It gets thrown around a lot in the self-improvement field that any negative feedback should be avoided at all times. Well, research shows that this simply isn’t true! Of course, we are all sensitive when it comes to our performances or efforts but there comes a time when a little wakeup call is a good thing.
Good Negative?
As strange as it sounds, there is a way to give good negative feedback. It is something that needs to be given out carefully and should always be constructive. Self-evaluation is a hard thing to do and something you need to be brutally honest with. For example, say I set my goal to be able to jog 5 miles comfortably in a month. Now, the only way I’m going to reach that point is to build up my fitness by increasing my output on each run.
However, if I can tell that I’m not putting in the correct effort and after two weeks I’m still walking for long periods then I need to be able to look at myself critically. Yes, it’s good that I’ve stuck to it for two weeks already and that’s a definite positive. But I need to be able to say to myself that what I’m doing isn’t quite enough and I need to try more. Looking at the whole two weeks and evaluating myself constructively, I can then see where I need to put more effort in.
Picking your moment
Now, constant negative feedback is always going to be a bad thing, that much is clear. The same thing applies to positive feedback – we are never going to grow as people if we are constantly told we are brilliant and doing the right thing.
What we need to understand is that when we are evaluated by our peers or during self-evaluation, timing is everything. Choosing the right moment plays a big part when it comes to feedback. For example, if you’re trying to quit smoking and are going through a really stressful time at the office, your ability to remain focused on your goal will suffer. By then loading more pressure on yourself through negative criticism, you are only making the goal seem even more difficult than it already is.
Negative Feedback and Goal Setting Theory
A recent study was conducted with two groups of people who were involved in environmental awareness. One group consisted of experts in their field, very knowledgeable about the subject. The other was a group of people interested in the subject but practical novices. They subjected both groups to the same test – asking them to write down all the things you could do to lessen your environmental impact. Their work was then evaluated by a group of professors, who then offered both positive and negative feedback.
Interestingly, the experts all agreed that the negative feedback was far more constructive and helped them improve their understanding. The novices, on the other hand, preferred the positive, “cheerleader” -type feedback.
This study should help us understand that when starting out with something new, we should try to encourage ourselves as much as possible. For example, when starting a diet and exercise routine we should focus on the fact that we are getting up each morning to exercise, eating less junk food etc. This will help us build confidence and continue towards our goal.
However, a person who is looking to run a marathon and is an experienced runner should be able to sit down and reflect on their training. They should be able to critically analyse their diet and exercise regime and be able to see where they are falling down. These two approaches will help both the expert and the novice improve.
Goal Setting Theory was pioneered by Professor Gary Latham. Gary is quite simply the godfather of organizational behaviour and goal setting theory. He has written and co-written just about every book there is on the subject and has worked in the field for some 40 years.
Basically, Goal Setting Theory is what it says on the tin – setting goals for our lives that we then work towards accomplishing. A big part of goal setting is being able to evaluate what kind of goal we are trying to accomplish. Professor Latham outlines that there are two basic types:
- Performance goals – where we know what we are doing and can set a definitive goal such as running a half marathon in two months
- Learning goals – where we lack the skills or knowledge and require time to develop them. For example, learning a new skill such as golf it would be better to set a goal like “learning to drive off the tee successfully” than wanting to shoot low scores in the beginning.
Now, constructive negative feedback will be more effective when it comes to Performance goals, simply because you are improving on an already established set of skills. Much like the study showed, using negative feedback here will help you realise where you are slipping up and you can work towards fine tuning your performance.
Learning goals can still benefit from constructive negative feedback but it would need to be taken in relation to your development. There is little to be gained from pointing out a bunch of deficiencies if you’ve only just started learning the skill!
In summary
Like most things in life, moderation and common sense should prevail here. Constructive negative feedback can be a very powerful tool in self-improvement and not something we should be afraid of. However, there is a time and place for it. Picking the right moment is almost as important at the feedback itself. There should always be a positive to any negative feedback – the person receiving it should be able to grow in a positive fashion otherwise it is purely detrimental.
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