My Blog for Myth and Folklore

I am one of those people who would rather receive negative feedback than give it. I hate having to tell people that they messed up or were wrong. I do not like confrontation. If someone comes to me asking for help or advice, I readily give it but I have a hard time approaching someone to address a problem. Why do So Many Managers Avoid Giving Praise hbr This article discussed the fact that many managers do not give positive feedback and view it as optional. The author, however, believes that this is a mistake. In the article it is stated that managers underestimate the value of positive feedback and think that only negative feedback is necessary, however, employees who were polled think that managers should give both.  I am inclined to agree. I have worked at places before where my manager only ever spoke to me when I had made a mistake that needed to be addressed. I began to dread seeing him because we rarely had positive encounters. I feel like when you only hear abo...

Photo Credit:  flickr Feedback is often difficult for me to take, especially if it is especially negative or critical. I have had some good feedback experiences, however, and what I remember most about them were that they were objective and impersonal. One specific instance was in my Comp II class. I went to my professor's office hours and he critiqued the rough draft of my final paper. He pointed out the writing errors, such as misplaced commas or confusing sentences and clearly explained what was wrong and how I could fix it. I liked that he kept the focus on the paper and not on me and that he gave me ways to correct my errors. I felt like I was growing in my abilities as a writer instead of being criticized for my errors. I can also think of a time when I had bad experiences with feedback. Particularly, when it was a personal error. I worked as a teller in a bank and anytime I made an error I got a strike and it always felt like I was being told I wasn't good en...