At a Chief Learning Officer forum, I heard Marshall Goldsmith talk about incorporating forward looking input into feedback surveys. He used the term feedforward. His point was, don’t just tell leaders what they are doing well or not doing well. Give them a look forward as to what they will need to be successful in the future. His play on the words of feedback and feedforward made me wonder how I could be a better feedback giver if I provided feedback with the intention of helping the person be more successful in the future than they are today.
“Focus on the promise of the future rather than the mistakes of the past”
We all want to give feedback so that it is heard, understood, accepted and actually results in a change in behavior. As I researched the criteria for good feedback, I found many of the same tips repeated in what I read: be timely, give a specific example, create a SMART plan of action, follow-up.
And these tips are all good, but from my point of view, the critical key to successful feedback is: has the feedback giver examined intentions? That is, ask yourself, why am I giving the feedback in the first place. Specifically ask yourself:
• Whose interest do I have in mind. [mine or theirs?]
• What am I trying to accomplish with this feedback [penalize or create a different outcome?]
• Am I thinking, I know what went wrong and how to fix it and I’m going to tell them or am I curious about their perspective, what they think might make it better next time, and by exploring together we will come up with a way to make it better?
The FeedForward mindset is one of a servant. How can I support this person as they continue to grow? Will this feedback help them continue to grow towards their best self?
The word feedback itself, makes us focus too much on the past. Yes, we want to assess the past for vital information, but the main purpose of feedback is to look forward. What can we do next time, so we continue to learn, improve and grow! This is FeedForward to next time.
LEADER KNOW HOW PRACTICE: APPLY IT TO YOUR OWN LEADERSHIP
Which mindset do you use?
FeedForward
Focus on the Future
Exploring, Discovering, Growing
Receiver Focused
Opportunity to strengthen the relationship
Looking for Reconciliation
Feedback
Focus on the past
Knowing, Telling, Correcting
Giver Focused
Careful not to harm the relationship
Looking for Retribution