Feedback Thoughts; Input enhances Output

Feedback is quite often seen as negative, intended to break people down. It is only when we can take feedback in a positive light that one will realize the importance and benefits thereof. It is not only used for educational or work related activities but can play a vast role in one’s personal growth and development as well.

I quite often play victim to the notion of feedback. I think of it as an attack mode and it is at that point in time that I put my guard up and go in the defense mode. It makes me really sad and I paint a negative image in my mind of the person ‘attacking me’. I really enjoyed reading 5 Tips for Taking Feedback like a Champ, because it made me realize that it is totally okay and necessary for me to sometimes speak up about my feelings or things that bother me and to allow me to be honest with whomever I am dealing with. It also taught me that without feedback, I will not know how to motivate my behavior to help me enhance my self-image, allowing me to grow in a positive light. This in turn will allow me to deal more positively with certain encounters of everyday life. I am quite used to giving feedback to our employees and I always try to do it in a manner that will hopefully encourage them and make them feel valued and appreciated. Marshall Goldsmith’s article about ‘feeding forward’ resonated with me. It is important to use what one has learned about feedback to modify and improve future work related activities and I think that this can be an effective strategy to use with my employees. I think that Goldsmith’s sums it up perfectly in her article when she writes about how “Feedforward helps people envision and focus on a positive future, not a failed past” – wow!

Another article that struck me was Overcoming The Fear of Feedback . Again, the idea of fixed and growth mindsets cam into play - a snowball effect where certain aspects of life are entwined.  A reason why I do not like to give feedback is because I feel that I will make enemies or that I will really hurt a person emotionally. Again, I realized that it is not true, if done in the correct manner. I will definitely use the LATTE approach next time I have to deal with a client. Grant Wiggins' article also gave me insight as to how I can professionally give feedback in a way to help people reach their full potential.

I really enjoyed reading these articles and it is so easy to forget how important feedback truly is. It is a tool that I will hopefully never forget and use more in my everyday life encounters and activities. 

 

(Feedback; Input enhances output. Source: Wikipedia Commons)