paced meetings, you sometimes respond quickly without checking that you understood the other person’s point. For example, during the Q2 planning call, you proposed solutions before clarifying the root issue. Asking one or two follow-up questions could help you address the real concern more effectively.”

If you want to support this kind of feedback with research, organizations like the Harvard Business Review frequently highlight active listening as a strong predictor of leadership effectiveness.

Clarity and structure

Clarity is where many people struggle, especially in written communication.

Positive feedback:

“Your slide decks and emails are structured in a way that makes next steps obvious. In the last product launch, your summary email clearly listed decisions, owners, and due dates, which helped the team move quickly.”

Constructive feedback:

“You share a lot of helpful information, but it sometimes arrives in long paragraphs or multiple messages, which can be hard to follow. For instance, your Slack updates about the release schedule came in several short posts, and some details were missed. Grouping key points into a single, clearly labeled message would reduce confusion.”

The best examples of communication skills feedback in 360-degree feedback don’t just say “be clearer”—they say how to be clearer.

Tone, professionalism, and emotional impact

Tone can make or break how a message is received, especially in written form where people can’t hear your voice.

Positive example:

“You manage to stay calm and respectful even when conversations get heated. During the outage incident review, you acknowledged the impact on the team, avoided blame, and kept the focus on solutions.”

Growth example:

“Your feedback is usually accurate, but the tone can come across as more critical than intended. In your code review comments, phrases like ‘this is wrong’ or ‘why would you do it this way?’ discouraged some teammates from asking follow-up questions. Rephrasing to focus on the work (e.g., ‘A different approach might be…’) could help your feedback land more constructively.”

This kind of example of communication skills feedback in 360-degree feedback helps someone adjust their style without attacking their character.

Adapting to different audiences

Strong communicators adjust their message depending on who’s listening.

Positive feedback:

“You’re very effective at tailoring your communication to your audience. In executive briefings, you focus on outcomes and risks; with the team, you provide more detail and context. This flexibility helps different groups get what they need from you.”

Constructive feedback:

“You use a lot of technical language, even with non-technical stakeholders. During the client onboarding session, several participants looked confused by acronyms and internal jargon. Checking for understanding and simplifying terms would make your presentations more accessible.”

Again, the best examples of communication skills feedback in 360-degree feedback name a specific moment, describe the impact, and suggest an alternative.

Written vs. verbal communication

Some people shine in meetings but struggle in email, or vice versa. It’s helpful to separate those.

Positive written communication example:

“Your written documentation is clear, organized, and easy to reference. The onboarding guide you created has reduced the number of repeat questions from new hires.”

Constructive verbal communication example:

“In larger meetings, your points are valuable but sometimes hard to follow because they come across as ‘thinking out loud.’ In last week’s all-hands, your update jumped between topics, and several people later said they weren’t sure what the key message was. Taking a moment to outline your main point before speaking could make your contributions even more effective.”

Organizations like the U.S. Office of Personnel Management emphasize written and oral communication as separate dimensions in many competency models, which can guide how you structure your feedback.

Communication in remote and hybrid work (2024–2025 trends)

In 2024–2025, communication feedback almost always touches remote and hybrid work. People are juggling video calls, chat apps, and email—and miscommunication spreads faster.

Positive example:

“You’re very intentional about communication in our hybrid environment. You share agendas before meetings, summarize decisions in writing afterward, and make sure remote participants are included in the discussion. This has helped create a more inclusive team culture.”

Constructive example:

“You sometimes rely on chat messages for sensitive topics that might be better handled in a quick video call. For example, the conversation about shifting project priorities over Slack led to confusion and stress for the team. Choosing a richer communication channel for high-impact changes could prevent misunderstandings.”

You can also acknowledge how people use AI tools for communication now:

“You’ve started using AI tools to draft emails, which has helped with speed, but occasionally the tone feels less personal. A quick review to add your own voice and context would help maintain trust with stakeholders.”

The strongest examples of communication skills feedback in 360-degree feedback now recognize that channel choice (email, chat, video, in-person) is part of communication skill.

Handling conflict and difficult conversations

Conflict isn’t a sign of poor communication; avoiding or mishandling it often is.

Positive example:

“You address disagreements directly and respectfully. In the resource allocation debate, you listened to each side, summarized their points fairly, and proposed a compromise that both teams accepted.”

Constructive example:

“When you disagree, you sometimes use sarcasm or humor that others experience as dismissive. During the roadmap discussion, a few comments made some teammates reluctant to speak up. Being more straightforward about your concerns, without jokes, would help others feel safer contributing.”

Research from organizations like the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) shows that constructive conflict management is closely tied to communication training, which you can reference when suggesting development resources.

Turning real examples into a simple feedback formula

If you struggle to write, use a simple pattern to create your own examples of communication skills feedback in 360-degree feedback:

• Start with a specific situation or behavior.
• Describe the impact on others or on results.
• Suggest a concrete next step or alternative.

For instance:

“During the client kickoff meeting (situation), you used a lot of internal acronyms, and several clients later emailed with basic clarification questions (impact). Pausing to define key terms or including a short glossary in your deck would help clients feel more confident and reduce follow-up emails (next step).”

Or for positive feedback:

“In our weekly stand-ups (situation), you consistently keep updates under two minutes and focus on blockers and decisions (behavior). This helps the team stay engaged and keeps the meeting on time (impact). Please keep modeling this style for others (next step).”

Once you get used to this pattern, you can quickly generate your own real examples of communication skills feedback in 360-degree feedback that feel specific to your organization.

FAQ: examples of communication skills feedback in 360-degree feedback

Q: What is a strong example of positive communication feedback for a 360 review?
A: A strong example focuses on behavior and impact, such as: “You consistently clarify expectations at the end of meetings by restating decisions and owners. This habit has reduced follow-up questions and helped projects move forward more smoothly.”

Q: What are some examples of constructive communication feedback that don’t feel harsh?
A: Frame feedback around outcomes, not personality. For example: “Your emails sometimes include multiple topics in one long paragraph, and a few teammates have missed key deadlines as a result. Breaking messages into short sections with clear headings would make it easier for others to act on your requests.” This kind of example of communication skills feedback in 360-degree feedback addresses the issue without labeling the person.

Q: How many examples of communication skills feedback should I include in a 360 review?
A: Aim for two to four specific examples tied to different situations (meetings, email, conflict, presentations). Too few, and the feedback feels vague; too many, and it can feel overwhelming. Prioritize the behaviors that have the biggest impact on the person’s success.

Q: Can I use the same examples for different employees?
A: You can reuse structure and phrasing, but the best examples of communication skills feedback in 360-degree feedback are grounded in real events. If you copy-paste generic lines without adjusting them, people will notice—and it can damage trust in the process.

Q: How do I give communication feedback to a senior leader in a 360 review?
A: Focus on strategic impact and organizational ripple effects. For example: “When priorities change, the message sometimes reaches teams through informal channels first, which creates anxiety and speculation. Sharing a brief, direct update with managers before changes roll out would help maintain trust and alignment.” Senior leaders usually appreciate examples that connect their communication style to culture, engagement, and results.

If you keep your feedback specific, respectful, and tied to real behavior, your 360s will stop sounding like generic HR templates and start sounding like something people can actually grow from. That’s the real power of using thoughtful, concrete examples of communication skills feedback in 360-degree feedback.