Feedforward

Feedforward is a process that allows a team to strengthen itself together for the future.
Compared to classical feedback, feedforward offers several advantages. In feedback, a feedback giver projects his or her opinion onto a receiver, to which the receiver reacts subjectively on the basis of his or her basic assumptions. In this respect, feedback hardly ever achieves the result desired by the feedback giver.

Feedforward involves all parties equally in the development process. In feedforward, the sender himself decides what he wants to be measured on and builds the process together with people from whom he wants support. The person being observed tells an observer what he or she would like to have observed in the future and asks for the observer’s suggestions for improvement. The observer thanks the observer for the answer and asks him/her to continue to be attentive to this one issue.

Applying feedforward

Feedback (from the observer)	Feedforward (from the observed)
Clarify the readiness of the recipient	Announce desire for improvement of own behaviour
Ensure confidentiality	Ask for ideas for implementation
No judgement	Listening
Own perception	Give thanks
“I”-messages
As concrete as possible
Not influenceable	Influenceable
Responsibility for the service lies with the service provider	Responsibility for performance lies with both partie
Past orientation	Future orientation
Projection onto another person	Desire for own improvement
Impact: open	Impact: positif

Breakout sessions (30 minutes)

Experience the difference between feedback and feedforward with your peer:

• In the first round, give feedback to the other person on behalf of a behaviour, an achievement, a result etc. and observe how the person is reacting.
• In the second round, apply feedforward by formulating a wish for own development and announce to your peer, what behaviour you would like to change yourself. Ask for an impulsion and thank the other party.
• To conclude compare the commitment of all parties involved in the two rounds. What happens when you are applying feedback?

You can easily transfer this experience into practice. Make your own change request for yourself to the people you trust. You will see what kind of group dynamics you will ignite! And if you do this, you may expect this from others as well.

Sources

Goldsmith, M. (2008):
What got you here won’t get you there. How successful people become even more successful! London, profile books.

Kres, M. (2017):
Mutmacher: Unternehmen stärken durch mutige Führung. 3. Aufl. Wiesbaden, SpringerGabler. S. 87.

ProMove TM (2021):
Enabling transformation. Internal tool box for clients.