Feedback Strategies: The Right Way to Help

Through playing sports, I've learned the importance of being coachable and accepting feedback when you need it. However, I think it is just as critical to be able to give feedback in an appropriate manner. I think I have been good at giving feedback because I've gained experience in a few leadership positions, but this assignment gave me the chance to refine some areas where I need to improve.
First, I read Adam Grant's "How to Give Bad Feedback Without Being a Jerk". I think I can come across as harsh at times when giving feedback just because of my cynic personality. This article gave me some great insight on how to present my feedback in a positive manner. For example, Grant writes about how it is important to step off our pedestal when giving feedback. Instead of just being someone who critiques a colleague, I can instead present myself as someone who has received feedback in similar situations and could perhaps offer a different point of view.
The second article I read was "The Trouble with 'Amazing': Giving Praise that Matters" by Jennifer Gonzalez. I definitely feel like I related to this article as someone whose parents always had high expectations and, as a result, did not just hand out praise. I think Gonzalez makes a great point about how pointless praise really doesn't help much. The reference to "Paula praise" from American Idol that she mentioned is a perfect representation of feedback that is rather useless. I haven't really thought about the idea that this sort of praise is centered around the person rather than the effort, though. It's a little nit-picky, but it is also evident in some of the wording that people use. There's a slight, yet significant difference between "you're great" and "that was great".

Just because feedback is constructive does not mean it has to be negative!

Feedback Thoughts: Re-Wiring My Brain at OU

When I started my college experience at OU, I was so focused on perfection. After going through high school, where classes were not too difficult but my parents' academic expectations were high, I wanted to carry that success in the classroom over into college. I quickly realized that I could not have been more wrong in my approach.
By focusing on making sure I succeed in every single aspect of my college life, I became overwhelmed and thought I was in over my head. Since then, I've learned the importance of making what I like to call "critical mistakes" and learning from them. While I've improved in that regard, the articles I read for this assignment provided fresh perspective on ways to be better.
The first article, Joel Almeida's "A 5-Second Habit to Rewire Your Harshly Self-Critical Brain", related perfectly to how I address mistakes early in my career. I tend to set a high standard for myself in my work, whether it's academically, journalistically, or even personally. As a result, I saw the mistakes I made in a negative light; I worried less about my long-term development and instead focused on my short-term success. This article stuck out to me because of how it addresses the mentality one should have about mistakes. Rather than looking at mistakes as failures, Almeida emphasizes how seeing those mistakes as a bump in the road and refocusing on your ultimate goal help you overcome them more easily and grow from them.
I also read John Spencer's article, "Seven Ways to Crush Self-Doubt in Creative Work". While the first article emphasized having the right mentality following a mistake, this article focused on ways to stop doubting yourself in order to produce your best work regardless of the situation. I definitely enjoyed reading this article because it related a little more to my career in sports journalism. I've always been pretty confident when it comes to my journalistic work, but I will be graduating in 8 months (terrifying) and entering a workforce filled with professionals who have been in the industry way longer than I have. The very first point Spencer makes to get rid of that self-doubt is not to compare yourself to others, which will be critical to how I approach my first job out of college. In my opinion, the most important point he makes is to trust yourself. I've always been one to trust my gut and to tell others to do the same. After all, that's what's gotten me where I am today. This article definitely reinforced my confidence in that regard and motivated me to stick to that standard.

A picture after my first time on television in the fall of my freshman year. I thought I was terrible, but I've since learned to grow from my mistakes rather than criticize myself over them.