The Art and Science of Positive Feedback Loops

Do I like feedback? Yes I do.

For me, receiving feedback is more than helpful. Giving feedback is beyond gratifying. And yet, I sense that “feedback” is in danger of becoming a dirty word. That’s more than a bit sad since we, as a species, wouldn’t have evolved to where we are today had it not been for feedback.

We evolved from little monkeys precisely because we were conscious and curious of what our environments were telling us. The land. The seasons. Threats. Pleasures. Social life. We were receptive to it all. Our brains matured because of it; our superior intellects formed because of it.

It feels these days that we’re devolving. Many regard feedback as uncomfortable. Others fear it outright. It’s those sorry souls that flee from feedback because it’s, to use their words, “abusive” or “spiteful” or “overly critical.” Dirty words indeed; and dubious accusations all.

Feedback doesn’t exist in a vacuum like these glass-half-empty folks would have you believe. Feedback (the nudge) is the stimuli of the feedback loop (the process). It’s a circuit that must be completed. These circuits operate in iterations large and small at whatever frequency you choose.

Is all feedback positive? No, of course not. I suppose it’s the negative mutations of feedback (hate speech, belittling remarks, false accusations, etc.) that have poisoned the minds of many towards feedback at large.

But positive feedback is very real; the ripple effects they can trigger not be underestimated.

The Art of Positive Feedback Loops

The value of feedback is in its art. It shouldn’t have to be explained, but it’s worth re-enforcing.

First, feedback provides access to truth – the truth of what your customers think about your latest gizmo, the truth about what your significant other is stressing about, the truth about what your competitive advantage is. More times than not, the truth wins.

Second, feedback frees your mind from doubt. Armed with truth, you know what to do next to improve your gizmo, nurture your relationship, and compete on your terms. Guesswork is removed from the equation. Now you’re on offense, not defense.

Third, feedback is crowd pleasing. In the modern age of social everything, people want to be included into the process. They want to feel like a valuable contributor to the products and services they love. They want to have a relationship with the artist or creative professional. They want in. So let them in.

Fourth, feedback floats all boats. You benefit from the insights you need to make informed decisions to grow your enterprise. Your fans benefit from feeling valued (no-kidding, because they are!). And the world benefits from great work that consistently gets better.

Last, feedback is fun. It’s a profound joy to receive praise for your work and to hear about how you could make it even more magical. It’s amazing to talk through the hopes and dreams of your relationships so as to build toward them together. Yes, there will be trolls. Curse them and forget them. And get on with it.

We know all of this to be true. We’re not mindless little monkeys. We’re smart apes. So we know that talk of embracing feedback is cheap. Only through action can we hope to prosper from feedback. The science of positive feedback loops shows us the way.

The Science of Positive Feedback Loops

From Wikipedia…

Positive feedback occurs when A produces more of B which in turn produces more of A. … Positive feedback often leads to exponential divergences or the exponential growth of oscillations. Under positive feedback and a lack of stabilizing forces, systems will typically accelerate towards a non-linear region.

That’s a bit technical, I grant you. The essence is simply that positive feedback amplifies small effects into big changes. This is how tipping-points are triggered. This is how “overnight success” is attained. It’s all a chain reaction.

For the fellow geeks among us, you’ll be interested to know that positive feedback has great influence in digital electronics, chemical reactions, sound waves, economic models, human biology, thermal dynamics, and a myriad of other way-geeky science stuff. I’ll let you explore those topics on your own.

The lesson here is to structure positive feedback loops into our everyday routines.

For business owners, always have a customer feedback form available. For parents, always respond positively to your child’s inquisitive questions and actions. For creatives, always share your work in small cycles so as to best understand the interests and needs of the community you serve. And for everyone, always speak true to your friends and be open to them in return.

Most feedback is triggered by asking questions. That can only mean one thing…

A Call-to-Questions

We all crave answers. But not enough ask the questions needed to foster them. That must change.

So I ask you…

First, please identify three concrete ways that you can solicit positive feedback today. What questions need to be asked? What answers must you know? Next, build feedback loops into your daily routines so that you can continue capturing this feedback.

Also, select three outlets to give feedback today. They can be anything – work matters, personal relationships, customer service – anything so long as they’re important to you.

Finally, give me feedback! What did you like about this essay? What didn’t you like? What do you find captivating about this site? What’s dull and worth dropping? What non-linear subjects do you want me to write on that matter to you?

I invite you to share your feedback in the comments below or on Twitter.

Feedback must be firm to be useful. So no wet noodles, okay?!