Feedback Thoughts

In receiving feedback, I read the articles "Silence the Critical Voices in Your Head" and "Overcoming the Fear of Feedback".  Each of these articles had a different yet similar take on feedback and how to go about accepting it.  The article that I could relate to the most was the one silencing the critical voices.  The reason I chose this was because I am actually trying to do just this.  I usually tend to think negative thoughts about myself and the situation that I am in.  When I hear another person's opinion, I am one to take it personally and only hear the negative out of all of the other positives that are being said.  It is not an easy task, but it is progress none-the-less.  My Psychologist discussed viewing the way another person thinks or speaks their opinion with just thinking and believing that that is how they think and not me.  Also, if they are not important in your life then what they say should not quite matter.  Though in this case, it should matter, so we should tweak the way we view what and how they say their feedback.

I can understand when receiving feedback that our fight or flight can be triggered for us to 'protect' ourselves, emotionally.  Overcoming the fear has brought about the option to create a feedback habit. Out of this article, I would and am sure that I have/will attempt this habit of receiving feedback, questioning it, thanking the giver and improving on the task with the feedback, allowing myself to grow from the feedback and have a professional goal in the end to achieve.  Not a lot of classes have allowed me to receive much constructive criticism, though I notice my online courses allow that.  This course will definitely challenge me to take it with a grain of salt yet understand it for improvement and utilize the skills I've learned in receiving feedback.

(Feedback is an Opinion Elaborated.  Flickr.)

In giving feedback, I chose to read "Presence, Not Praise: How to Cultivate a Healthy Relationship with Achievement" and "Be a Mirror: Give Readers Feedback that Fosters a Growth Mindset".  Each article is similar to each other in that they both adhere to the 'Growth Mindset'.  As I read each, I would gear towards being a mirror when giving feedback.  'Presence, not praise' focuses on what the title states.  Rather than praising someone for the end result, we should applaud the process, focus on what it took them to get to the product.  Being a mirror can also do that, though there are a tad more steps to mirroring feedback.  I would like to try each task, but especially the last one that states not to involve yourself in the feedback.  This is only because it should be about the writer rather than the reader, in order to help the writer improve.  The first few are being specific, focusing on what the reader is doing, focus on the process and making sure the criticism is being transferred.  Each are key in giving the right feedback in a way that produces a growth mindset.  

(Got Feedback?  Flickr.)