Jason-
This is where it all falls apart.
My points have nothing to do with being lazy or careless, but everything to do with how we use data. The same data points can be used to justify completely different decisions depending on how the data is provided and framed. This is not because of laziness or carelessness, but simply due to natural cognitive bias and human nature. While some professions (such as politics and advertising) are well versed in this, those of us working in and around human resources continue to ignore it and then we wonder why things don’t work out.
Feedback is a good thing and I, for example, believe in the value of 360 degree feedback practices…but implementation is everything. There are organizations where 360 degree feedback is actually counterproductive because of the way it is being used.
I am only in favor of what you suggest if there is substantial consideration of the actual user experience and outcomes on the front end. I would never support a “lets just do it and figure it out on the way” approach for this kind of effort. Too much at risk.
That also applies to the question you pose. Whether the feedback that we are talking about should be anonymous or not depends entirely on the organization. There are some organizations where the leadership and the culture support and reward open, candid conversation and feedback. Not many but some, and this is not a yes/no best practice kind of question…it has to be appropriate to the organization.
-joe