A forward-looking strategy known as feedforward is supplementing and, in some cases, replacing traditional feedback mechanisms in the changing landscape of workplace communication and performance management. Unlike feedback, which centers on past behaviors and outcomes, feedforward emphasizes future possibilities and improvements. By encouraging a growth-oriented atmosphere, this proactive approach helps people and organizations concentrate on potential and ongoing development. If you want to understand what is feedforward exactly, you should know what is feedback. Our blog content about examples of feedback can give you valuable clues about feedback.
Definition of Feedforward
Feedforward is a communication approach that provides individuals with suggestions and guidance aimed at future improvement, rather than critiques of past performance. Coined by management expert Marshall Goldsmith, feedforward shifts the focus from what has been done to what can be done, promoting a constructive and optimistic outlook. In practice, this means offering actionable advice that helps individuals envision and achieve better outcomes moving forward.  
This method is particularly effective in professional settings where the goal is to enhance performance and foster development. By concentrating on future actions, feedforward avoids the defensiveness that often accompanies traditional feedback, creating a more open and receptive atmosphere for growth. It encourages individuals to consider new strategies and behaviors that can lead to improved results, thereby facilitating a culture of continuous improvement.
The Benefits of Feedforward in the Workplace
Implementing feedforward in the workplace offers several significant advantages that contribute to individual and organizational success.
Reducing of Defensiveness and Encourages Openness
Feedforward brings a refreshing and empowering dynamic to workplace communication. One of its most notable benefits is that it reduces defensiveness. Traditional feedback often triggers emotional reactions, especially when it highlights failures or weaknesses. Feedforward, on the other hand, feels less like judgment and more like a helpful roadmap. Because it also focuses on future possibilities rather than past mistakes, employees are more likely to embrace suggestions with an open mind.
Better Employee Engagement
Another major advantage of feedforward is the way it boosts employee engagement. When team members feel that they are being supported and guided rather than criticized, they naturally become more motivated to improve. This positive reinforcement builds trust between employees and managers, creating a more collaborative and open work culture. Engagement rises when individuals feel safe to grow and experiment without fear of judgment.
Promoting of Innovation and Creative Thinking
Feedforward also serves as a catalyst for innovation. Since it is inherently future-oriented, it shifts the focus from analyzing past errors to exploring new opportunities. This change in perspective encourages creative thinking and invites employees to experiment with fresh approaches. In rapidly changing industries where adaptability is essential, this mindset can lead to breakthrough ideas and more agile decision-making.
Improving Leadership and Strengthens Team Loyalty
Leaders who adopt a feedforward approach are often viewed not just as supervisors but as mentors and coaches. By prioritizing development and growth over criticism, they position themselves as allies in their team’s success. This approach strengthens team loyalty, reduces turnover, and fosters a culture of mutual respect. Leadership becomes more about enabling others than controlling outcomes.
Boosting of Performance Without Harming Employee Morale
Feedforward helps to improve performance while maintaining and even raising employee morale. Unlike negative feedback that can deflate confidence, feedforward is solution-focused and encouraging. It provides clear, constructive guidance that helps employees grow without feeling diminished. This contributes to a healthier workplace atmosphere where continuous learning is not only accepted but celebrated.
Feedback vs. Feedforward: What’s the Difference?
Though they are often lumped together in conversations about performance and improvement, feedback and feedforward are not quite the same thing. In fact, they operate on different wavelengths and serve different goals.
Feedback is rooted in hindsight. It looks back, evaluating past actions, decisions, or behaviors based on what happened or what was expected to happen. While it can certainly be useful for identifying missteps or reinforcing what’s working, it has a tendency to come across as judgmental or even deflating, especially when shared without empathy or context. It highlights errors more than it inspires change, which can easily make someone feel backed into a corner rather than ready to improve.
Feedforward, on the other hand, takes a forward-facing approach. It does not rely on the past but it focuses on shaping what comes next. Instead of unpacking what went wrong, it steers attention toward how to do better going forward. The thinking is simple: you cannot redo the past, but you can influence what happens next. And that shift in mindset? It often makes the message easier to hear and act on.
Tone and intent also set them apart. Feedback usually carries an air of evaluation; it passes judgment. Feedforward, by contrast, offers guidance. While feedback might say, “You missed your quarterly sales goal,” feedforward would offer something more constructive, like “Why not focus on high-potential leads earlier next time?”
There is also a difference in directionality. Feedback tends to flow top-down, from managers to team members. Feedforward, though, invites more open exchange. It can come from peers, mentors, or even direct reports, which creates space for a more collaborative and less hierarchical conversation.
Both approaches have their place. Feedback helps track progress and hold people accountable. But feedforward? It creates momentum. When used thoughtfully together, they make for a much more balanced and empowering way to grow.
How to Combine Feedback and Feedforward
Top-performing leaders and teams understand that feedback and feedforward are not either-or tools but they seem more powerful when used in tandem. Together, they create a well-rounded, dynamic approach to managing performance and encouraging growth.
A good starting point is to consider timing and setting. Feedback works best in situations that require introspection, such as immediately following the conclusion of a project or meeting. It is a chance to highlight wins and identify areas that did not quite land. That same conversation should shift naturally into feedforward, turning lessons learned into steps for future success.
Tone plays a big part too. One effective method is to begin with an observation grounded in feedback, then ease into a feedforward suggestion. Say, for instance, “Your last presentation had strong data, but the audience’s attention dropped midway. Next time, try leading with a compelling story to draw them in.” This keeps the critique constructive while steering the focus toward what’s next.
This balance is more effective when it is incorporated into routine performance check-ins rather than being reserved for yearly reviews. Consistent conversations allow for quick feedback followed by forward-looking guidance, which helps build trust and momentum over time.
It also helps to encourage everyone on the team to both give and receive these kinds of insights. A more open, participatory culture is fostered when staff members are encouraged to contribute ideas for improvement rather than merely absorbing them. That kind of exchange nurtures ownership and helps everyone feel more invested in progress.
Finally, training matters. Not everyone instinctively knows how to offer advice in a future-focused, constructive way. Providing teams with the resources and environment they need to practice feedforward aids in making it a habit and, eventually, the standard.
In the end, the goal is simple: build a culture where people reflect on the past just enough to learn from it but stay focused on what is ahead. Feedback provides the context. Feedforward propels the action. When combined, they create the clarity and energy needed for real progress.
