Feedback Thoughts

I think that there are two main things that cause people to take feedback in a negative way; one is that they are too confident and the other is that they aren't confident enough. If someone thinks they suck at something, negative feedback can confirm that for them and make them feel even worse about it. If someone thinks they are great at something, negative feedback can cause them to say "that person doesn't know what they're talking about" and throw out the feedback entirely. The key here is to find a happy medium, knowing you always have space to learn and improve and that just because there is feedback does not mean you can't improve or that what you did wasn't good. I think the article% Tips for Taking Feedback like a Champ was really helpful with this.

In regards to giving feedback, I think many people will always give positive feedback to avoid making the person run into one of the struggles listed above. This is a problem too because it just prevents the person from getting better. In fact, it can give them a big head that results in the "that person doesn't know what they're talking about" mindset when they do get negative feedback. Be honest, but don't tell them they're the best writer of all time. It's also important to not give too negative of feedback. Don't tell someone that their story sucks, just tell them where they can improve and make sure you tell them where they did well also. Combining negative and positive feedback together can make the person feel complimented while also showing them that they need work. This is what works the best for me when I receive feedback and it's also how I try to give it.

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