Diagram Desk

Feedback loop definition

Measure a result, compare it to a target, change the next action.

StartActionYes?End
Flowchart: start, one action, a yes or no, then an end.

Definition

A feedback loop is a cycle: you act, you measure the result, you compare the result to a target, and you change the next action. People search 'feedback loop definition', 'define feedback loop', and 'feedback looping' for this cycle. The word loop matters. A comment with no next action is feedback. It is not yet a loop.

Closed-loop control is the engineering name when the measurement automatically changes the action, as in a thermostat. A team loop is slower and the 'controller' is a person in a meeting. Both still have the four beats: act, measure, compare, adjust.

Two examples

Thermostat: the target is 20°C. The room measures 18°C. The heater turns on. The room reaches 20°C. The heater turns off. The loop is negative, in the technical sense that it reduces the gap. You do not need a diagram of the wiring to use the idea.

A small product: the team ships a date field. Support tickets about 'dates in the past' rise from 2 a week to 11 a week. The target was under 5. The next action is an inline check that refuses past dates. The following week the count is part of the product review. Without the count, the loop is a feeling. A retrospective is one place a team can run the compare step out loud.

Steps

  1. Name the target in a unit. Degrees, tickets, minutes, defects. A target of 'better' cannot be compared.
  2. Name the measurement and how often. A weekly count beats a vague impression at the end of the quarter.
  3. Name who changes the next action. A loop with no owner collects charts.
  4. Write the adjustment as a change. Not 'monitor'. A change to the product, the process, or the target.

Questions

What is a feedback loop?
A cycle that measures the result of an action, compares it with a target, and changes the next action. Comments alone are not a loop.
What is a negative feedback loop?
One that reduces the gap between the measurement and the target, like a thermostat turning the heater off as the room warms. 'Negative' describes the direction of the correction, not a bad outcome.
How is a feedback loop different from a retrospective?
A retrospective is a meeting format. A feedback loop is the cycle of target, measure, and change. The meeting can be the moment you compare and choose the change.

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