Feedback Strategies

The two articles that I read for this assignment were How to Give Feedback Without Sounding Like a Jerk by Adam Grant and Be a Mirror: Give Readers Feedback That Fosters a Growth Mindset by Gravity Goldberg. I personally really enjoyed these readings. I believe that in order to further and better yourself, you need to understand how to take negative feedback, and know how to give it. At first, it may seem harsh or mean, but we are ultimately improving our abilities which is a good thing. I liked the suggestions that were presented by Mr. Grant. He gave a couple of tips on how we can give negative feedback without sounding insensitive, such as "explaining why you are giving the feedback, bringing yourself down to the same level as the other person, and even asking if the person is wanting the constructive feedback."

I believe we all should be open to "constructive feedback."

Feedback: Pixabay 

Feedback Thoughts

The first article I read was by Sabina Nawaz, Silence the Critical Voices in Your Head. I very much enjoyed this read because she hits upon the idea that we need to exclude the negative connotations that we have of ourselves and include more positivity into our thinking. If I am being honest, I am a victim of this type of mindset. By trying to get into medical school, I have to make myself as competitive as possible. Therefore, I ponder upon the vast majority of people who apply and wonder if I will ever be good enough. However, I shall practice the advice given by Sabina and work on generating more positive thoughts throughout my day. I also enjoyed how she advised acceptance of negative feedback as well. However, she stated, "There should be a 5:1 ratio of positive thoughts to negative thoughts." That ratio sounds good to me. 

The next article I read was by Guy Winch Why Rejections Hurt So Much - And What To Do About It. This article was also a great read. I enjoyed how Guy related and presented actual scientific data about why "rejections" hurt so much. He went on to explain that this was developed as an instinct in order to detect the possibility of being ostracised by others. He also noted that there was a similarity when comparing the MRI results from people who were reflecting on an experience when they were rejected, and people who were undergoing actual physical pain. He also noted that we must keep a positive attitude and build ourselves up when we experience situations like these. However, we must also be open to criticism and use it to better ourselves. 

Feedback is the key to growth: Cheezburger