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Proactive Leadership – Feedback to Feed-Forward

Opinion – By Manuj Bij (General Manager and Delhi Branch Head, Ad Astra Consultants)

Organizations are in a state of constant evolution and we are required to be in a constant state of learning to keep up with this. In my efforts to do so, earlier this year I attended a session with Marshal Goldsmith. He is an American Leadership coach and has authored various books on management, exploring various ideas in them. In this article, I would like to discuss one such idea; one that questions the very fabric of how we assess and work with our people – The Feed-Forward theory.

In the corporate world, Feedback is extensively used as a process of assessment. While effective feedback helps maintain a capable workforce, the method has certain issues of its own. To name a few, Feedback:

  • Is a post-mortem of events that have already occurred
  • Makes the receiver defensive
  • Is focused on problems and not on solutions

To address these issues with Feedback, Goldsmith introduces the concept of “Feed-Forward”. It essentially flips the focus of the conversation from setbacks to action items that will help the receiver improve their performance in the area being discussed and it takes into consideration the skill/behavior required for the goal to be accomplished.

As an example, let us consider the situation where a Key Account Manager (KAM) is unable to mine clients to utilize their full potential. By the means of observations and conversations, you understand that the cause for this is probably a lack of focus coupled with fear of failure. in the feedback approach, the conversation will mostly be about how the KAM hasn’t been performing up to mark and that there have been more than a few instances when fear/lack of focus has led to lost an opportunity. In all likelihood this will put the KAM on the defensive; Either by speaking up for their action/inaction so far or by holding a stubborn silence. Both these situations do not help the individual think about improving. In the feed-forward approach, the conversation by setting a goal and discussing what skills/behaviors/processes are required for achieving this goal and creating an action list. The next step of the conversation would include checking off items in the list based on the existing skills and resources that the person possesses. The unchecked items of the list will represent the action areas for the KAM. This tool can also be used to identify gaps in motivation and processes. Using the feed-forward method, you give the person being reviewed the space and opportunity to self-evaluate and add your thoughts/observations only as add-ons to facilitate their success. The futuristic engagement assures a more positive outcome from the review.

The feed-forward mechanism also requires the person initiating the review to evaluate themselves as mentors and leaders because to inspire self-improvement the leader has to be a practitioner. As leaders/to-be-leaders we all make mistakes but the key is to learn from them. A few common mistakes that Goldsmith points out are:

  1. The need to always win. (Inability to humbly accept defeat)
  2. Obsession toward adding value everywhere. (Giving you two-cents everywhere)
  3. Imposing personal standards (Process are important but it has to incorporate everyone)
  4. Making demotivating comments. (All wit is not good wit)
  5. Using negative reinforcement. (Always saying no or opposing deters conversations)
  6. Speaking when angry. (Decisions made when angry are often wrong)
  7. Withholding information. (A true leader is not an individual contributor)
  8. Failing to recognize people. (Efforts count as much as impact)
  9. Claiming unearned credit. (Credibility is a subset of honesty)
  10. Clinging to the past. (Learn from the past but always think about the future)
  11. Refusing to express regret. (Growth is accepting and acknowledging mistakes)
  12. Being a bad listener. (People trust those who listen)
  13. Passing the buck. (Not taking ownership for your actions)

With this understanding, we stand in the brink of a new change that will hopefully be a step towards creating better organizations.

Proactive Leadership – Feedback to Feed-Forward

Opinion – By Manuj Bij (General Manager and Delhi Branch Head, Ad Astra Consultants)

Organizations are in a state of constant evolution and we are required to be in a constant state of learning to keep up with this. In my efforts to do so, earlier this year I attended a session with Marshal Goldsmith. He is an American Leadership coach and has authored various books on management, exploring various ideas in them. In this article, I would like to discuss one such idea; one that questions the very fabric of how we assess and work with our people – The Feed-Forward theory.

In the corporate world, Feedback is extensively used as a process of assessment. While effective feedback helps maintain a capable workforce, the method has certain issues of its own. To name a few, Feedback:

  • Is a post-mortem of events that have already occurred
  • Makes the receiver defensive
  • Is focused on problems and not on solutions

To address these issues with Feedback, Goldsmith introduces the concept of “Feed-Forward”. It essentially flips the focus of the conversation from setbacks to action items that will help the receiver improve their performance in the area being discussed and it takes into consideration the skill/behavior required for the goal to be accomplished.

As an example, let us consider the situation where a Key Account Manager (KAM) is unable to mine clients to utilize their full potential. By the means of observations and conversations, you understand that the cause for this is probably a lack of focus coupled with fear of failure. in the feedback approach, the conversation will mostly be about how the KAM hasn’t been performing up to mark and that there have been more than a few instances when fear/lack of focus has led to lost an opportunity. In all likelihood this will put the KAM on the defensive; Either by speaking up for their action/inaction so far or by holding a stubborn silence. Both these situations do not help the individual think about improving. In the feed-forward approach, the conversation by setting a goal and discussing what skills/behaviors/processes are required for achieving this goal and creating an action list. The next step of the conversation would include checking off items in the list based on the existing skills and resources that the person possesses. The unchecked items of the list will represent the action areas for the KAM. This tool can also be used to identify gaps in motivation and processes. Using the feed-forward method, you give the person being reviewed the space and opportunity to self-evaluate and add your thoughts/observations only as add-ons to facilitate their success. The futuristic engagement assures a more positive outcome from the review.

The feed-forward mechanism also requires the person initiating the review to evaluate themselves as mentors and leaders because to inspire self-improvement the leader has to be a practitioner. As leaders/to-be-leaders we all make mistakes but the key is to learn from them. A few common mistakes that Goldsmith points out are:

  1. The need to always win. (Inability to humbly accept defeat)
  2. Obsession toward adding value everywhere. (Giving you two-cents everywhere)
  3. Imposing personal standards (Process are important but it has to incorporate everyone)
  4. Making demotivating comments. (All wit is not good wit)
  5. Using negative reinforcement. (Always saying no or opposing deters conversations)
  6. Speaking when angry. (Decisions made when angry are often wrong)
  7. Withholding information. (A true leader is not an individual contributor)
  8. Failing to recognize people. (Efforts count as much as impact)
  9. Claiming unearned credit. (Credibility is a subset of honesty)
  10. Clinging to the past. (Learn from the past but always think about the future)
  11. Refusing to express regret. (Growth is accepting and acknowledging mistakes)
  12. Being a bad listener. (People trust those who listen)
  13. Passing the buck. (Not taking ownership for your actions)

With this understanding, we stand in the brink of a new change that will hopefully be a step towards creating better organizations.