Feedback Strategies: How to Praise

How to Give Praise That Builds Your Child's Self Esteem

This Article was really helpful for me to see what it looks like to give constructive feedback.  While this article was focused on giving feedback to your child, many of the strategies apply to giving feedback in any sort of position of authority.  The main strategy used was asking questions.  These questions allowed the child to self evaluate their work.  This is cool because the child knows exactly how much effort he or she put into a project.  When they realize they worked hard, they gain confidence.  Or if they did not work hard, they see how they could improve.

As someone who wants to be a dentist, it will be critical for me to give feedback for the hygienists working for me.  Using questions to help them evaluate their work and build confidence in themselves is something I think I will do.

Why Do So Many Managers Avoid Giving Praise?

This article shows the results on managers self evaluated productiveness when they give praise and do not give praise.  Many said that they do a better job when they give more negative praise.  The authors believed that these managers might have the wrong view on positive feedback because they give it in the wrong way.  They argue that positive feedback is very important but it needs to be brief and specific.  Sayings like "good job" do not suffice.  Giving specific positive feedback gives room for constructive criticism.  I intend on being specific when giving feedback for this class and in everyday life for now on.

Image Source: Feedback Faces: Pixabay 

Feeback Thoughts: Good Mistakes

                   

Happy Little Accidents: Flickr

Why It's So Hard to Hear Negative Feedback: Tim Herrera

Negative feedback can be hard to take.  Often times we do everything we can to avoid it and miss out on opportunities to grow our minds.  I find myself continuously craving comfort.  I do what is easy and reward myself for doing well on tasks that were not much of a challenge to begin with.  I was once told by a mentor in my life that growth comes from doing the uncomfortable.  This article really reminds me of the truth of that statement.  If I step out of my comfort zone, try something new, and receive negative feedback, I have not failed.  Quite contrarily, I am taking a step in the right direction.  Many times in my life I have stepped out of my comfort zone and growth has been the result.  I remember the first time I sang in public.  It was an incredible experience and a learned a ton from my choir teacher who helped me sing even better the second time.

I also really like that this article motivates people to give better feedback.  I find myself sugar-coating my feedback in an effort not to offend whoever I am giving feedback to.  Now, I should not be rude or hateful in my feedback, but I should give feedback that will actually be constructive.

Giving Creative Feedback – A Guide for Those Who Aren’t Creative: Deborah Maue

I love this article because of how practical it is.  It gives step by step instructions for how to give better feedback.  Often times when I try to give feedback I pick apart the smallest details and overlook the big picture.  Other times I do not even know how to critique other's work.  I like that this article gives questions you can ask yourself when trying to respond to someones work.  Some of these questions include "How does it make you feel?" and "Will it accomplish the objective?"  These are questions that I plan to ask myself as I strive to give feedback that will help my classmates grow.