Feedback Strategies

When giving feedback to other people in my life, I try to think about their side of the story and how they're going to take it. I'm generally a very honest person, but the honest answer doesn't always give the best feedback. If someone's paper is not written very well, I never tell them it's not good enough. I always give them specific ways they can improve.

When working as a dance instructor, I was taught a great way to give feedback: sandwich the comments. Start out with a positive comment, give them constructive criticism or a way they can improve, then finish with another positive comment. Therefore they're leaving on a high note.

I ready both "What Kinds of Messages Helps Kids Grow?" and "Be a Mirror" and I learned a lot from both articles. In the first one, I didn't realize how important the feedback process was especially to younger children. If you comment on the ways they can help learn a skill, they will be more motivated to do it instead of giving saying, "try again!" The second article gives ways of how evaluators can give feedback in ways that won't reflect back judgement which has a really positive effect on a person's mindset. These articles were really helpful in learning new and different ways for giving feedback!

Proverbs 18:15 Source: Flickr

Feedback Thoughts

As a dancer, I have received criticism my whole life. Sometimes it has been good and constructive, other times it can be a little harsh. I respond better to constructive criticism rather than negative criticism because I hope to improve on what I can. I read the article, "14 Signs Your Perfectionism is Out of Control" which was absolutely perfect for me. I've always been a perfectionist but as I get older, I'm more okay with making some mistakes. This article talks about the many ways perfectionism can get the best of you. For me, I would ever say it has ever been out of control. At times, I get frustrated when I'm wrong about something or haven't gotten something on the first try. That's when I need to take a step back, take a deep breath, and try again! The next article I read was "Why Rejection Hurts So Much." Rejection is never an easy thing to hear but unfortunately we hear it all the time. I apply for a lot of internships and positions around campus and sometimes it doesn't always work out, but that's okay because there's always something to learn from rejection. Also, I'm a firm believer in everything happens for a reason!

Perfectionism Source: Youth Voices