The bell-curve orthodoxy is now inexcusable. It is a passive approach that a retrospective view of employee performance would allow distinction of a small number of very high performers and an equivalent number of very low performers, with the majority of people clustered near the average. This distribution would be taken as given and performance management would be driven by that. The operating assumption being that performance is a function of a person’s innate factors and somehow showing him or her a mirror would lead that person to strive to get to a more desirable position in the curve. No wonder, this approach did not lead to high performance organizations.
This flies in the face what science tells us about motivation, human potential and behavior. People are driven by desire for meaning, mastery and autonomy. Performance management, thus, is about creating a framework where an individual (and a team) can own the process of accomplishing something meaningful in a way that also leads to personal enrichment.
A research by Dr. David Rock, who coined the term “neuroleadership”, shows that when we receive a “rating” or “appraisal” (essentially, feedback) our brain shifts into “fear or flight” mode and shifts to our limbic brain. This shift, which takes place whenever we are threatened, immediately takes us out of the mode to learn or create, making us defensive. So the actual act of executing a performance appraisal itself reduces performance. Clearly the need is to re-engineer the entire performance management process, make it simple and developmental. It does have a definite advantage over the feedback system.
Feed-forward is the mechanism to facilitate this. When organizations embrace this forward-looking, future focused approach, employees have something to look forward to, plan ahead for, and be excited about. There is then a sense of purpose—establishment of meaningfulness in everyday’s work. Of course, we are not advocating an ethereal, abstract, dreamy stuff—this sense of purpose has to be real, something that one can measure against, something that one is accountable to. The result is motivation and an accomplishment driven culture.
A great mechanism incorporating the powerful notions of feed-forward is OKR’s. It is a forward looking tool where each employee defines his/her objectives in light of the company goals. OKRs are always prospective, not retrospective. OKRs are set for initiatives and measures for future, and not to document something done and accomplished earlier. At Advaiya we have adopted OKRs as a way to set up one’s initiatives, ways to measure them, and have a “feed-forward” discussion—as we ensure that OKRs are continually recreated, each discussion on OKR assessment is essentially about setting up objectives for the future.
Like any other training/ coaching model, this approach would also require an easing in process. Once the managers understand the concept and appreciate the importance of feedforward, it should be fairly easy to embrace this approach. In many ways, it is more natural and less adversarial. Still there are some deeply entrenched habits and notions to be wary of.
To many managers, the idea of their employees determining and owning their directions can be difficult to digest. The requirement that the individuals would need to be explicitly explained, cajoled and convinced about what to do, doesn’t fit well with the command and control mindset. People may generally be reluctant in suggesting the way forward to others. Similarly, at times, there could be gaps in understanding and knowledge, leading to resistance to guidance on direction from others.
Feed forward demands a shift in mindset. It is easy to tweak extant practices and label them as feed-forward approaches, but then such window dressing would only be detrimental to organization’s performance. Organizations, their leadership and their constituents have to realize that feedforward mechanisms put new demands on everyone. Organizations have to be more transparent, managers more receptive (and vigilant), and all employees much more accountable. Yet, the rewards are many. And, yes, it can be fun.
Our article was originally published in Business Standard.
Source: http://www.business-standard.com/article/management/from-feedback-to-feedforward-115030800596_1.html
