Joe Hirsch

There are few things more uncomfortable than giving and receiving feedback. Judgment, worry, disappointment, pain – when these deeply-felt emotions enter the conversation, they can complicate relationships, crimp performance, and diminish trust. To create a fearless feedback culture, we need to change its tone and trajectory – starting with a bolder mindset and message.

In this interactive and evidence-based general session, leaders and individual contributors will explore the impact of FEEDFORWARD, a fearless alternative to traditional feedback. FEEDFORWARD amplifies strengths, promotes dialogue, and focuses on future success instead of past failure – creating performance partnerships built on straight talk and genuine relationships.

Starting with the brain-based case against traditional feedback, you’ll discover why appraisal systems often underperform, how managers miss critical information, and the reason feedback often stifles growth rather than promotes it. From there, you’ll learn how FEEDFORWARD can shift legacy thinking and practices to produce robust partnerships powered by candor, clarity and connectedness.

Driven by research and practice, FEEDFORWARD paves the way for more frequent, focused conversations about learning and development – and delivers proven, practical tools for giving and receiving feedback…fearlessly.

Work has changed. With FEEDFORWARD, so can the way we talk about it.

Impact:

• Track goals with a performance snapshot and other developmental tools.
• Learn specific strategies to accept feedback with gratitude, grace and grit.
• Attract feedback through powerful questions and performance prompts.

When feedback fails, sales suffer. Meetings aren’t booked, leads aren’t closed, and predictability is elusive. Strong sales depend on robust feedback, but without the right skills and savvy, we strain our results and relationships. Sales managers need a playbook for giving feedback without fear or friction – a plan to move their people and pipeline forward: FEEDFORWARD. FEEDFORWARD is a strengths-based, forward-looking view of success. Instead of focusing on past failures,

FEEDFORWARD emphasizes future possibilities. Blending cutting-edge behavioral science with practical solutions, FEEDFORWARD reinforces the lines of communication and trust through a partnership model that empowers others to grow.

Whether you’re looking to support individual performance, improve team effectiveness, or drive company culture, FEEDFORWARD provides the mindset and skillset that leads to sales success.

Actionable Impact:

• Close more leads by targeting performance snags
• Increase transparency and trust among your sales teams.
• Achieve sustainable, predictable sales success.
• Retain and promote talent with sales coaching tools and techniques.

The only way to get through change is to get through it together. And how leaders talk to their teams in turbulent times can be the difference between a setback and a bounce back.

The only way to get through change is to get through it together. And how leaders talk to their teams in turbulent times can be the difference between a setback and a bounce back.

In this evidence-based and entertaining talk, you’ll learn how to adopt a coach approach that helps teams overcome challenges, foster innovation, and win at work. Through an interactive blend of real stories and actionable strategies, this keynote will help attendees create more confidence, agency and resilience, one conversation at a time.

From delivering clear communication to sharing fearless feedback, you’ll learn how to coach for change and deal with critical issues with more candor and care. Change is a challenge, but it’s also an opportunity – and with the right approach, our words can create new opportunities for how we lead and serve.

Actionable Impact:

• Cultivate a “coach approach” to change management powered by clear communication.
• Implement high-impact communication strategies that empower others to take action, beat adversity, and deliver results.
• Develop a coaching framework that amplifies the strengths and skills of others.

In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping human interactions, the importance of feedback has never been more critical – or misunderstood.  This keynote explores the intricate connection between feedback and AI, highlighting how feedback serves as a vital catalyst for improved communication and provides a much-needed human touch in our increasingly artificial world.

Finding our human voice has never been harder – or more important – than it is today. Learn how to recover and refine your essential skills as a communicator to make every conversation count. Even with sweeping advances in the way we communicate, the power of our human voice is something that cannot be replaced by machines – so long as we know how to use it.

Actionable Impact:

• Ensure that AI-generated feedback retains a human touch
• Align feedback with AI processes to match human needs and expectations
• Build systems and supports to keep human interactions at the center of your workforce