Page 72 - COMP-UP_IO2_Training Curriculum_EN_new

Annex 5 – Module 4 - Handout 1 for Unit 4
72
Unit4: How to work with positive feed-back in a goal-oriented teaching?

Handout 1: CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK VS. PRAISE AND CRITICISM

As a mentor you can provide feedback in two different ways: through constructive feedback or
through praise and criticism. Constructive feedback is far superior in helping the mentoree gain
valuable information about him or herself and, done properly, it can go a long way in boosting
self-confidence and building rapport. The advantages of constructive feedback will become more
obvious if we examine the difference between the two forms of feedback.

Constructive feedback is information-specific, issue-focused, and based on observations. It can
have two varieties:
• Positive constructive feedback is input about an effort well done.
• Negative feedback is news about an effort that needs improvement.

Praise and criticism are both personal judgments about a performance effort or outcome, praise
being a favorable judgment and criticism an unfavorable judgment. Information given is general
and vague, focused on the person, and based on opinions or feelings.

The following examples should help illustrate the essential differences between constructive
feedback and praise/criticism:

PRAISE: CRITICISM:

You did a great job! Nice work. You’ve been not much of help lately. I
hope that this is not what we can come
to expect of you.
POSITIVE CONSTRUCTUVE FEEDBACK: NEGATIVE CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK:

“I noticed you delivered your project a “I’ve noticed some changes in your work
week ahead of time and I’m delighted by habits and results over the past week or
your performance, thank you very much. so. I know how productive and results-
We now have extra time to make final driven you usually are, so I wanted to
improvements and tweaks. How did you check in with you and see if there was
manage to do it? I implore you to pull this anything you were having trouble with
off for the next project too.” that I might be able to help you with.”

The constructive feedback was more objective, specific and nonjudgmental than the
praise/criticism. It was based on observations of specific items and it was not wrong or right. This
feedback would encourage discussion enabling the mentoree to learn more about the situation
and establish a positive course of action to rectify any concerns.