“Uncommon Courses” is an irregular series from The Conversation US that presents unconventional teaching approaches.
Course title:
“Feedback loops: How to give and receive high-quality feedback”
How did the concept for this course come about?
Because my students are pursuing careers in a wide range of fields—business, philanthropy, sports, medicine, finance, human rights, education—I wanted to offer them skills that serve a general purpose. The ability to offer and receive high-quality feedback will help them and the people they work with wherever they find yourself.
What does the course examine?
We learn methods to seek and share feedback. But we also learn methods to interpret feedback, especially once we receive it from multiple sources.
We are also experimenting with a wide selection of feedback frameworks. Some frameworks come from external sources, resembling “Radical openness“ by business management coach Kim Scott and “Thanks for the feedback” by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen of Harvard University Negotiation project. The remaining frameworks are the product of collaborations with students, lawyers, doctors, consultants, and entrepreneurs. They include strategies for methods to give feedback to your boss, methods to receive feedback from a colleague, and methods to process feedback even when it shouldn’t be clear or consistent.
Explain the concept of a feedback framework
Stone and Heen write about three:
- recognition: to applaud someone for his or her efforts and achievements
- Coaching: show someone a greater strategy to do something
- Evaluation: tell someone where they stand
The optimal mix varies by person and situation, so we'll discuss different scenarios where one part or the opposite needs to be emphasized. A beginner or someone who’s discouraged might have more recognition, but a more advanced person may crave “coaching” and “evaluation.” That is, knowledgeable baseball player might want recommendations on improving his swing.
What are some key takeaways from the course?
Just because you might be willing to offer someone feedback doesn't mean they’re willing to receive it. The comedian Craig Ferguson said it took him two failed marriages to learn this lesson. He now asks himself three questions before revealing his thoughts:
- Does this must be said?
- Do I actually have to say that?
- Do I actually have to say this now?
Another key idea comes from cognitive psychologist LeeAnn Renninger who explained in a TED Talk the importance of timing. Instead of bombarding individuals with criticism, she suggests giving them some control over the presentation. Start with something like, “Do you have time to talk about how the last presentation went?”
Consent and autonomy will be crucial components of feedback.
What materials does the course contain?
Last 12 months I summarized crucial concepts and exercises of the course in a book entitled:Feedback loops: How to offer and receive high-quality feedback” that individuals can read or download free of charge. I also use videos, quizzes and tasks from a Online course to which the book is a companion text.
What does the course prepare students for?
Many students say the course has helped them turn into higher editors. Others say it has helped them turn into higher listeners and leaders. But perhaps the best profit is that they develop a set of tools and conceptual vocabulary to assist them get well. They learn methods to improve themselves—and others.
image credit : theconversation.com