Lesson 7: Feedback
Prefer to listen to this lesson? Click below!
Prefer to listen to this lesson? Click below!
Workshop Scenario
Please think of yourself in the following scenario as you complete this onboarding course.
After reflecting on the skills and qualities needed to be a successful 24/7 Teach team member, your onboarding instructor now emphasizes the importance of receiving and delivering effective feedback. They explain that feedback helps individuals identify areas for improvement, as well as recognize their strengths and weaknesses.
Your instructor emphasizes that giving feedback requires empathy, honesty, directness, and specificity. They demonstrate how to give feedback effectively by providing examples of specific and actionable feedback.
Then, your instructor assigns you to a breakout session with a group of fellow new members, where you'll give and receive feedback on your group project from earlier . At first, you feel a bit apprehensive about giving feedback to your peers, but as you listen to their presentations and provide feedback, you start to feel more comfortable and confident in your ability to give constructive criticism.
As you receive feedback on your own group proposal, you realize the value of hearing different perspectives and identifying areas for improvement. You appreciate the constructive feedback and the opportunity to learn from your peers.
By the end of the lesson, you understand the importance of receiving and delivering effective feedback in achieving personal and organizational growth. You feel more comfortable giving and receiving feedback, and you're excited to continue developing this skill as you move forward in your role at 24/7 Teach.
Your next step is to reflect on how you can effectively receive and deliver feedback as a 24/7 team member.
Your objective for today is to define the concept of feedback and explain how it can be beneficial for personal and professional development.
7.1 Definition of Feedback
Feedback is information or communication provided to someone about their performance, behavior, or actions.
We might often think of feedback as something negative and uncomfortable. However, feedback can also help us identify areas for improvement and make positive changes. Feedback can help us become the superstars that we are meant to be.
7.2 Benefits of Receiving Feedback
Provides different perspectives: Feedback can allow us to see a different perspective on our performance that we didn’t think about before.
Helps identify strengths and weaknesses: Knowing our strengths can help us build confidence and use them in future tasks. Identifying our weaknesses can help us see the areas we need to improve.
Improves self-awareness and self-development: Feedback can help us become more aware of our behaviors, attitudes, and performance. Becoming self-aware can help us grow and develop into superstars.
7.3 Benefits of Giving Feedback
Strengthens interpersonal skills: Giving feedback requires good communication skills. Therefore, giving feedback can help us practice effective communication and interpersonal skills.
Promotes a culture of continuous improvement: When we give feedback regularly, we help create a culture of continuous improvement. We are constantly striving to improve our performance.
Encourages open and honest communication: Giving feedback helps encourage open and honest communication between our team members and leaders. Feeling comfortable about providing feedback creates a culture of trust and transparency.
Learning Checkpoint
Please answer the following question using the learning checkpoint button below.
How can feedback help you become a better team member, and what are some ways you can implement the feedback you receive?
7.4 How to Give and Receive Feedback Effectively
How to Give Feedback
1. Start with a positive comment: Always start feedback with something good. This can help our team members become more receptive to our feedback.
2. Be specific about the behavior or action being discussed: Our feedback should be specific and focused. The vague feedback can be difficult to take action on.
3. Suggest improvement: Our feedback should be constructive and focused on helping our team members improve their course.
4. End with a positive comment: End your feedback by highlighting your team member’s strengths and motivating them to continue improving.
How to Receive Feedback
Listen with an open mind: Try not to take feedback personally. Feedback is intended to help you improve, not to criticize or judge you.
Listen actively and without judgment: Listen carefully to the feedback. Try not to think about the comments as your team member is talking.
Ask for clarification if needed: Ask clarifying questions to ensure that you understand the feedback and provide context.
Thank the person for their feedback: Always thank your team member, even if you disagree.
Follow up on any action items: Be sure to take action on any action items before the next meeting.
7.5 Actionable Feedback
Here is an example of actionable feedback for an instructional designer.
"In the e-learning module you developed, the content is well-organized and informative. However, I noticed that some of the quiz questions are quite challenging for learners, and they might benefit from additional hints or examples to guide them. Also, consider incorporating more interactive elements, such as drag-and-drop exercises or scenario-based questions, to increase learner engagement. Overall, the module could benefit from more visual aids and graphics to enhance the learning experience and make the content more visually appealing. Great work so far, and I believe these improvements will take the module to the next level!"
Below, you will find an explanation of why the example above is actionable.
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The feedback starts by acknowledging the positive aspects of the work, highlighting that the content is well-organized and informative.
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The feedback then focuses on two critical areas for improvement - quiz questions and interactivity. This gives the designer clear guidance on where they can make changes.
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The feedback provides actionable suggestions, such as adding hints or examples to quiz questions and incorporating specific interactive elements like drag-and-drop exercises and scenario-based questions. These suggestions give the designer tangible steps to enhance the learning experience.
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The feedback explains why these changes are beneficial, such as increasing learner engagement and making the content visually appealing. This helps the designer understand the rationale behind the suggestions and the potential impact on learners.
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The feedback ends with positive reinforcement, acknowledging the designer's efforts and expressing confidence that the improvements will elevate the module's quality.
Complete Your Self-Evaluation
Completing the Self Evaluation Assessment allows you to reflect on your strengths and areas for improvement, allowing you to set personal and professional goals that align with the company's expectations. This assessment is a valuable tool to help you identify areas where you need to focus and improve to achieve success in your role.
Step 1: Click here to register for the 24/7 Teach app.
Step 2: Complete your self-evaluation assessment, click here.
Step 3: Complete the form below when completed
Feedback Scenario
Click the button below to complete a scenario to test your decision-making skills.
Discussion Question:
Please answer the following questions in the comment section below and interact with learners from around the world.
How can feedback help individuals and teams achieve their goals, and what are some ways to ensure that feedback is incorporated into ongoing learning and development efforts?
Please read and reply to other learners’ answers in the forum by stating if you agree or disagree with their answers and why. Your replies should offer new substantiated ideas or thoughtful questions.
or try a prompt below!
