Feedback Strategies

The first article I read was entitled "A Troubling Side Effect of Praise" by Youki Terada in 2017. The story can be found here. Terada explains that simply praising children based on their intelligence "can increase the likelihood that they’ll cheat, according to a new study in Psychological Science." This adverse result of what seems like a positive action relates back to Carol Dweck's research on the Growth Mindset and the Fixed Mindset. When children are told they are smart and feel that their value comes from their intelligence, they "feel pressured to meet people’s expectations" according to the article. I found this interesting and wish more parents would be exposed to this research. Raising children can obviously be complicated, and knowing how to praise them in a productive manner seems very important!

The next article I read was called "How to Give Bad Feedback Without Being a Jerk" by Adam Grant and can be found here. Grant explains that the popular "feedback sandwich" approaching to giving constructive criticism doesn't help the person receiving the feedback very much! It's easy to either for you to come off as insincere or for the person to whom you are giving feedback to just ignore the negatives. Instead, Grant proposes 4 steps: "1. Explain why you’re giving the feedback; 2. Take yourself off a pedestal; 3. Ask if the person wants feedback; and finally 4. Have a transparent dialogue, not a manipulative monologue." These steps seem practical and were very helpful for me to read and think about! Grant suggests that following these steps helps the person receiving the feedback stay open to your thoughts throughout the conversation. I plan to practice giving better feedback in the future by putting these steps into action.

Both of these articles were interesting and helpful to read. I enjoyed learning about how to give better feedback, both positive and negative.

Photo of Adam Grant, the author of the second article 

I looked at for today. Source: Wikimedia

Feedback Thoughts

Feedback! Sometimes hard to hear, yet often helpful. I read two articles this week about feedback and overcoming negativity. The first article I read was entitled "How to Get Past Negativity Bias in Order to Hardwire Positive Experiences" by Katrina Schwartz from KQED news. The article discussed how our brains are naturally more receptive to negative feedback than positive feedback. However, we can begin to adjust the impact of this neural trait. One solution is the "HEAL" method, promoted by Psychologist Rick Hanson, that focuses on championing positive experiences.

The next article I read was "Why It’s So Hard to Hear Negative Feedback" by Tim Herrera from the New York Times. The article discusses the need to receive feedback without succumbing to anxiety or simply avoiding feedback altogether. The author offers a powerful solution for workplace feedback: "The solution to this problem on both sides—whether you’re receiving the feedback or giving it—boils down to trusting that everyone is participating in good faith." This was an interesting solution that could be helpful in many settings, especially professional ones.

Receiving negative feedback in college can be difficult. Yet it happens for all of us at some point, whether coming from a professor, friend, or mentor. Learning how to accept negative feedback and channel it into positive results and healthier reactions is a valuable skill.

Visual representation of a feedback loop. Source: Wikimedia