Feedback

Suggestions are very important and often make or break your self-confidence. They either help you become a better learner or someone who loses interest completely. This section will help you get a better understanding of feedback and how you can use it to your advantage to grow in your personal and professional lives. 

What do you mean by feedback? 

Feedback is the advice or comments you receive about your performance when doing something. It gives you a chance to understand where you did a good job and what areas still need improvement. A suggestion doesn't always come from one person; it can come from anyone you know. For instance, your parents, teachers, siblings, or even friends. 

Sometimes, receiving a comment can be very difficult. People say this almost every day, either intentionally or unintentionally. However, the main goal of feedback is to give a comment that helps someone to grow and not demotivate them. 

Importance of feedback

Being open to receiving feedback is a sign of somebody who is always willing to learn. Undoubtedly, everybody makes mistakes, and it is this input that helps you extract positive learning from them, which can help you in the future. Below are a few reasons why a good review is always useful and important:

• Road to improvement: Feedback is like a roadmap that will help you reach your destination. When you get it, instead of resisting, it is best to take a moment to appreciate it and see how you can use it for your improvement.
• Helps in learning journey: It is a part of an overall learning process. Constructive criticism always gives you new ideas and methods to try out for a problem. You learn to look at a problem from different angles.
• Builds communication skills: Giving or receiving feedback always allows you to practise speaking and listening skills. You train yourself to avoid taking offence easily and to express your opinions with greater kindness and empathy.
• Motivated to achieve your goals: Inputs always help you stay focused on your goals. It helps you keep moving forward instead of stuck or giving up in one place.
• Builds confidence: An appreciation helps you feel proud of your efforts. It gives you the courage and resilience to achieve more and push yourself. However, kind or positive feedback delivery can make constructive reviews equally encouraging.

How should feedback be given? 

Giving or receiving feedback is an art. It takes a lot of practise, patience, and the ability to be empathetic and vulnerable. For it to be helpful, it should be kind and respectful to make the other person feel supported. Even when you want to point out somebody’s mistake, you should do it in a way that will encourage improvement.

In brief, giving a specific and clear comment helps people understand what’s working for them. Instead of highlighting the personality, tell them what to do to become better self. Before giving a suggestion, it’s better to start with positive sayings. Here’s the breakdown of how feedback should be delivered:  

Specific and clear

Feedback should always be specific and clear. It helps the person to understand what is and is not working for them. It should also mainly focus on the task rather than the person, because it is not about an individual’s personality or behaviour, but about how good they are at their work and how their work ethic is in a professional and learning environment. 

Effective

An effective evaluation is also one that is mainly about ideas and suggestions. Rather than just highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of a person, it should be able to tell them what to do to become a better version of themselves. They should also be given at the right time, keeping in mind if the other person is completely ready or not to take them. It won't end up overwhelming them and fulfil the purpose of giving inputs, which will also be easier to work on. 

Balance

Lastly, giving feedback also means balancing the positives and the areas of improvement. It can always start with something nice, such as an appreciation, and then the helpful advice should be added with a message of encouragement towards the end. This kind of sandwich evaluation is what keeps the person more mindful and motivated.