Leading Through Solutions: Embracing the Feedforward Mindset
The Feedforward Approach: Democratizing Access to Leadership
In our dynamic business landscapes, leadership skills are essential and should not be confined to a privileged few.
All employees, regardless of their position, should have access to leadership skills training to unlock their full potential, overcome self-doubt, and excel in their roles.
Yet, despite its critical importance, leadership training training often remains inaccessible to those who could benefit the most. This is because many organizations are only willing to invest in employee development for individuals who are considered candidates for promotion or on a leadership track.
Sharing tips on how to use the feedforward method is our commitment to advancing inclusivity in leadership across all levels of a business.
The feedforward method is a proactive, future-oriented approach to leadership coaching and growth. It provides constructive guidance, actionable steps, and solutions to help individuals progress toward their goals rather than dwelling on past failures.
An Example of Deploying the Feedforward Method
Experienced professionals can feel constrained by the need to obtain managerial approval before taking action, leaving them feeling frustrated and ineffective. If this sentiment resonates with you, here is a example of how you can make the feedforward approach work for you.
Meet Kate, a newly appointed Product Owner who is faced with a challenging situation: she leads the implementation of a digital HR system for a large consulting company with more than 1500 employees in the DACH region.
She was assigned a team of software engineers who did not report to her directly. Instead, they used project tracking software to complete the tasks and follow the development process.
After two months of working with this team, Kate realized she was misaligned on how things were supposed to progress: one of the software engineers valued process over progress.
She expected the team to prioritize the new development plan. Instead, they stuck to conventional engineering methods and ignored Kate’s attempts to embrace a more agile approach and adopt common sense.
Seeing this, she first gently explained the importance of implementing the digital HR system. When that failed, she explicitly directed this individual to focus on Task A instead of Task B. Nothing seemed to work.
Kate faced a classic delimma:
Should she escalate the issue and seek managerial support, or should she advocate for herself and find a solution?
She decided to try the feedforward method: get support and ask for suggestions rather than dwell on her frustration. Kate turned to a more experienced product owner colleague, Dan, for advice on handling the situation.
Here is how she phrased her feedforward inquiry.
Kate: I would like to get better at communication with Pete, a software developer on my team. I need to find a way to improve our cooperation so I can deliver my part of the project on time.
Dan: Well, is there someone on the development team you trust, whose opinion is valued by the engineers, and who has been on the team for a while? Talk to them and ask if they would be willing to act as a Senior developer until the project ends. This will save you time and energy because that person can communicate directly with engineers in their language and help you resolve your issues.
Dan’s feedforward suggestion:
find a team member who could act as a communication bridge, someone respected by the team and fluent in the developers' language.
Kate was a bit skeptical, but she followed the advice. The developer she chose to talk to was surprised by her request for help but agreed to take on the role. They decided to schedule a follow-up meeting in two weeks to assess progress towards the goal.
By using the feedforward approach instead of dwelling on "relationships that are not working,"
Kate demonstrated her humility and willingness to collaborate rather than escalate the conflict to management.
She stood up for herself and became stronger as she learned how to ask for help, find alternative ways of solving work issues, and work collaboratively.
She also practiced her feedforward skills and built stronger relationships with her colleagues.
This story illustrates that you don't have to wait for permission to make a difference.
Using feedforward, you can find creative solutions within your role and get the desired results.
It's a powerful reminder that leadership is not about authority; it's about influence and, more specifically, the ability to guide others toward shared goals.
If you feel hampered by hierarchical constraints, explore feedforward to foster collaboration and drive results.
