Don't Get Feedback-Get Feedforward Instead

What's the scariest thing you hear at work?

"Can I give you some feedback?" 

What's your first reaction?

1. Say, Hell no!

2. Run away

3. Defend yourself from the criticism that's coming

4. Bare your teeth

5. Think, yeah. A chance to grow

Did you pick number 5? Wow, unicorns do exist!

Unrequested feedback sucks. 

Feedback is backward-looking, usually unsolicited, and often delivered by a manager.

But the dirty secret is that managers hate giving feedback too. Because:

1. They have their own stuff to do

2. Gathering performance data takes a lot of time

3. Feedback rarely improves poor behavior

4. Judging others is uncomfortable

But it is part of the job, so once in a while, maybe once a year, managers will brace themselves and deliver feedback.

If everyone hates feedback, why do we continue to do it?

Because professional growth depends on input from others. Exchanging opinions and perspectives is the only way to challenge our personal narratives. We make sense of the world by building stories.Unfortnately these stories also limit us, narrow our vision and keep us from compiling a vibrant, dynamic view of the world.

All humans have blind spots and personal biases that limit how much of the world we can see. 

We need others' perspectives and narratives to expand our vision and offer more options. 

Marshall Goldsmith, author of An Earned Life suggests we try something new:  FEEDFORWARD

Feedforward is fundamentally different from feedback in the following ways:
1. Feedforward examines preferred future behaviors
2. The Doer invites observers to share their perspectives 
3. Its goal is to support growth, not correct past behavior

"...feedforward represents other people's ideas that you should be using in the future." The boss/observer should not initiate nor lead a feedback discussion. This responsibility lies with the worker/doer.

With Feedforward, the request  comes from the worker and may start with: "Will you notice how compelling my opening statement is today?"

Or, "I put together my thoughts on my last project. I want to review where I did strong work, where I did ok work, and where I need to focus my efforts."

Take charge and lead a feedforward conversation to grow professionally. You know your job and your job performance far better than your manager does.

Use the Dialogue Calibration Tool (read how to do this here).

Thoughtful managers can certainly initiate a feedforward conversation. I think that scaling questions are the perfect tool to support employee growth.  (Learn more about scaling questions here.) The conversation may start with:

"If 10 is you delivered the most compelling opening statement imaginable in your presentation and 1 is the opposite. Where would you put yourself?"

Scaling questions allow for thoughtful exchanges of opinions. 

Try to Feedforward. I know it takes courage to ask others to notice where you are doing well and where you are stumbling but you're severely limiting yourself if you don't.

Get your lead involved and ask him/her to notice specific areas of your work and take charge of your professional growth. Find a partner to share the glory in your triumphs and explore how to shore up your weaker areas.

Change the direction of traditional feedback. Take ownership and try a Feedforward conversation. The results will be broader perspectives, multiple options to consider, and an honest exchange of opinions.