Giving Constructive Feedback

Time for an artistic Challenge Find a partner. Someone you have not worked with before and do not know very well. One of you will face the projector screen, the other will face away from it. The person facing away from the projector screen requires a pencil and a piece of paper. They will be drawing The person facing the projector screen will try to explain how to draw what is on the screen without actually saying what is on the screen. (Ex: There is a large circle in the middle of the page. ) Time for an artistic Challenge

What is feedback? Definition: information about reactions to a product, a person’s performance of a task, etc. Used as a basis for improvement.

Is this feedback? Listen to the following case studies and determine in groups if: Is there feedback? What is it? How does the feedback affect the other person? I was trying to find a new brand of cat food for my cats. They didn’t seem to like their current food and one of them was regularily throwing up. I did a bunch of research to find a better food for them and went out to buy an expensive cat food. Excited about my work, I put out a generous amount of food for my cats. They came up to the food, sniffed it, made a disgusted face, and quickly ran away from their bowls. About a year ago, a few people came to me concerned about one of our teammates. They said she wasn’t open to new ideas and that her attitude was damaging the team. I asked her on a walk. “I’ve been hearing that some of your teammates feel you aren’t open to new ideas,” I told her, trying to sound kind. We were working on a project late one night and my partner kept ignoring the project to watch clips on youtube. I began to get really frustrated with him because I was doing all of the work. The project wasn’t due for a couple of days, but I wanted to get the project done early so we wouldn’t have to stress about it right before it was due. My friend kept ignoring my attempts to keep focusing and my frustration grew. Eventually I slammed my computer closed and packed up to go home. My friend asked me what was going on and I muttered “Nothing. I’m just tired. I’m going to work at home.” The day the project before the project was due, I contacted my partner to see if his part of the project was done. He said it wasn’t but that he should have it for class tomorrow. I didn’t trust that he would get his work done and so I completed his part of the project and mine and handed it in. As I had thought, he didn’t finish his part of the project in time. However, I did not tell the teacher that I did all of the work.

Principle #1 of Feedback It’s not who you are, it’s what you do. Assume that everyone wants to, and can, get better. It can be hard to take this approach as it can be easier to judge someone on their character rather than the actions of that person.

Principle #2 of Feedback: Go beyond “nice job” or “this sucks”. Your team members won’t always deliver the results you’re looking for on the first try. When you are part of a team, you are not expected to get everything right on the first try. This is why honest, constructive feedback can actually strengthen your bond rather than degrade it. Do not be afraid to ask for help or admit that you are stuck on a project instead of leaving it until last minute.

Principle #3 of Feedback: Speak your feelings, without accusations Sometimes, it’s the feedback we don’t give because we are frustrated, embarrassed, or angry, that does the most damage. If we do not say anything, we do not give ourselves or anyone else a chance to grow. “When you do X, I feel Y” can be a good tool to use.

What if I am struggling with a format to give Constructive Feedback?

Looking for a challenge?

Let’s Practice: The clapping contest