Feedback Strategies

Root for Each Other, from the Feedback padlet on Canvas

For this week's feedback assignment, I read the following articles: 

Why Do So Many Managers Avoid Giving Praise?: I thought this article was interesting, and I was surprised at how many managers said they don't give any positive feedback. As someone who works really well when I have both positive and negative feedback, I know I would suffer in that kind of a situation. I've had different kinds of managers in my different jobs. I've had ones that only gave feedback when I asked, ones that gave mostly positive feedback, and then ones that gave a really good mixture of both. Thankfully, I haven't had anyone who only gives me negative feedback. I think a mixture is so important in any kind of work environment, as well as in school and even within our relationships. I have utilized this in my relationships, for instance if my husband had done something that hurt me or I just didn't want him to do again, I try to always start off with something positive like "I really appreciate your thought in this, but" or "I am so thankful for all the amazing things you've done for me today, but I was really hurt by this".

Try Feedforward Instead of Feedback: Wow, I thought this article was so helpful. I never really thought about how feedback is always focused on what we've already done. I love the idea of simply making suggestions for the future. Even if it's born out of something in the past, it doesn't need to linger on that. Now, as a journalist sometimes feedforward wouldn't always be an option. After all, we have to have legitimate editing sessions to stories and hear what we did good and what didn't work. But I do think feedforward would work sometimes in a newsroom, or any workplace.

I think it's so important for everyone to be learning new feedback strategies, because so many people are just repeating what was done for them. That's how we get into these unhealthy cycles and become afraid of giving or receiving feedback. I'm enjoying learning more about the feedback process and will take these strategies with me in the future.