360-Degree-Feedback #7: Overcoming Obstacles—What to Do When Things Go Wrong?

Aug 26, 2025 4 min reading

Even with the best possible preparation, things can go wrong. After years of working with 360-degree feedback, I’ve seen almost everything—from technical disasters to open employee revolts. The good news is that most problems can be anticipated and addressed if you know what to prepare for.

The Most Common Problems and Their Solutions

“People aren’t filling out the questionnaires.”
This is a classic. You send out 100 invitations, and after a week, you have 30 responses and start to panic. The most common reasons are:

They don’t understand the purpose: People don’t see the point or fear the consequences. The solution is more intensive communication and personal explanations from their managers.
Time constraints: The questionnaire arrived during deadlines or holidays. The solution is better planning and possibly extending the deadline.
Technical issues: The link doesn’t work, they’ve forgotten their password, the system is slow. The solution is quality technical support and a backup plan.

Pro Tip: When response rates are low, don’t resort to urgent emails. Call the managers and ask them to discuss it personally with their teams. It often turns out that the problem is in communication or misunderstanding, not a lack of interest. A personal conversation between a manager and their team has more impact than ten reminder emails and will help uncover the real reasons for non-participation.

“The feedback is too positive and vague.”
You get comments like “everything is fine” or “he’s a great colleague.” This usually means that raters are afraid to be honest.
Possible causes and solutions:

Insufficient assurance of anonymity → Strengthen anonymity and communicate it better.
Fear of conflict → Emphasize the developmental purpose and safety of the process.
Poor training for raters → Invest more in training and provide specific examples.

“Someone received devastating feedback.”
The opposite extreme—the person being reviewed receives feedback so negative that they are crushed or angry. Here, the quality of the feedback conversation and subsequent support is key.
How to proceed:

Verify the validity of the feedback (is it based on personal animosities?).
Focus on specific behaviors, not personality.
Break down development into small, achievable steps.
Provide support from a coach or mentor.
Regularly monitor progress and their mental state.

Cultural and Organizational Barriers

“That’s not how we do things here.”
Sometimes you’ll encounter organizations where feedback simply isn’t the norm. People are used to a hierarchy where management isn’t criticized and colleagues don’t comment on each other’s work.
A gradual approach helps here:

Start with a small group of volunteers.
Involve respected leaders as ambassadors.
Focus on positive examples and successes.
Patiently build a feedback culture in small steps.

“Management doesn’t support the process.”
Without genuine support from leadership, 360-degree feedback is doomed to fail. If management only formally approves the project but doesn’t get involved otherwise, employees will quickly notice.

Signs of insufficient support:

Management does not participate in the process themselves.
They don’t allocate time or resources for follow-up development.
They show no interest in the results.
They don’t communicate the importance of the process.

The solution:

Prepare a convincing business case.
Start with a small pilot project.
Regularly report successes and benefits.
Patiently build support using facts and stories.

Ethical Dilemmas in Practice

Problematic Results
What if the 360-degree feedback uncovers serious problems with a manager? For example, what if all subordinates independently report bullying or discrimination? Or what if the results suggest someone is not suited for a leadership position?
It’s important to stick to the established principles:

360-degree feedback is a developmental tool, not a disciplinary one.
If the results indicate serious issues, they should be addressed through other channels.
The confidentiality of individual results must be maintained.
Focus on support and development, not punishment.

Pressure to Link to Compensation
I often encounter managers or leadership who want to use the results for making decisions about salaries. “We have all this great data, so why not use it?”
Resistance must be principled and clear. If you break the barrier between development and evaluation once, no one will be honest in the next round.

How to Know When It’s Not Working and It’s Time to Change Your Approach

Sometimes the best solution is to admit that the current approach isn’t working and to change it.

Warning signs:

Persistently low response rates for questionnaires (below 60%).
Superficial and non-specific feedback.
Resistance from employees or managers.
Failure to follow through on development plans.
Loss of credibility for the process.

Possible changes in approach:

Simplify the process (fewer competencies, shorter questionnaire).
Change the target group (start with managers instead of everyone).
Strengthen communication and training.
Gain stronger support from leadership.
Use external facilitators for greater credibility.

Pro Tip:
Quality over quantity. Sometimes it’s better to do 360-degree feedback for 10 people well than for 100 people poorly. A smaller but well-executed pilot has a better chance of success and expansion than an ambitious project that fails.