Feedback Strategies

I read Be a Mirror and found it had some very good points. I almost always give feedback starting with "I think" or "I believe". I liked the article focusing on how we should do everything to keep the attention on their style and not pleasing us. Feedback has always been hard for me. I feel like I'm not qualified to give someone feedback on something I myself am not familiar with. It's challenging, for sure. How do I know if they need to add more or what if their style is just different than mine? One thing I really liked about the article was how it empasized focusing on what is on the page and not on what is missing. If you're a mirror, you can't show something that isn't seen. I also read Presence, not Praise which was a fascinating read. I thought the study was very interesting. Since I don't like to critique, I usually stick to praise. I always feel bad saying things that might make the writer feel bad. I liked how it said to identify the unique things as opposed to praising it all without really looking at it. I will definitely try to use some of these tips when I'm critiquing in the future.

Be a mirror. Image: Wikimedia Commons