Draft:The Feedforward Interview

The Feedforward Interview is a tool for developing people by uncovering knowledge about flourishing and exceptional performance. It is used in the fields of positive organizational behavior, human resource management (HRM), coaching, leadership development, education, and market research. In this framework, the interviewer—who can be an executive, HR manager, coach, or anyone wanting to assist by listening to others—asks the interviewee to tell a story about an optimal experience. It is designed to encourage the reconstruction of conditions that lead to personal well-being and peak performance. In the interview, the interviewee tells a story about when they were at their best and felt energized by what they were doing. The interviewee then systematically explores the conditions that allowed this optimal story to occur. In the final stage, the interviewee is challenged to examine the extent to which the conditions necessary for their flourishing exist in the present and their possibilities to recreate and expand the presence of these beneficial conditions.

Background

The Feedforward Interview was developed by Avraham (Avi) Kluger and Dina Nir at the School of Business Administration at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and published first in 2010 to offer an alternative to giving feedback and performance appraisals. The need for an alternative to feedback systems (grades, evaluations) arises from the findings of a meta-analysis that showed that in 38% of 607 experiments conducted over about 90 years, feedback caused a decrease in performance compared to control groups and following numerous criticisms of the damages of employee evaluation systems, criticisms that keep accumulating . The Feedforward Interview is based on the theory and tools of Appreciative Inquiry. It was first presented in July 2006 in Athens at the International Congresses of Applied Psychology conference. The Feedforward Interview was first researched by Dr. Eyal Rechter as part of his doctoral dissertation submitted in 2010.

Goals

• Identifying strengths of the interviewee.
• Understanding the conditions that enable success.
• Building and improving interviewer-interviewee relationships.
• Improving employee performance.

Stages and Questions of the Feedforward Interview

Stage	Questions	Guidelines
Stage 1: Opening	I can imagine that you must have had both negative and positive experiences at work. Today, if possible, I wish to discuss your positive experiences.
Stage 2: The Flourishing Story	Could you please tell me a story about an experience at work during which you felt at your best, full of life, and in a flow, even before the outcomes became known to you?	Ensure the interviewee shares a specific experience and does not generalize (e.g., “I am at my best when…”). If needed, persist with “Could you give me an example of a specific event?”
Stage 3: The Peak Moment	What was the peak moment of the experience? What did you think at that moment? What did you feel at that moment? Would you like to re-experience these emotions?	Ensure the interviewee shares their emotions during the peak moment and that their emotions are overwhelmingly positive (a marker of an integrative win-win outcome). If the interviewee would not clearly like to re-experience these emotions, ask for another story (back to Stage 2).
Stage 4: The Enabling Conditions	What were the conditions that facilitated this story? That is, what were the conditions in you, others, the organization, location, or timing that made this story possible? Is there anything else?	Reflect the conditions to the interviewee (you can write them down); broaden the range of conditions by asking, “Is there anything else?”; ensure that the interviewee recognizes both internal and external conditions—you can ask, “What did you contribute to this success?” or “Was there anyone or anything that helped in making this story a success?” If you recognize conditions they did not mention, suggest them as a question (e.g., “Was the autonomy you mentioned also a facilitating condition?”).
Stage 5: The Feedforward Question	Consider the conditions we just discovered. These conditions may be your inner code for personal flourishing and optimal performance at work. To what degree are these conditions present in your habits, current circumstances, and plans for the immediate future? If the interviewee says that some conditions are missing, the interviewer may ask, “What can you do to recreate these conditions?” If the interviewee says that all the conditions are already present, which is less typical, the interviewer may ask, “What can you do to enhance the presence of these conditions even more?”	Encourage the interviewee to reflect on their actions, habits, and plans in light of their facilitating conditions. You can use the following metaphor: “This inner code could be imagined as a lighthouse. It flickers in the darkness and shows your destiny and safe harbor. To what degree are you navigating towards or away from your lighthouse?”

Details of the Feedforward Interview's Stages

1. "Opening"—The interviewer inquires whether it is possible to talk about positive experiences (at work). This inquiry conveys to the interviewee that the interviewer acknowledges suffering but wishes to focus on the positive.
2. "The Flourishing Story"—The interviewee is asked to share a specific story about a work experience in which they felt at their best, even before knowing its outcomes. This story is intended to reveal a narrative worth learning from and evoke positive emotions in the interviewee. These emotions serve as a foundation for the interviewee's continued self-learning. Their learning arises from their positive self-reflection in the story.
3. "The Peak Moment"—The interviewee is asked to describe the peak moment of the experience and their thoughts and feelings at that time in order to evoke an episodic memory that gives the employee a sense of past success, making the experience feel real. Describing these emotions aims to assess the quality of the story to ensure it is about an event with an integrative outcome ("win-win") for the interviewer, the interviewee, and the organization. This is because positive emotions such as pride, joy, elation, and warmth, as opposed to mixed emotions, indicate that the needs of most (or even all) involved parties were met. Additionally, this stage enhances the interviewee's positive emotions beyond what they experienced in the previous stage and creates emotional contagion where both the interviewer's positive emotions are amplified, as well as those of the interviewee, thereby strengthening the connection between them.
4. "The Enabling Conditions"—The interviewee is asked to examine the conditions that facilitated their success in the story. The enabling conditions include both internal and external factors. Internal conditions may include the interviewee's loyalty to their values, unique talents, and appropriate mood. External conditions may include support from the organization, adequate time, and a cohesive team. Identifying these enabling conditions raises the interviewee's awareness of their strengths and sense of competence, focuses them on advancement goals, and creates gratitude towards the interviewer. Furthermore, recognizing these enabling conditions may spontaneously evoke awareness of gaps between the conditions in the story and their absence in the present, which can encourage the development of new ways for personal growth and better performance.
5. "The Feedforward Question"—The interviewer challenges the interviewee to learn from their story which conditions they can expand or recreate to generate more events where they experience personal well-being and demonstrate peak performance.

Applications

The basic Feedforward Interview can be used for:

• Development and nurturing of employees before the employee evaluation process or feedback (Feedforward before feedback).
• An alternative to employee evaluation or feedback.

• Selection interview for work candidates.
• Placement interview for a new position.
• Personal coaching.
• Manager development.
• Learning from customers about their peak experience with services or products.

Theory

Based on the theories underlying the Feedforward Interview, the psychological processes activated by it include:

• Elicitation of episodic memory by inviting a positive story based on strengths and capabilities.
• A win-win approach, where the ideal story benefits both the interviewee and their environment.
• Listening, where the listener devotes themselves to helping the interviewee.
• Activation of a discrepancy between desired and actual states, where the source of information is the interviewee.
• Self-reflection.
• A future focus.

These psychological processes directly and immediately influence:

• Positive emotions.
• Psychological safety.
• Interviewer-interviewee bonding.
• Intrinsic needs satisfaction, including belonging, competence, and autonomy (see, self-determination theory).

These, in turn, enhance:

• Well-being.
• Communication and collaboration.
• Job performance.

Feedback vs. Feedforward: A Theoretical Comparison

	The desired state is defined by	The existing state is defined by	The desired state	Time focus	The conversation model
Feedback	The feedback provider (supervisor, teacher). For example, grade A.	The feedback provider (supervisor, teacher). For example, grade C.	Performance	Past	Deficiencies ("What's wrong and how to fix?")
Feedforward Interview	The interviewee (subordinate, student). For example, cooperation, autonomy, congruence with one's values, or support from one's supervisor.	The interviewee (subordinate, student). For example, the interviewee becomes aware that they do not cooperate well.	Conditions that facilitate performance	Future	Strengths ("What works great and how to expand?")

Empirical Evidence

In a field experiment with random assignment in a Canadian company, it was found that employees interviewed by their manager using the Feedforward Interview showed higher performance than employees evaluated through traditional performance appraisals. A qualitative study among employees at a multinational company in Israel revealed that half of the employees reported that the Feedforward Interview empowered them, increased their motivation, and improved their performance. Additionally, it was noted that among their prominent responses to the interview were opportunities for quality time with the manager, a focus on strengths, and learning from past experiences. In a study among teachers, it was found that the Feedforward Interview raised awareness of how to create enjoyable teaching, and coaches reported an increase in teachers' sense of responsibility. In a field experiment without random assignment among employees in the UK, it was found that while the Feedforward Interview increased self-efficacy, confidence in abilities, and goal achievement, feedback had the opposite effect.

Limitations and Criticism

The effectiveness of the Feedforward Interview is limited by situational, personal, and organizational factors. In situations where there are many negative emotions (such as during a crisis in the organization), individuals may find it difficult or unwilling to recall positive experiences. In such cases, a problem-focused Feedforward Interview can be considered, where the interviewee is asked what is most troubling them, what the root of that concern is, and what the ideal opposite of that root concern would be. The interviewer then seeks to hear a story through a Feedforward Interview tailored to elicit a narrative in which the ideal opposite was realized.

Several personality traits can diminish or negate the benefits of the Feedforward Interview. Individuals suffering from depression struggle to recall episodic memories, thus reducing the effectiveness of the interview for them. The Feedforward Interview does not improve the feelings of individuals characterized by an avoidant attachment style, and generally, listening to those with an avoidant attachment style does not enhance their psychological safety. Finally, research on listening suggests that interviewers with narcissistic tendencies may find it challenging to conduct the interview effectively.

In organizations where there is no support for the process from a senior management member committed to using the Feedforward Interview for employee well-being, the benefits of the interview will be limited, and its use within the organization will not expand or even be maintained.

External Links

Bintliff, Esther (2022-07-21). "Positive feedback: the science of criticism that actually works". Financial Times.

Rex W. Huppke (2015-08-02). "A review of employee reviews: Listen more, feedback less", Chicago Tribune. ‏

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