When we listen closely to people who are reluctant to provide 360-degree feedback, their comments may hold the seeds of a solution.

The statement above came from a worker who regretted his refusal to participate:

"I'm opting out of this 360 with great reluctance. But let me say that, when I had the pleasure of working with him, it was a great experience. He is really, really committed to the company and its clients; and after writing this, I am thinking, ah hell, I should have given him a full 360!"

Three luxurious condo towers are under construction, overlooking the blue ocean north of Miami.

On the hoardings against the sidewalk, an immense sign advertises "The Visionaries" who were wise enough to invest in the apartments.

You can recognize their enormous photographs from blocks away: Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, and others.

At that spot, at four o'clock every afternoon, something quite remarkable happens.

A few years ago, a leading company asked us for help with their 360-degree feedback process. To everyone's surprise, it was neither lifting morale nor inspiring the participants. Quite the opposite.

The company had invested generously to design the perfect feedback system. The crowning glory - supposedly - was that it delivered the final report directly to the employee's desktop, thus maintaining perfect confidentiality.

And that was the problem.

The weather during the past few weeks has been icy and mean.

I was out for my usual morning walk, striding along with great confidence, when suddenly I found myself on my hands and knees.

I think of myself as a pretty stable guy, so I didn't enjoy that closeup view of a slippery sidewalk. But I brushed myself off, and kept going.

Three days later, I was walking down our frozen back lane. A car was backing toward me, but the driver spotted me and stopped. Good thing too, because next moment I was lying on my side on a treacherous stretch of ice.

Remember the last time you heard a car backfire? It probably scared you. "Who's shooting at me?" People have the same kind of fear about feedback.

We've all seen individuals suddenly, without warning, explode at someone with whom they're upset. If that's feedback, it certainly gives feedback a bad name. It's frightening.

So if you're planning to bring 360-degree feedback into your workplace, there's reason to wonder whether people will embrace it, or run for the hills.

The key answer to that concern is two words: executive leadership.