Feedback Strategies
Kind of going off what we talked about last time, it is so important to not only know how to receive criticism, but it is also important to know how to give it when the time comes. Granted, I am not a person who generally hands out suggestions. To the individuals who are close to me, yeah sure, when I feel like I need to say something, I will. But for people I don't really know, I feel like it has never been my place to say something. However, three semesters ago when I began teaching classes at the YMCA, and also being a teaching assistant at OU, I learned very quickly how to politely tell someone they are doing something wrong. I really like the article, Be a Mirror, which preaches that we should offer advice to others as not what we would do in that situation, but rather what they could do for themselves for their own benefit. This is soooo critical in learning development in children, I have noticed, as it allows them to develop their own path rather than follow in that of someone else. Another big thing I have noticed with learning development, with kids especially, is applauding them vs. always scolding them. I have never been the kind of instructor to give praise and to leave it at that. Most times, I will praise, and then follow up with a suggestion of the next skill that could be mastered. The second article, The Difference Between Praise and Feedback, does a really good job at explaining why we there has to be a fine balance in both praise AND feedback for retainability to be successful.
Hello Adriana,
ReplyDeleteI also did not feel comfortable giving out feedback to people I did not know well. But once I became a manager at work, I got a lot more comfortable giving feedback. I feel that this class helps prime us for giving constructive feedback in the workplace. I like how you pointed out the Mirror article. I often forget that I should put it in the terms of how it can help them.