If delivered effectively, feedback centers on specific recommendations for future improvement and growth. If delivered ineffectively, it focuses only on what was done wrong, with no specific path provided toward a better outcome. Goldsmith (2002) provides an alternative approach labeled “feedforward.” It shares a future orientation with effective feedback but differs from feedback in that the coaches identify areas for improvement and asks for ideas from others about how to change their behavior.
initiate your own feedforward experience with your peers and practice providing specific recommendations based on their feedforward requests.
· Reflect upon your own professional life, in particular, how you relate to and/or manage others in professional contexts.
· Identify one or more behaviors you would want to improve as you work with and manage others.
· In preparation for responding to your colleagues, consider how feedforward can help you and others improve their management practices.
Post a description of one behavior in your professional life that significantly impacts how you manage or relate to others and that you would like to change.
Sample Answer
Simulated Feedforward Request: Enhancing Delegation and Empowerment
To my Peers:
Hello everyone,
I'm initiating a feedforward experience today to focus on a specific area where I'm keen to grow and improve in my professional interactions, particularly in how I manage and relate to others within a team context.
I've been reflecting on my approach to delegation and empowering team members. While I aim to support and guide, I recognize that I sometimes have a tendency to be overly prescriptive or to jump in to "help" (which can sometimes be perceived as taking over) when I see a task heading towards a potential roadblock or if I feel it's not being executed exactly as I envisioned. My intention is to ensure quality and meet deadlines, but I've observed that this behavior, while well-intentioned, can inadvertently limit my team members' sense of ownership, reduce their opportunities for independent problem-solving, and potentially hinder their professional growth. It can also lead to a perception that I don't fully trust their capabilities.
My specific request for feedforward is this:
"What are one or two concrete actions I could take to genuinely empower my team members more effectively, foster greater autonomy in their work, and encourage them to take full ownership of delegated tasks, even if it means allowing them to navigate initial challenges independently?"