The "New Normal Leadership" - Focusing on Feedforward, Not Just Feedback
 "Providing feedback has long been considered to be an essential skill for leaders," according to renowned executive leadership coach and author Marshall Goldsmith, Ph.D. "As they strive to achieve the goals of the organization, employees need to know how they are doing. (But) just as employees need feedback from leaders, leaders can benefit from feedback from their employees."
Goldsmith, who addressed ALHI's Industry Advisory Council meeting, suggests this "upward feedback" -- where employees provide helpful suggestions for improvements as well as input to managers on their leadership effectiveness – has become more common over the last few years with the increasing popularity of 360-degree assessments. The most basic question is for leaders to simply ask, "What can I do better?"
While by most accounts this practice is beneficial to the organization, Goldsmith suggests that organizations take it one step further. Rather than just garnering "feedback," which is based on the past, he suggests focusing on "feedforward" to address the wealth of opportunities that can happen in the future.
Goldsmith advises that leaders implement feedforward programs where individuals are encouraged to provide suggestions for the future and to "help as much as they can." Furthermore he advises that the leaders listen to the suggestions from others for the future and to "learn as much as they can."
It may sound obvious, but getting leaders to accept suggestions from those that report to them isn't always easy. In the past, successful leaders often felt that if they were successful, and things were going well, there was no need to change.
The exciting news is that the "new normal leadership" is that more and more leaders around the world now willingly accept this type of input.
After all, as Goldsmith succinctly puts it, "Real leaders are not people who can point out what is wrong. Almost anyone can do that. Real leaders are people who can make things better."
And what better way to make things better than to listen to suggestions for the future?
So how can you implement a feedforward program?
According to Goldsmith:
- Pick one behavior that you would like to change.
- Describe this behavior to others (such as other participants in the program).
- Ask for feedforward – two suggestions for the future that might help you achieve a positive change in the selected behavior.
- Listen attentively to the suggestions without judging, and take notes.
- Ask the other participants if they would like feedforward suggestions for a behavior they wish to change.
Why do this? Because feedforward helps people envision and focus on a positive future and positive results, rather than on a failed past. This can be vital to your organization achieving greater future success.
Goldsmith also points out that it can be more productive to help people be "right" than prove they were "wrong." Unlike feedback, which is often seen as negative, feedforward focuses on solutions, not problems, and isn't perceived as a personal critique since it is discussing something that hasn't yet happened. It is more focused on being "helpful" than on being an expert with "superior judgment." So it can be easier to hear the suggestions.
While Goldsmith emphasizes that leaders and companies do not need to stop providing feedback to employees, he does suggest that utilizing feedforward techniques can be an effective way to garner beneficial, dynamic solutions for the future.
Not only can this insight help you to be a more effective leader at work, you can also apply the principles to all aspects of your life. The result could be a renewed focus on the future rather than dwelling on mistakes or shortcomings of the past.
Marshall Goldsmith is University Professor and the namesake of The Marshall Goldsmith School of Management at Alliant International University. He has been recognized by the American Management Association and Business Week as one of the most effective leaders in the history of leadership development, and was a speaker this year's PCMA conference. For information, visit www.MarshallGoldsmithLibrary.com.
David Gabri is president and CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI), which has the national sales responsibilities to the meetings and incentive industries for its membership of over 125 premier Four- and Five-Diamond quality hotels and resorts worldwide. For information, contact your nearest ALHI National Sales Office, call the "ALHI Luxury Group Desk" toll-free at 866-303-2544, or visit www.alhi.com.
A Young Professional's Perspective:
For Only a Dollar a Day...
Each day when I get home from work I pick up my mail and go through it sorting it into junk vs. real mail. I always seem to have a stack of junk mail which to some relief is larger than the pile of bills. As I scan over the pile of the junk mail I notice each day that there are numerous organizations that send me postcards or even personalized letters asking me to support a cause or organization. They usually include the "free with donation" address labels as an incentive to donate. In reality is this an incentive? How many of us pay bills by writing a check and putting it in an envelope anymore? Not many. I would be lying if I said that I had never donated to some of the various organizations, but I can say more times than not I simply recycle the letter or postcard that they send me without a second thought. This gets me thinking…
What makes my organizations' solicitation for event attendance, membership or even sponsorship any different? What makes my members any different? I think it is important that we evaluate the types of communication that we send out to our members and prospects. What are your member benefits, and are they relevant to your current and future members? Regularly evaluating the communication you are sending and the incentives you are offering will prevent you from sending address labels to people who won't use them!
Great Educational Opportunity!
Growing and Optimizing Your Board to Advance Your Association's Goal and Mission
Sponsor: New England Society of Association Executives
Date: February 16, 2010
Time: Noon to 1:30pm (EST) – 90 minute program
Cost: $55.00
How do you grow your organization and leverage your Board of Directors to advance its goals and mission? Join us to review how to leverage the power of your Directors and their special talents and relationships for the benefit of your association. Among the topics we will discuss are:
Optimizing Board Makeup
Recruiting New Board Members
Criteria Potential Directors Use in Evaluating Board Opportunities
Building Positive Relationships with New and Current Board Members
Board Succession Planning
Characteristics Winning Boards Share
REGISTER NOW!
Eye on Association Professionals
- New Contact! ISAE member and presenter Larry Seibert, PhD, formally a practice leader for Loyalty Research recently started his own company. If you are interested in contacting Larry he can be reached through his new contact information:
Association Metrics, Inc.
Larry Seibert, PhD, President/CEO
Email: larry@associationmetrics.com
Website: www.associationmetrics.com
Phone: 317-840-2303
- Joining the Team: ISAE member Elizabeth Huston recently joined the Indianapolis Convention Visitors Association team as part of the sales force. She will be a great addition for the city and look forward to the opportunity to work with her in the future!
ISAE is Watching out for YOU!
The 2010 ISAE Government Affairs Committee is taking an active role in tracking the Senate and House bills that could affect the way that associations and non-profits do business in the state of Indiana. For a complete list of the bills that the committee is monitoring and status of the bills simply visit the ISAE Website. On the home page there is a link for bill tracking where you can get the up-to-date status of these bills.
Don't Get Left Behind
If you haven't taken the time to renew your ISAE membership for 2010 you are missing out on the valuable opportunities that ISAE offers association professionals throughout the year. These opportunities are available through the ability to share knowledge with your peers, attend educational events, and much more. This year ISAE has resolved to be more relevant than ever and focus on assisting our members in taking their careers and their associations to the next level by offering new products and services.
What you stand to gain:
- More than 40 hours of professional development opportunities!
- Outstanding professional networking!
- Ability to stay abreast of non-profit news though the ISAE Twitter feed!
- 24 hour access to the association community through updated ISAE website and NEW Facebook page!
- Member only opportunities including: discounted event pricing, FREE job postings, FREE CAE study sessions, access to online resources and an online community of association professionals!
Online renewal is available and as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4
- Log onto ISAE website
- Enter your last name and first initial
- Update your information
- Submit payment
There is only one way to make sure that you have the opportunity to benefit from these opportunities…Renew today!
Thank you to those that have renewed your 2010 membership!
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