The Importance of a Feedforward Culture in Fostering Growth and Innovation

In Corporate America, where feedback is common, the intention is clear: help individuals and teams grow, learn, and excel. But feedback often looks to the past, highlighting what went wrong or could have been better. While this backward glance can be valuable, it may also unintentionally create defensiveness or disengagement. Enter the concept of feedforward—a powerful, future-focused alternative that emphasizes possibilities rather than problems.

Creating a feedforward culture in your organization isn’t just about changing how we give advice; it’s about transforming how we think about growth, improvement, and innovation.

What is Feedforward?

Coined by leadership expert Marshall Goldsmith, feedforward shifts the focus from evaluating past actions to suggesting actions for the future. Instead of saying, “Here’s what you did wrong,” feedforward asks, “What can we do differently to succeed next time?”

By looking ahead, feedforward helps individuals visualize opportunities and solutions, reducing the fear of judgment or failure.

The Benefits of Feedforward on Culture and Innovation

1. It Reduces Resistance

Traditional feedback can make people defensive because it critiques what’s already done and can’t be changed. Feedforward, on the other hand, is aspirational. It bypasses the blame game and inspires forward movement.

2. It Fosters a Growth Mindset

Feedforward encourages individuals to see every experience as a stepping stone for learning. By focusing on potential rather than shortcomings, it reinforces the belief that improvement is always possible.

3. It Encourages Innovation

In a feedforward culture, ideas are valued more than mistakes. This approach promotes risk-taking and experimentation, which are essential for driving innovation.

4. It Strengthens Relationships

Because feedforward focuses on collaboration and shared goals, it helps build trust and camaraderie. Team members feel supported rather than judged.

5. It Saves Time

Revisiting the past can sometimes bog down progress. Feedforward eliminates this by channeling energy into proactive solutions.

How to Establish Feedforward Culture

1. Lead by Example

Leaders set the tone. Model feedforward by offering constructive, future-focused suggestions in meetings, one-on-ones, and reviews.

2. Ask Future-Oriented Questions

Encourage questions like:

• “What’s one thing we can try to improve our next project?”
• “What new approach could make this process more efficient?”

3. Make it Part of Your Process

Incorporate feedforward into existing practices such as performance reviews, brainstorming sessions, and team retrospectives. Instead of asking “What went wrong?” ask “What could we do next time to achieve better results?”

4. Encourage a Feedback-Feedforward Blend

While feedforward is powerful, there’s still value in constructive feedback. Strike a balance by reviewing past actions with a focus on lessons learned, then pivot to actionable, forward-looking strategies.

5. Celebrate Progress, Not Perfection

Acknowledge steps toward improvement, even if the end result isn’t flawless. This reinforces the idea that growth is a journey.

Real-Life Benefits of Feedforward

Imagine a project that doesn’t go as planned. In a feedback-only culture, the postmortem might dwell on errors, leading to frustration or blame. In a feedforward culture, the conversation centers on potential solutions:

• “What can we automate to prevent this delay next time?”
• “How can we better communicate expectations upfront?”

This subtle shift not only diffuses tension but also energizes teams to find innovative ways to succeed.

A Culture That Looks Forward

By adopting a feedforward culture, organizations can create an environment where every misstep becomes a steppingstone, every critique turns into an opportunity, and every individual feels empowered to contribute their best.

Feedforward isn’t just a leadership strategy; it’s a mindset. It’s about believing in the potential for growth, embracing the power of possibilities, and charting a path toward a brighter, more innovative future.

So, the next time you’re tempted to ask, “Why didn’t this work?” pause and reframe the question: “What can we do next?” That single shift could make all the difference.

Are you ready to embrace feedforward? Start small, dream big, and watch your culture transform.

Happy Thursday all,

-srt