Feedback Strategies

 Article #1: How to Provide Feedback When You're Not in Charge

    I think that there were a lot of good points in this article. In many of the relationships that we will have (either personal or professional), we will not necessarily be "in control," but it will still be important to give and receive feedback well. I thought that what they said about giving specific praise to motivate a particular behavior and teaching feedback though action (accepting feedback yourself and demonstrating the actions you want to see) were especially good suggestions. 

Article #2: How to Give Negative Feedback Without Sounding Like a Jerk

    This is the real question, isn't it? Somehow, the golden standard is being able to give feedback and have the people still like you afterwards. I thought this post brought u two really good points. First the concept of taking yourself off of a pedestal was perhaps most important. It is easy to fell prey to self-serving bias and fundamental attribution error in assuming that, essentially, we are perfect and others aren't. Being able to acknowledge that (surprise, surprise) this isn't that case is the first step in not sounding condescending and alienating. I also though that explaining the "why" behind the feedback was important- a true understanding of the problem is (in my opinion) the only real way to fix it. 

Thoughts on Feedback Strategies in General:

    One of the constant themes that I noticed in a lot of the articles was that praise (if done incorrectly) is not actually valuable. As a performer, I can totally identify with this. General praise doesn't actually help all the time. I value specific praise (what in particular I should try to re-create) and criticism. This criticism, however, has to include a "how to fix it." If only told that something was not done well, this isn't helpful. Being given suggestions on how it might be possible to do it better, however, is extremely valuable. 

(How NOT to Give Negative Feedback. Source: Wikimedia)

Feedback Thoughts

 Article #1: Make Good Art

    I have always liked Neil Gaiman as an author, so seeing this article, I had to click. Gaiman did not disappoint. I had never seen this speech before, but really liked what it had to say. There is no way to control what slings and arrows we are given by life, but we can control our response. Either we can become beaten down or we can "make good art." As my grandfather would say: "Its only a mistake if you don't learn from it."

(Trying Again. Source: Feedback Cats)

Article #2: Why It's So Hard to Hear Negative Feedback

    Classical Voice is a major in which it is important to both be able to give and receive negative feedback. While I always try to be cognizant of how I give critical feedback, I had never really thought about the fact that a big part of why it is so hard to receive negative feedback is that we are so bad at giving it. Honestly, now that i have read it, it makes total sense. I will definitely take care to think even more about my feedback presentation in the future!