Better than Feedback

As you seek to improve your own effectiveness and that of others with whom you work, I suggest you consider feed-forward.

All of us, of course, are all too familiar with feedback.

Marshall Goldsmith, and others involved in Stakeholder Centered Coaching, have uncovered a much greater impact from feed-forward; these are suggestions for the future.

As Marshall describes it: “There is a fundamental problem with all types of feedback: it focuses on the past, on what has already occurred – not on the infinite variety of opportunities that can happen in the future.” (Credit: Marshall Goldsmith, “Try Feedforward Instead of Feedback”)

Given that we can change the future, but we can’t change the past, feedforward suggestions create many more opportunities for improvement and growth.

Most people have experienced the anxiety of giving and receiving feedback. Even when offered as “constructive critique,” it often creates defensiveness. In giving feedback, what we are seeking to do is to create an improvement in the other person. Yet defensiveness diminishes the impact.

On the other hand, by framing our guidance as suggestions for the future, the advice is seen more positively and solution-focused. “Positive suggestions tend to be seen as objective advice – personal critiques are often viewed as personal attacks.” (Goldsmith, reference above). Marshall elaborates that, “Feedforward is based on the assumption that the receiver of suggestions can make positive changes in the future.”

While there is still a need, at times, to provide feedback, I suggest you consider how feed-forward might better meet your intent most of the time.

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Kathy Letendre, President and Founder of Letendre & Associates, advises organizations and leaders to create their excellence advantage.
Contact Kathy by phone or text at 802-779-4315 or via email.