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24-PF-L&P-144-Feedforward Blog - 03. Creative-Imagery-V2-MD (1)

Feedforward vs. Feedback: What’s Better for Your Organization?

November 15th, 2024
November 15th, 2024

Mastering Feedforward: How to Evolve Beyond Feedback in Healthcare

Giving and receiving feedback at work, whether positive or negative, is typically intended to address past mistakes and correct specific issues. This sounds great in theory, but in reality, giving feedback doesn’t always work as intended. Negative feedback, in particular, can activate a fight-or-flight response, causing the recipient to tune out constructive comments and avoid making any meaningful changes.

In healthcare settings, it’s easy to get stuck in a feedback loop, where employees and supervisors go round and round in a never-ending cycle while nothing actually changes. That’s where “feedforward” comes into play. The term feedforward was first coined by leadership coach and educator Marshall Goldsmith, who pointed out the fatal flaw of constructive feedback: the past cannot be changed. By reversing the approach and understanding that only the future can be altered by our actions today, the feedforward method was born.

What Is Feedforward in Healthcare?

Feedforward doesn’t ignore past performance; instead, it focuses on the future using past performance as a metric. In healthcare, this means taking a future-oriented approach to achieving desired outcomes for patients, care providers, and healthcare organizations. By focusing on actions that can lead to positive outcomes rather than dwelling on what went wrong, feedforward turns all feedback into effective feedback.

Key Differences Between Feedback and Feedforward in Healthcare

With feedforward communication, regular feedback isn’t going anywhere. Good feedback is crucial to improving engagement in healthcare environments, and the feedforward approach doesn't aim to eliminate it. Instead, it uses different types of feedback data — such as predictive analytics and performance management — to create a clear, actionable path toward success.

Here are some key differences between feedback and feedforward:

 

FEEDBACK

FEEDFORWARD

Focuses on the negative past

Focuses on a better future

Includes negative language or insinuations

Includes positive language and insights

Supervisors act like bosses

Supervisors act like coaches or mentors

Looks backward at data

Looks forward at data implications

Seeks to “correct” performance

Seeks to “improve” performance

Emphasizes the problem

Emphasizes the solution

Demoralizes the receiver

Uplifts the receiver

 

How to Evolve from Feedback to Feedforward: 5 Steps

You might be wondering how to transition from feedback to feedforward and whether it's worth evaluating your internal policies and processes. The good news is that moving your healthcare organization toward a feedforward approach may be simpler than you think. Here’s how:

1. Evaluate Current Feedback Practices in Healthcare

Take a close look at how feedback is presented in many healthcare settings, and you’ll find a broken and ineffective system. Performance reviews often create anxiety for employees, while supervisors feel obligated to include constructive criticism, even for top-performing team members. The end result is that the reviewers are perceived as “nit-picking,” causing employees to tune out even the valuable parts of the review. It’s important to assess what your organization is currently doing and understand that it may not be as effective as you hope.

2. Train Healthcare Leaders and Clinicians on Feedforward

Shifting away from traditional feedback can be challenging, especially when it’s so deeply ingrained in the workplace. The best place to start is with the leaders and supervisors who regularly provide feedback to employees. Educate them on why feedback often falls short and how feedforward check-ins can overcome those limitations to save time and cut down on stress.

3. Integrate Feedforward Into Clinical Routines and Meetings

Lead by example to demonstrate the benefits of feedforward in action. Act as a coach and mentor to your leadership team so they can see those skills in action, and provide them with a feedforward assessment of their own so they can experience firsthand how it looks and sounds. Then, ask for their insights and opinions to better understand the feedforward process.

4. Foster a Culture of Continuous Learning and Improvement

The concept of feedforward acknowledges that no one is perfect and there is always room for improvement. But being better requires ongoing growth and deepening of your knowledge. Encourage your leadership team to continue their education and training so they can model their professional development to all your employees.

5. Embed Feedforward Into Performance Management and Patient Safety Protocols

It might be time for an overhaul of your review procedures. It doesn’t mean that poor performance should be overlooked, but it does mean that the focus will be on improved performance. A good leader uses feedforward to help each employee surpass their current performance level rather than labeling them as “good” or “bad.”

Skills Needed to Master Feedforward in Healthcare

Shifting to a feedforward approach won’t happen overnight; it’ll take a growth mindset and a small adjustment period. However, there are specific skills your team can focus on that can help improve feedforward communication, such as:

  • Practicing empathy, compassion, and emotional intelligence
  • Navigating high-stress situations effectively and defusing tension
  • Working collaboratively and setting collective goals
  • Communicating transparently and honestly
  • Letting go of past actions to focus on future goals

The Role of Technology in Facilitating Feedforward in Healthcare

If you want to make the change to feedforward thinking, you don’t have to go it alone. Many tech and software platforms are available to support your efforts, including:

Real-Time Feedback Platforms

Real-time feedback has been used for a while now to help improve patient satisfaction scores, but it can also be used to strengthen interpersonal relationships between employees and supervisors by offering immediate and helpful feedforward. Platforms like HealthStream’s Performance Center make it easier for employees and supervisors to exchange real-time, future-focused feedback that uses negative behaviors to brainstorm future opportunities.

Simulation Training Software

Simulation training software offers leaders and managers an interactive way to practice feedforward thinking in real-life scenarios. By navigating different situations, they can improve their responses, gain confidence, and sharpen their skills for real-world feedforward challenges.

Communication and Collaboration Tools

The feedforward method relies on effective and transparent communication. The right software solution will make it as easy as possible for supervisors and staff to communicate and also give them opportunities to highlight positive feedback.

Benefits of Feedforward for Healthcare Teams and Patient Outcomes

You might be wondering why you should fix something that isn’t broken. But as we’ve seen, the traditional feedback cycle is broken beyond repair. Here’s why you should take a good look at your current process and consider going feedforward:

For Healthcare Professionals

All professionals benefit from a positive approach that focuses on future excellence. This mindset builds confidence and helps them see an achievable path toward their own career growth. This reduces turnover and reduces the risk of professional burnout.

For Healthcare Teams

Teams thrive in a strong workplace culture where collaboration is at the core. They can lean on each other during challenges and celebrate together when goals are reached. This sense of teamwork not only boosts individual morale but also elevates the entire organization, leading to significantly higher satisfaction ratings.

For Patients

Ultimately, patients gain the most from a feedforward approach. Care providers in these environments are more confident, make fewer mistakes, and are more attuned to patient safety. As a result, patient outcomes are significantly improved, creating a safer and more effective healthcare environment.

Common Challenges When Implementing Feedforward in Healthcare

Of course, no significant change comes without its challenges, and feedforward is no exception. You can expect to encounter the following barriers when implementing feedforward at your organization:

Resistance to Change

This is the first and possibly biggest obstacle you’ll face. Any new process or procedure can be seen as a threat to the way things have always been done, and that is likely to evoke some pushback. It’s important that you start with a detailed and clear plan so you can answer questions and put your staff at ease before making any changes.

Budget Concerns

Going feedforward is a mindset shift more than anything else, but even that can come at a cost. You might wish to implement the new software and technology mentioned above or add training for your leaders, both of which can impact your bottom line. Be sure you understand any budgetary concerns before you begin and learn exactly where any additional expenses will come from.

Training and Onboarding

Healthcare workers are accustomed to being lifelong learners, but introducing new tools or procedures can understandably raise concerns. Training often demands significant time and can pull them away from essential duties. Addressing this concern early is crucial, so come prepared with a clear plan that ensures they have the time and support needed to fully adopt and embrace the new approach without sacrificing their primary responsibilities.

Practical Tips for Implementing Feedforward in Healthcare Organizations

If you think feedforward is in the future for your healthcare organization, you might be wondering how and where to start. Here are some best practices for launching your own feedforward approach:

  • Set realistic expectations. You won’t get it perfect immediately, so consider these changes more of an evolution than a revolution.
  • Don’t be a lone wolf. The whole point of feedforward is to encourage collaboration and strengthen your team, so be sure to include your team in your planning process.
  • Get stakeholder buy-in. Feedforward won’t work if you don’t have support from the top, so be sure your leadership is on board from the start.
  • Connect with other feedforward Reach out to your own professional network to find other healthcare organizations that have successfully implemented feedforward and see what you can learn from their approach.
  • Make it enjoyable. Feedforward is supposed to be the opposite of feedback, so highlight the benefits to your employees and keep it positive.

How HealthStream Can Help With the Transition

In the spirit of feedforward, we aren’t going to tell you what you’re doing wrong. But we will tell you how you can do things better with HealthStream Performance Center. This software solution offers everything you need to take a positive and effective feedforward approach to performance management. Engage with employees, encourage them to do their best work, and improve the outcomes of your organization. Want to see it in action? Contact us today and schedule a free demo!

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