Coaching practices for Marshall Goldsmith Feedforward
Describe almost anything you are working through and IX Coach finds the practices whose real-world fit is closest. For Marshall Goldsmith Feedforward, these are the strongest matches in the current practice library.
Does this sound like the set of challenges you might be facing?
- Whenever I ask how I’m doing, the answer comes back as a verdict on what I already screwed up, and I spend the whole conversation defending myself instead of actually learning anything I could use next time.
- Every time my partner and I try to swap ideas it slides into scoring points
- The second someone suggests something, I’m already arguing back in my head
- We’re about to kick off something new and everyone has private hunches about what it’ll take to pull off
- When I try to help someone get better I either go vague and cheerlead
Practices that may help
- Feedforward: Future-Focused Feedback That Actually Changes Behavior
Feedforward, developed by executive coach Marshall Goldsmith, replaces backward-looking critique with forward-looking suggestions — asking "what ideas do you have for the future?" rather than "what did I do wrong?" The core claim is that people are more receptive to ideas about what they could do than to judgments about what they did. Evidence is primarily clinical and practitioner-based rather than from controlled trials. - Ask for ideas about the future, not assessments of the past
Replace "how did I do?" with "what ideas do you have for how I could do better?"
Feedforward: Future-Focused Feedback That Actually Changes Behavior - Establish a no-argument rule in feedforward exchanges
In structured feedforward exchanges, neither party evaluates or debates the suggestions — only listens and notes.
Feedforward: Future-Focused Feedback That Actually Changes Behavior - Receive every suggestion with only "thank you"
Accept all feedforward without debate, justification, or even agreement — just acknowledge and note.
Feedforward: Future-Focused Feedback That Actually Changes Behavior - Use feedforward to align team members on goals before projects begin
At the start of a project, invite feedforward on how to succeed — before any performance to critique.
Feedforward: Future-Focused Feedback That Actually Changes Behavior - Give feedforward as specific, actionable ideas — not generic encouragement
When giving feedforward, offer two concrete behavioral ideas, not praise or abstract advice.
Feedforward: Future-Focused Feedback That Actually Changes Behavior - Replace performance review conversations with feedforward conversations
In coaching conversations, ask "what could you do differently?" instead of "what went wrong?"
Feedforward: Future-Focused Feedback That Actually Changes Behavior - The Morning Questions
Marshall Goldsmith’s morning questions are a daily active question routine in which you score yourself each morning on whether you "did your best" to pursue specific values-based commitments the previous day. The practice reframes self-monitoring from passive measurement ("how did X go?") to active responsibility ("did I try?"), which research on active questions suggests produces greater engagement and honest self-assessment. The evidence base is practitioner-clinical; large-scale trials are limited. - Give feedback in the moment, not stockpiled for reviews
Feedback accumulated for a periodic review arrives late and in bulk — neither helps.
The Feedback Sandwich: Why It Doesn’t Work and What to Do Instead - Feedback Loops and Behavior Change
Feedback loops are the mechanism by which information about the gap between current and desired performance reaches the actor and drives adjustment. Cybernetics established the theoretical foundation; decades of applied research confirm that self-monitoring and feedback are among the most robust behavior-change techniques — particularly for health behaviors. The key design questions are feedback frequency, the right metric, and the gap between signal and response.
Related concerns
- Feedback Vs Feedforward
Feedforward, developed by executive coach Marshall Goldsmith, replaces backward-looking critique with forward-looking suggestions — asking "what ideas do you have for the future?" rather than "what did I do wrong?" The core claim is that people are more receptive to ideas about what they could do than to judgments about what they did. Evidence is primarily clinical and practitioner-based rather than from controlled trials.
- Feedforward
Feedforward, developed by executive coach Marshall Goldsmith, replaces backward-looking critique with forward-looking suggestions — asking "what ideas do you have for the future?" rather than "what did I do wrong?" The core claim is that people are more receptive to ideas about what they could do than to judgments about what they did. Evidence is primarily clinical and practitioner-based rather than from controlled trials.
- Feedforward For Projects
At the start of a project, invite feedforward on how to succeed — before any performance to critique.
Use feedforward to align team members on goals before projects begin
- Feedforward Future Focused Feedback That Actually Changes Behavior At Work
Feedforward, developed by executive coach Marshall Goldsmith, replaces backward-looking critique with forward-looking suggestions — asking "what ideas do you have for the future?" rather than "what did I do wrong?" The core claim is that people are more receptive to ideas about what they could do than to judgments about what they did. Evidence is primarily clinical and practitioner-based rather than from controlled trials.
- Feedforward Future Focused Feedback That Actually Changes Behavior During A Big Change
Feedforward, developed by executive coach Marshall Goldsmith, replaces backward-looking critique with forward-looking suggestions — asking "what ideas do you have for the future?" rather than "what did I do wrong?" The core claim is that people are more receptive to ideas about what they could do than to judgments about what they did. Evidence is primarily clinical and practitioner-based rather than from controlled trials.
- Feedforward Future Focused Feedback That Actually Changes Behavior With Friends
Feedforward, developed by executive coach Marshall Goldsmith, replaces backward-looking critique with forward-looking suggestions — asking "what ideas do you have for the future?" rather than "what did I do wrong?" The core claim is that people are more receptive to ideas about what they could do than to judgments about what they did. Evidence is primarily clinical and practitioner-based rather than from controlled trials.
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