Feedback Strategies: Giving Constructive Feedback

Feedback cat meme created by Laura Gibbs. Original image from cheezburger. Web source. 

This week I am learning more about the process of giving helpful feedback. Last week I focused on why receiving feedback and making mistakes is important in the creative process, and now I am exploring the other side of that.

Try Feedforward Instead of Feedback emphasizes the idea that good feedback requires focusing on the future instead of mistakes that have happened in the past. It explains that when people are receiving feedback they need to hear about not only what they were successful with, but what they can improve on moving forward. The key idea to me is focusing on the future. If I, or someone else, made a mistake, it does not do any good to just point that mistake out. Giving input for things that can be done differently going forward is actually more helpful when giving feedback. Wait, I mean feedforward.

Be a Mirror: Give Readers Feedback That Fosters a Growth Mindset focuses on qualities that incorporate growth mindset into the feedback process. The quality that stuck out the most to me what the act of removing yourself from the feedback you are giving. This is something that has always been difficult to me because it's often been easier to tell people "I think you did a great job..." or something like that. Like the article says, this makes the feedback about pleasing the reviewer and that does not leave room for growth or constructive input. 

These articles provide some helpful tips on giving feedback that I will try to utilize not only throughout this semester, but later in life.