My Feedback Thoughts

Positive Thinking Art. Web source: Flickr

When we receive feedback it is very easy to focus in on what you did wrong but from this article I learned about the importance of "Amplifying" our strengths. We often think we will do better if we focus on our weaknesses and try to change our weaknesses. But, it is very important to make sure we are good at what we do. Play on your strengths. 

Positive feedback is important too. When it comes to assignments and projects, I feel like I am always focused on what I done badly; "How can I improve?" But from reading this article I have realised that it is just as important to ask "What did I do well?" so we know what to keep doing and what works well. I am definitely going to take this piece of advice into my own life in work and in college. I think it is a great piece of advice.

As Irish people, I think we all find it quite hard to take a compliment. Some of us feel awkward and tell the person to "Stop that, it's only Penneys  instead of simply taking in the feedback and saying "Thank you". When we actually listen to a compliment and fully take it in, it gives us an inkling of how we are perceived by others. 

I will definitely include the 5:1 ratio into my daily routine from now on. For every negative thought you have about yourself, replace it with five positive thoughts, this is what it takes to balance out the negative thoughts. Crazy isn't it? But if that is what it takes, then so be it, I will do it.

~ Silence the Critical Voices in Your Head by Sabina Nawaz

I have often wondered before reading this article why we hate hearing negative comments so much. We take it personally and we beat ourselves up about it when all we should do is take the information on board and try to make it better. 

Instead, some of us spend sleepless nights thinking negatively about ourselves. People who think like this do not understand the term 'Constructive Criticism'. Constructive Criticism is what we receive as feedback on our assignments and in work. It is simply others telling us how we can improve, it doesn't mean that we're doing a bad job in the first place.

Part of the reasoning as to why we hate to hear negative feedback is because we are really dreadful at giving the negative feedback in the first place. It goes both ways. The other part is that we are really bad at receiving it too. We get defensive when given negative feedback and take it personally. 

"Even if you receive a 'C' for performance, you can still receive an 'A' for improvement."-
I really liked this quote from this article because it clearly states that you can always improve. If you make a mistake, you can make up for it by showing them how hard you have worked to improve. If you make a mistake, just like what we learnt in the 'Growth Mindset' part of last week, when you say you don't understand something, you just don't understand it yet. The above quote has that same positive outlook that you can do better if you work hard.

~ Why It's So Hard To Hear Negative Feedback by Tim Herrera