Feedback Strategies

The two articles I read were "Be a Mirror" by Gravity Goldberg and "How to Give Bad Feedback Without Being a Jerk" by Adam Grant. Like the authors of these articles, I believe that it's very important to be sincere in your feedback, and not worry so much about if the person receiving your feedback is going to like what they're about to hear. Both authors write about being clear about the fact that the feedback is designed to help the person receiving it grow, which is instrumental in being good at giving feedback.

The biggest thing that I've learned about giving feedback over the years is that the person receiving it has to actually want it. Growing up, I would never really hold back when it came to telling friends and family what I thought. My stance on things was always clear and I was the king of giving unsolicited advice any time my friends had a problem. Of course, I would then be furious and confused as my friends did not listen to my advice and continued to do the things that were causing them problems.

That's because no one was really asking for my advice, they just needed someone to talk to. Realizing this about myself taught me a valuable lesson in the practice of knowing when and when not to give feedback, and making sure that your feedback is genuine and specific when you do give it. It must be meaningful, direct, and designed to make that person the best that they can be, and it only works if the person you're giving it to actually wants to hear it.

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