Feeding the Future: A Leader's Guide to Transformative Communication

Dear Leaders,

You’ve given and received feedback plenty of times. It has shaped careers, boosted success, and sometimes created dread (performance reviews, anyone?).

Feedback is a mirror—it shows you what you’ve done and how it has affected others. This reflection builds accountability. It teaches us to grow from mistakes.

But feedback is tricky. It can feel harsh, even make people defensive. For feedback to work, it must occur in a positive culture.

When done right, it improves performance and morale. Whether you love or hate feedback often depends on how someone delivers it and whether it helps you grow.

What’s Missing in Traditional Feedback?

1. It’s stuck in the past?– Reviews often focus on what you did wrong before, not how to grow in the future.
2. It’s stressful?– Formal conversations that happen rarely make employees nervous.
3. It falls short?– Traditional reviews often lack specific advice for career growth.

Try feedforward! It’s a new way to address these gaps. It focuses on future possibilities and offers clear steps for improvement.

What is feedforward?

The idea started in the 1950s with cybernetics. Then, in the 2000s, Marshall Goldsmith helped it grow in leadership. Feedforward moves away from revisiting past mistakes. Instead, it offers practical suggestions for improving performance in the future.

Joe Hirsch puts it simply: "Feedforward helps people improve in the future. It focuses on what they can do, not on past mistakes."

How Feedforward Stands Out

1. Feedforward looks to the future. It focuses on actions to come. Feedback, on the other hand, looks back at past mistakes.
2. It feels better – Feedforward is constructive and less likely to trigger defensiveness.
3. It inspires action?– Suggestions are clear and actionable, making improvement easier.

Why Leaders Choose Feedforward

Here are nine strengths of feedforward that make it a go-to tool for leaders:

1. No judgment, only ideas?– It focuses on improvement, not criticism.
2. Inclusive?– Anyone with expertise can offer it, no hierarchy needed.
3. Easier to hear?– People are more open to suggestions about the future.
4. Empowering?– It assumes people want to and can grow.
5. Simple?– Short dialogues make implementation easy.
6. Stronger relationships?– Positive exchanges build trust and team spirit.
7. Works with feedback?– It complements, not replaces, traditional methods.
8. Action-focused?– Suggestions are practical, not vague.
9. Win-win?– Both parties learn and grow.

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A study with a Fortune 200 company found that feedforward is more effective than traditional feedback. Employees found expectations clearer and the process fairer.

Another research showed it activates the brain’s prefrontal cortex. This helps people focus on solutions rather than fear.

How to Use Feedforward to Address Performance

Want to start using feedforward to improve team performance? Here’s how to make it work:

1. Stay positive?– Frame conversations around growth, not past shortcomings.
2. Be specific?– Offer clear, actionable advice that employees can act on right away.
3. Encourage dialogue?– Create a space where feedback flows both ways.
4. Focus on actions, not traits – Discuss behaviors that can change, not personalities.
5. Check in regularly?– Replace yearly reviews with short, frequent sessions.
6. Connect to goals?– Tie suggestions to personal and organizational objectives.
7. Coach, don’t critique?– Help your people grow through encouragement and guidance.

One structured way to adopt this is Joe Hirsch’s REPAIR framework:

• Regenerate potential
• Expand possibilities
• Particular focus on key actions
• Authentic, honest dialogue
• Impactful suggestions
• Refine team connections

Balance feedback by incorporating feedforward into daily leadership helps drive growth, teamwork, and a positive vibe.

TL; DR

Feedback looks back. It teaches accountability. It helps people learn from mistakes. But it can feel tough and personal. Done right, it boosts morale and performance.

‘Feedforward’ looks ahead. It focuses on actionable steps and future growth. A mix of feedback and feedforward creates a balanced culture. Leaders who master both inspire innovation, improve team bonds, and unlock potential.

Choosing feedforward and balancing it with feedback will boost performance and also inspire and improve lives. That’s the mark of a great leader.

Best,

Meenu

Meenu Datta is a certified executive coach who helps tech executives navigate the unique challenges of their roles, such as imposter syndrome, work-life integration, effective communication, and strategizing their next career phase. Her clients have achieved Freedom using her 'True Freedom Formula'. Her personalized coaching empowers leaders to build confidence, sharpen their leadership skills, and align their careers with their values while building freedom for themselves.

Want to explore how she can help you create a Feedforward culture? Contact her here.