Feedback Strategies

The last blog post about the feedback was the process and how we need to receive feedback about our mistakes in order to learn. This week is about how we can give feedback to others that can be part of their learning process.

I read two articles, the first one was The Trouble with "Amazing": Giving Praise that Matters by Jennifer Gonzalez and the second was How to Give Feedback Without Sounding Like a Jerk by Adam Grant.

The first article was about how using the word "amazing" to motivate someone won't pump them up the way you thought it would. Using the word "amazing", telling someone that they are doing an "amazing job" would not encourage them on trying harder, it's just a quick lazy, and easy feedback to give and the person getting that feedback wouldn't care or put any effort much when doing their next work. In the article, Gonzalez gave us three reasons why it doesn't encourage us the way we hope it will.

1.  "It's Paula praise" - This reason was saying how in American Idol original judges. Randy Jackson told the contestant something vague and awkwardly hip, the contestant responded with wince. Paula Abdul said that the singer was perfection and most contestant looked grateful but there was a hint of impatience because her feedback didn't carry any weight and felt like it was something like get it over and with. Lastly, Simon Cowell was usually critical and unnecessarily cruel but it actually meant something to the contestants. Everyone loves a pat on the back but having someone telling you were amazing when you know you weren't, it doesn't feel right. If people are using "amazing" like it doesn't mean anything, it soon doesn't really important and helpful for you.
2. "It's unspecific" - This is about how giving feedback like "wow" or "good job" multiple times, a way to give attention without putting in any effort the student or the person who is receiving the comments won't care and ignore it. I'm pretty sure I done that many times before. Giving feedback on something you done without telling you want you done right or wrong isn't helping you to improve on your work. 
3. "It praises the person, not the effort" - She talks about the fixed and growth mindset, how fixed isn't something that can't really be changed but growth can due to them believing that effort and experience pays off. Seeking more task to improve on their intelligence and avoiding one that might not. Focusing on the effort is telling them to keep doing to achieve that same kind of success or more.  

The second article was about how to give bad feedback without being a jerk. Grant talks about how you should give praise at the start and end, and give your criticism in between. Giving a feedback to someone with praise at the start and end, also give your criticism in between they would not really attacked but feel like you have their back and believes that they will do better than before in the future. People will be open to criticism when they believe it will help them and will accept the challenge if we show them that we truly care.

Negative feedback can make people fee sad and low about themselves but if you balance the it out, it's not as bad as it seem. Giving feedback that basically saying "I'm not perfect. i'm trying to get better too" in the feedback without actually saying that will hopefully make the person take in and understand the feedback.

Always ask a person if they want you to give them your opinion on something. I usually ask them if they want my opinion on the topic and mostly they always tell me to give my honest opinion because it actually help them. When I help my friends with their relationship or family or any problems they said that I help them but sometimes I didn't really help them but I know they will think about the things I told them.

When I help out my friends or family, I know that they will considered one of the things I suggest to them. When I was in secondary school, at lunch time one of my friends was having relationship problem and my friends all looked at me. I was so confused why they were looking and apparently I give good advise but when I give her them advise it was because I knew all of our friends would say nice things and didn't want to hurt her because she's sensible so I was kind of the mean one who always tell the truth... good thing her and I are still close friends. 

Which steps have you reached today?;
Source: Pinterest