Nigel 
October 28th,2009
"Shut up. Please just shut up! I know I keep failing. I feel bad enough already. Soon I won't care if I never improve."
On Pink Floyd’s The Wall there’s a take-off teacher shouting “Wrong,do it again. Wrong,do it again. Wrong….”. Well thank you,bad teacher.
Maybe he leant over your shoulder,gouged a big red cross into the page,and barked into your ear. Or he could have flung your exercise book at you a month after you handed the work in. In the first case at least the feedback is quick. In the second it has no redeeming features.
There’s a psychological state called flow in which we achieve a great deal. Time slows down dramatically. Your focus is a laser beam of intensity. You live from instant to instant with barely any thought of past or future. You never want to stop. Someone calls you to a meal and you don’t even answer. You’re in the flow.
Surgeon’s get it when operating. Sometimes I get it when writing. The best computer games are designed to cause it. Something that is key to achieving it is good feedback. Next time you find yourself in this state just become aware of what kinds of feedback you’re getting.
Here are some key factors:
Good feedback is prompt
Ever been staying away from home and had trouble getting the shower temperature right? It’s too cold,so you turn it up. Nothing happens so you turn it up more. Suddenly it’s scalding so you wham it back down. By now you’re getting annoyed.
Imagine having a guitar or driving lesson. The instructor spends half an hour just telling you what to do next,but fails to tell you which bits were good or bad till the very end. Then he says,“Okay,about two minutes in you did this,which was bad.”Well thank you. That was timely.
When you’re learning new stuff try to get feedback on how good it is,what’s working and what needs modifying,as soon as possible. It’s more helpful when it’s quick. It’s more encouraging.
And if you’re a teacher,a key part of your role is encouragement.
Good feedback is accurate
Imagine a computer game that kept indicating you were doing really well,and then suddenly announced you’d failed. Not a game anyone would play twice.
As a writer I have difficulty obtaining genuine feedback. People don’t like to criticise. Trouble is if I don’t find out what’s wrong with my writing I can’t improve.
If you’re learning a skill such as high-jumping you need a good coach to observe you in practice,someone who will accurately identify what you’re getting right and what needs to be modified.
Good feedback is genuine
Some parents and teachers are forever complimenting their charges irrespective of how well something has been done. I’m sorry,but if I’ve done something well below what I’m capable of I do not want you saying,“Well done,that was fantastic. You’re doing really well.”I’d rather you said nothing till it improves. This doesn’t rule out saying,“That was good. Now here’s something you could try to make it even better.”Of course the younger someone is the more compliments they need for each piece of constructive criticism.
Everyone does some things well. No matter who you are dealing with,look for something you can genuinely compliment them on and you’ll find it. Genuine praise can be extraordinarily powerful,especially if it is unexpected. It shows you respect and care for the other person as a unique individual of value.
Good feedback is clear
I used to get students to write an assessment of their own performance in Maths,and at the end they were invited to comment on my teaching. The instructions went something like this:“You’re not allowed to write that my teaching is bad. You are very welcome to say that my teaching is bad because…and then tell me what it is I need to do to improve.”
Playing a chord on the guitar often requires that only some of the six strings be played. If you hit a wrong string the result is a dischord. When learning you need more than just hearing you’ve played the chord badly. You need to know which string you played by mistake.
Good feedback is reasonably frequent
Playing computer games,operating as a surgeon and climbing rock faces involve almost non-stop feedback. That’s one reason the activities can be so gripping.
People often feel nervous trying questions on a new Maths topic. They’re scared of being wrong. Fortunately text books for older students include answers at the back. I used to encourage students to check each homework answer as soon as they completed it. “Keep a bookmark in the answers page.”I’d also suggest that if they were getting a particular type of question wrong and couldn’t figure out what their error they should write this down and stop. Then they could have another go once someone had identified the problem for them. “I would rather you spent the whole time getting one question right than doing them all wrong. Please do not practise working incorrectly unless that’s what you want to become better at!”Even so many would still finish the exercise before checking anything.
Good feedback is constructive
We need to identify our mistakes if we are to make progress. What we need like an extra hole in the head is someone just being critical. What I want to hear is how to improve. People I give feedback to need the same. Criticism without guidance how to move forwards rapidly becomes depressing;soon you give up altogether.
Good feedback praises the good as well as identifying the bad
We need balance. Feedback which is only ever constructively critical soon wears thin. We’re all human. We also need to be complimented on the good stuff.
In the early stages of learning something new it’s wise to focus on what is good,and from the bad pick just one item to improve. Take pleasure in how that improves,and in what is already good. Chill about other stuff till you’re ready.
Good feedback is unpredictable and becomes less frequent
The technical term for this aspect of feedback is positive reinforcement. One reason national lotteries are so addictive is that they offer infrequent,unpredictable,small prizes. Perhaps you win £10,and then a few months later win another £20. No matter you’ve gambled several hundred pounds,the positive feedback is powerful. If you won something every week,or knew you’d win once a month,motivation would drop.
Some of the above helps when seeking feedback. All of it can improve how we give feedback if you want it to.
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This article is #6 in the effective goal-setting series.
