BLOG
Traditional feedback often triggers resistance—but by shifting to a "feedforward" approach, leaders can create growth-focused conversations that empower, not discourage. Discover expert insights and practical tools from Learnit’s live learning event Conversations that Count to transform how you give and receive input at work.
We humans have a remarkable ability to hear criticism where none is intended and to miss genuine guidance when it’s offered. That’s why traditional feedback approaches so often trigger resistance instead of growth. By shifting from backward-looking "feedback" to future-focused "feedforward," leaders can transform uncomfortable conversations into powerful growth catalysts. Hosted by Mickey Fitch-Collins, one of Learnit’s top workshop facilitators, the recent live learning event Conversations that Count Count: Transform Feedback, One Talk at a Time delivered practical strategies for overcoming feedback resistance, reframing negative experiences, and becoming a "feedback magnet”—someone who actively seeks input that accelerates their professional development.
Many business professionals approach feedback with apprehension. What should be a mechanism for skill-building feels like being torn down, which creates resistance and blocks meaningful improvement. This resistance stems largely from past negative experiences where feedback was delivered poorly or felt like a power play rather than a partnership.
As participant Jeanne Gervin astutely observed, "'experts' have mentors and coaches and seek candid feedback. However, 'novices' may not have mentors or coaches and so they may not have the psychological safety to seek it." This highlights a critical challenge in organizational culture: those who most need developmental feedback often have the least access to it in a psychologically safe environment.
Feedback expert, host of the “I Wish They Knew” podcast and author of The Feedback Fix, Dr. Joe Hirsch introduces the concept of "feedforward" as a transformative shift in how we approach performance conversations. Rather than a semantic trick, feedforward represents a fundamental reorientation from past mistakes to future possibilities.
This shift changes several core dynamics in growth conversations:
When feedback focuses on what someone could become in the future rather than what they've done wrong in the past, it opens doorways to growth that might otherwise remain closed due to defensiveness.
Feedback expert and founder of The Conflict Strategist Leslie Nydick explored the origins of that resistance explaining that our negative perception of feedback stems from assumptions and past experiences. The path to transformation begins with intentionally seeking feedback on our own terms.
Her practical approach includes:
This approach puts you in control of the feedback process rather than feeling like feedback "happens to you."
Resistance to feedback typically stems from our assumptions that it will be a negative experience. This defensive posture blocks learning before it can begin.
Leslie draws a powerful parallel between feedback resistance and conflict resolution: believing a conflict is unsolvable guarantees failure and believing feedback offers no value ensures you'll miss growth opportunities. The mindset shift—believing there's value to be found—is what opens us to meaningful learning.
One counterintuitive but powerful approach is to thank those who provided difficult feedback, even when it initially hurt to hear it, but Joe advises “gratitude, not grudges.”
This practice delivers two significant benefits:
When you combine gratitude with a statement about how you're implementing the feedback (what Joe calls "gratitude plus goals"), you create an ongoing growth resource.
Great leaders don't wait passively for feedback—they actively attract it on their terms and timeline.
Becoming a feedback magnet requires cultivating three essential qualities:
Some of the most valuable feedback comes from unexpected sources outside your regular reporting structure or team.
External stakeholders often have unique perspectives untainted by internal politics. Contractors, vendors, and service providers can offer objective observations precisely because they aren't enmeshed in company dynamics. Smart leaders actively seek these external viewpoints to complement internal feedback channels.
To transform your organization's feedback culture:
The shift from feedback to feedforward is a fundamental reorientation of how we approach growth conversations. By focusing on future possibilities rather than past performance, expressing gratitude for difficult truths, and actively seeking input from diverse sources, leaders can transform feedback from a dreaded exercise into a powerful catalyst for both individual and organizational growth.
When we change how we talk about performance, we change performance itself. The feedforward approach offers a practical path to more productive, psychologically safe, and growth-oriented workplace conversations. Rather than telling people what they are, it shows them what they might become. Its focus isn’t on the past, but on the future which has the distinct advantage of not having happened yet and of being the only place we can grow.
Want to turn these insights into daily habits? Grab the Feedback Magnet Playbook and start building a culture of growth—one conversation at a time.
Ready to build your organization’s feedback skills? Register for Learnit’s Give and Receive Feedback for Managers workshop today!
Want our articles in your inbox? Sign up for our blog newsletter to never miss out!
