Narrative comments are a vital part of the 360-degree feedback process. They give responders the opportunity to share feedback in their own words.
These comments add valuable context to numeric ratings and often provide the richest, most meaningful, and most actionable insights.
Narrative comments can help:
- Clarify the reasons behind ratings
- Highlight specific examples or behaviors
- Identify strengths and development opportunities
- Provide more personalized and detailed feedback
While completing narrative comment sections is optional, Responders are strongly encouraged to provide comments whenever possible, as they add important depth, context, and practical insight to the feedback process.
What is a Narrative Comment?
A Narrative Comment is an open-ended question that allows responders to enter free-text responses. Comment boxes in Panoramic Feedback questionnaires do not impose restrictions on the length of text entered, allowing responders to provide as much detail and context as they wish.
Unlike rating questions, narrative comments:
- Do not use a scale
- Capture qualitative feedback
- Provide examples and explanations
Common Types of Narrative Comment Questions
Narrative comment questions (all optional) can be placed in different parts of the questionnaire, depending on the type of feedback you want to collect.
Common approaches include:
- Per-Heading Comments
Narrative comment questions placed at the end of each section or competency area
- Comment Boxes throughout the Questionnaire
Open-ended comment fields inserted anywhere within the questionnaire to gather feedback on specific topics
- Concluding Comments
General feedback questions placed at the end of the questionnaire
Examples of narrative comment questions include:
- “What are this person’s key strengths?”
- “What areas could this person improve?”
- “What should this person continue doing?”
Well-written narrative comment questions encourage thoughtful, specific, and actionable feedback.
Tips for Creating Effective Narrative Comment Questions
- Use clear, simple, and easy-to-understand wording
- Ask for specific and actionable feedback rather than general opinions
- Avoid overly broad, leading, or vague questions
- Review questions carefully before launching the questionnaire
- Limit the number of narrative comment questions to help reduce responder fatigue
- Encourage constructive, respectful, and development-focused responses
- Ensure the questions align with the goals and objectives of your project
- Include questions that invite both strengths and development opportunities
Tips for Using Narrative Comment Feedback
- Review narrative comments alongside rating data to gain a fuller understanding of the feedback
- Look for recurring themes or patterns across multiple responses
- Use comments to support meaningful reflection and development conversations
- Be mindful of confidentiality when sharing or discussing comments
- Focus on overall trends rather than individual remarks
Typically, all submitted narrative comments are included in the Subject’s 360-degree feedback report.
However, you also have the flexibility to:
- Generate reports without narrative comments
- Export narrative comments to a separate text file
- Analyze comments separately to identify common themes and trends
- Present summarized themes or key observations to Subjects instead of individual comments
This flexibility allows organizations to choose the approach that best supports their feedback, coaching, confidentiality, and development objectives.
