The Importance of Positive Feedback

        Feedback is an essential part of any facet of life. It provides a check on how one is doing in relation to the baseline standard. Without feedback it would be quite difficult to accurately rate your own performance in things like school, work, or anything that requires you to put an effort forward. 

        Feedback can be given in many unique and differing ways; however, the key is to do it in a manner that both criticizes while also highlighting the effort put forth in order to motivate instead of bringing down. In the past feedback for myself has come in many different forms. Whether it be the grades and comments I’ve received from professors, discussion board responses on blackboard, or even a stern look from someone when my work isn’t up to standard or I’m out of line. 

        Yet I firmly believe that most of the time feedback should tend to be positive. Instead of inspiring one to do better, negative feedback can hinder the creative process and rather cause one to refuse the advice or stop them from doing better. Marshall Goldsmith states in his article Try Feedforward Instead of Feedback, that “It can be more productive to help people learn to be “right,” than prove they were “wrong.” It’s not about falsifying your opinions to just satisfy the person you are leaving feedback for, but I think it generally helps to paint your comments in a positive light, even if those comments may be critiques. Similarly, Farnam Street believes that feedback should “express appreciation to motivation” in his work on giving positive feedback.