In Unit Nine, we took a detailed look at professional presentations and presentation skills. The unit was divided into two lessons with two corresponding exercises where presentation skills were practiced.
Unit Ten explores another important skill for professionals and organizations, feedback. We review the importance and application of feedback and discuss considerations and steps for giving and receiving feedback.
Lesson 10-1 opens with the reexamination of the key contribution that feedback has in the communication process. We learn that feedback is the signalling of thoughts, feelings, opinions, and facts between the communicator and the communicatee. These signals can be written, verbalized, non verbal, or a combination of all three. Feedback can be positive or negative or affirming or unaffirming. It is an improvement tool for personal, professional, and organizational development. The unit also explores the benefits of feedback and looks at what three of the world’s leading tech giants have to say about it. The lesson ends by considering the many different forms that feedback can take.
In 10-2, we review what makes feedback effective. We learn that feedback must be delivered in such a way that allows the recipient to specifically identify and understand the area for improvement. Equally, the recipient must be open and willing to accept the feedback before they can act on it. Next, we understand the potential adverse consequences of ill-considered feedback before moving onto delivering and accepting effective feedback. Here, we offer two simple six stage processes for giving and receiving actionable feedback.
Our next section, Unit 11 will examine conflict in communication, what it is, the effect it has and how to manage it.
The following terms and concepts appear in Unit 10;
Unit Warm-up Questions
The following questions can be used as readying activities to introduce concepts, create participation, and encourage analytical and creative thinking. Questions can be used before you begin the unit, or at any time during each lesson.
Answer the following questions with your partner(s).
Lesson 1
- Would you rather be praised or critiqued? Why is that?
- Tell us about a time when you received criticism that you did not agree with.
- Who gave it to you?
- What was it?
- How did it make you feel?
- What did you do with the criticism?
- As a student, do you agree with this quote from Grant Wiggins? Tell us why.
- “Learners need endless feedback more than they need endless teaching.”
- Do you usually fill in customer surveys? Why or why not?
- Have you ever written a letter of complaint? What prompted you to write it? What was the response you received?
- Do you think that feedback should be equal parts positive and negative? Explain your reasoning.
Lesson 2
- Would you rather deliver good or bad news? Why is that?
- How do you feel when other people critique your work or performance?
- Do you think that it is more important to be honest or kind when giving feedback?
- Why do you think that active listening is important when it comes to receiving feedback?
- What should we do if we don’t agree with feedback we are being offered?
- Do you think that there are wrong motivations for giving someone feedback? What would some of these be?