Offering Critiques That Resonate
Hello WA Community,
Receiving and offering feedback is a key ingredient to help us grow as individuals. If we hide from outside opinions It can be hard for us to gauge where we stand. In my opinion, this is one of the biggest benefits of being part of the WA community.
When we are giving a critique to a peer it is important that we keep it constructive. We don't want it to come across as negative or condescending. We have to include informative suggestions and praise where it is due. The purpose of a critique is to allow the creator of the subject matter to see their work in a different light.
There is a proper etiquette when you are composing your constructive feedback. We have to be extremely responsible with our words and the energy we are putting out there. Improper communication can lead to unwanted hostility between the two parties, or even worse lead to unnecessary discouragement. We are here to lift each other up and help each other reach our goals.
When I was going through my audio production program. A big part of the curriculum was offering constructive feedback to our classmates. We were taught a method of giving a critique that helped our words resonate with each other.
I found an invaluable resource that I want to share with all of you.
The main reason for sharing this information with you today is due to an inappropriate critique I received from a top member here at WA. I am sure they meant well, but the content was delivered unprofessionally. They made sure it was sent via a private message to conceal its poor taste.
Affiliate marketing / blogging is a very new venture for a lot of us and we shouldn't be discouraged to put forth our ideas. The website that I asked for feedback on is in its infancy. I understand that it needs a lot of work and it will take some time to get it to where it needs to be. I am very open to suggestions pertaining to my work. What I'm not open to is false accusations, and attacks on my intelligence.
No one wants to see this happen at WA. So, I figured It would be helpful to share a little information on giving an effective critique.
I wish you all the best,
Happy Creating!
JT
Recent Comments
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Sorry hit enter too quickly. The rest is.... but if it is given in the right format they will learn from it without taking offence.
Hey Geoffrey,
I hear you 100%! The truth can sting a bit and is a necessary ingredient in our progress. I just want to reinforce the main function of my post. The fundamental intent of a critique is to elevate the recipient. It's not meant to create discouragement and create controversy. I actually found my original model for meaningful feedback! I will create a post featuring it this afternoon.
Cheers
Very true words, John! A lot of discussion has been occurring here on the platform that you mention!
Jeff
Hey Jeffrey,
This is unfortunate to hear... but it also makes perfect sense. If Kyle created a template for writing a critique, it may help the cause. I wonder if he has given this any thought?
I would suspect he has, John, but there is training on this, though I have never used this yet. Maybe a Great idea going forward!
Enjoy your weekend!
Jeff
Very good points, John. I'm sorry that someone criticized in such a discouraging manner. That is not typical here at WA, but it does happen.
Managerial training usually teaches an approach to criticism that allows for better relationships. Essentially, it's intended to provide a positive, followed by the criticism, followed by another positive whenever possible. Add to that, the critique needs to be done in a manner that allows the recipient to understand, rather than take offense.
It seems you already understand the problem with how the person handled their remarks. It sounds like you are taking the high road!
Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
All the best-
Diane
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Hey John,
Your post is well stated...And yes, there are guidelines and/or recommendations for critiquing and/or providing feedback...even your comment addressing my private message has merit.
Much nicer than your private reply.
The main issue with my private message to you was that I focused on your 'about' page, which I brought to your attention because of content plagiarism.
That was stated after I complimented your website layout, background color, and images.
Rudy
Honestly Rudy, I think we got off on the wrong foot. These things happen. I’m a very passionate person and I have been working extremely hard to make this happen for me and my family.
So, I 100% went on the defensive and I apologize for that.
It wasn’t so much the insight you were offering that turned me off. It was how your feedback was worded. Some of the feedback felt more like you were throwing personal insults.
Ex:
“Your articles are full of nonsense”.
“I figured there was some kind of language barrier. so, I was surprised to see you were from Boston”.
Even if these statements were true. I don’t think that’s the best way to go about offering meaningful feedback, or communicating in a “non violent” manner.
Something like this might have been better received.
Ex:
“I was having a difficult time understanding how the content in your articles tie into your over all niche. I’d love to know what other types of content you’re eventually going to feature”.
Then maybe offering some kind of suggestion to take my page to a better place.
In my defense, I unfortunately forgot to remove a couple of the reference paragraphs before I published my “About” page. I would never intentionally commit plagiarism or steal someone else’s work.
So, thank you for the heads up.
I’m new to the Wordpress interface and blogging in general. So I’m sure this won’t be the last time that’s going to happen.
Thanks for your time and wish you the best.
Thanks John.
I must admit that I don't do my best writing while on my phone. That said, I can see that some of my wording didn't make sense or sounded cryptic.
You'll do well with WordPress, and the training here at WA is amazing.
All the best to you, too, John...
Rudy