Why You Might Get ‘Feedforward’ From Your Boss Instead of Feedback
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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What is ‘feedforward’ and how does it differ from traditional feedback?
I'm J.R. Whelan for The Wall Street Journal. Getting feedback from the boss is common in the workplace. But in many companies, feedback is being replaced with feed forward.
Younger employees make up a larger percentage of the workforce today. And a number of experts, you know, with whom we spoke said that younger employees are more comfortable with gentler terms like feed forward.
We'll talk to Wall Street Journal reporter Alexandra Bruel after the break.
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Why are companies replacing feedback with gentler terms like ‘feedforward’?
They want your identity. They want your innovation. ReliaQuest fortifies your business with agentic defense, AI that detects, contains, and eliminates cyber threats in minutes. It helps your security team move faster at the work that matters most to protect the business now and delivers insights to help them predict what's next. ReliaQuest, agentic defense for the enterprise. Learn more at ReliaQuest.com. That's R-E-L-I-A-Q-U-E-S-T.com.
Is feedback now too harsh? More companies are opting for a gentler term, feed forward. Wall Street Journal reporter Alexandra Bruel joins me.
Who introduced the feedforward idea and how did the pandemic influence it?
So Alexandra, first of all, what's the difference between feedback and feed forward?
The concept is not so different. The idea is that feed forward gives people less anxiety. It's a little bit gentler. When people hear feedback, they think immediately, what have I done wrong? What are the bad things my boss is going to tell me to fix?
Who's behind the effort to rename it and what brought it about?
A number of career coaches and HR professionals online have claimed to have pioneered the concept and introduced the word to the world. That is still a mystery. One thing that we heard over and over was that during COVID, employees weren't having regular review sessions. Everything was virtual. After the pandemic, when more people came back to work, companies sort of changed their approach to
Are companies merely renaming feedback or changing review practices too?
HR and management, they rethought the review process and really decided that it was important to make the entire process more productive and effective. And another reason that we're hearing feed forward at these companies over and over is Employees are younger. Younger employees make up a larger percentage of the workforce today, and a number of experts with whom we spoke said that younger employees are more comfortable with gentler terms like feedforward.
Now, just to be clear, are we talking about just a renaming of what we've come to know as feedback, or do these efforts include changing the actual tone and nature of feedback-type conversations?
It depends on the company introducing the term and revamping its review process. Some argue that just replacing the word with feedforward or at Microsoft they use perspectives and other terms. There is a danger in feedback. really just glossing over the idea that feedback, negative or positive, is important. And a rebranding doesn't really do much, but there's also a number of companies that are rethinking the entire process. And as part of that, they want employees to feel more comfortable in the process, and therefore they feel that rethinking the words they use Replacing feedback with feedforward, reviews with connect sessions, and also having sessions more often, you know, between managers and employees actually makes for a more productive and effective workplace.
So they're trying to appeal to the younger employees who are sensitive to harsher reviews, feedback or criticism, right?
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:36
2
What is ‘feedforward’ and how does it differ from traditional feedback?
0:36–1:21
3
Why are companies replacing feedback with gentler terms like ‘feedforward’?
1:21–2:02
4
Who introduced the feedforward idea and how did the pandemic influence it?
2:02–2:57
5
Are companies merely renaming feedback or changing review practices too?
2:57–5:06
6
Could rebranding feedback into feedforward prevent honest performance critiques?
5:06–6:38
7
What new responsibilities do managers face when implementing feedforward systems?
6:38–7:55
8
What pushback and generational reactions have employees shown to feedforward?
7:55–8:59
Speakers
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