Post by Kyle Baker, IEE Program Coordinator
You can sign up for once-a-day emails on virtually any topic these days. While there is a huge spectrum to choose from, the only one I currently subscribe to is The Startup Daily. Run by Karl Krantz, these emails arrive each morning Monday-Friday with a dose of goodness from leading organizational leadership and entrepreneurship authors.
Here’s what’s in today’s edition:
Instead of Asking for Feedback, Ask for Feedforward
Feedback is typically focused on the past, and on what someone did wrong. The problem is that most people don’t like to give negative feedback, and even fewer people like to hear negative feedback. Uncomfortable topics—the ones that need the most attention—are either avoided, or the feedback is not heard.
Ask “What Can I Do Better in the Future?” Not “What Did I Do Wrong in the Past?”
With “feedforward” people can focus on hearing the suggestions without becoming defensive or worrying about their reply. People respond better to ideas they can still act on, and we are all free to change the future.
-via What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful by Marshall Goldsmith
Like many books you might find in the “Business” section at your local bookstore, these quips and many of the books they are pulled from offer wonderful education-crossover appeal. The concept of feedforward would be an awesome strategy to incorporate into educational environments (while many educators may already use the strategy itself, the term itself is definitely a “sticky” one).
When I read these emails each morning, I spend a few moments thinking about them, then try to observe ways that they apply (or don’t) throughout the course of the day. Every single day I find myself reflecting, thinking critically, learning, and growing through doing so.
You can subscribe yourself on The Startup Daily website, and if you’re a Tweeter and/or a Facebooker, you can find The Startup Daily there as well.
(and while we’re on the topic of Twitter and Facebook, don’t forget to follow myself and Matt Davidson on Twitter, and check out the IEE Facebook page too!)
