Feedback Strategies
Giving feedback, especially negative feedback, can be difficult for me because I tend to project my fear of negative feedback onto others. Growing up hearing phrases like "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all," really caused me to hesitate with the negative. I know this phrase is more so intended for being mean to others in a realm that lies outside of school and work, but I have let it bleed into those realms personally.
While reading "How to Give Feedback Without Being a Jerk," I learned some really useful tips. The article begins by debunking the myth of the compliment sandwich, where praise is presented at the beginning and end of the discussion to soften the blow of criticism. Instead, the author recommends being candid when giving negative feedback, explaining why you're giving feedback. If you have something negative to say, but the feedback recipient knows you're doing it to help them, they're much more likely to be receptive to the feedback. It also helps to bring yourself down to earth when giving feedback, potentially discussing times you've gotten feedback and found it really useful. In this way, they know you don't see them as lesser. It also helps to flat out ask them if they want the feedback, being transparent. If you ask if one wants feedback, they at least have the option to opt-out, and if they say yes, they tend to be less defensive because they've taken ownership of receiving the feedback. Those are just some tips that I found very useful and plan to practice when giving feedback.
The second article I read, "Why Do So Many Managers Avoid Giving Praise?" focused on the flip side of feedback, emphasizing how effective positive feedback is. They discuss managers' reluctance to give positive feedback, essentially saying that most managers don't enjoy giving feedback in general, but feel as if it is their job to point out mistakes, whereas giving positive feedback is optional. However, when they conducted a study on the effectiveness of managers and their feedback skills, managers who gave praise were seen as far more effective by their staff. People like to feel appreciated at work, this rings true for me personally. I was a TA last semester, and am still one this semester, and that was what I enjoyed most about working with the professor, she let me know I was doing a good job. I was really nervous about this job and felt unsure about my performance in the beginning. However, as we continued working together, she pointed out specific things that I did as a TA that made her life easier as a professor, saying she really enjoyed working with me. This gave me confidence and led to me really enjoying this job. Negative feedback is necessary, but positive feedback leads to happier workers and a better work environment.
In this class I plan to apply a lot of the tips from both these articles when giving feedback of my own, being honest, sincere, and specific with the negative but not forgetting to include the positive as well.
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