For instance, when you don’t really know what you are doing, positive feedback helps you to stay optimistic and feel more at ease with the challenges you are facing - something novices tend to need. Given these two different functions, positive and negative feedback should be more effective (and more motivating) for different people at different times. Negative feedback (e.g., Here’s where you went wrong….), on the other hand, is informative - it tells you where you need to spend your effort, and offers insight into how you might improve. Positive feedback (e.g., Here’s what you did really well….) increases commitment to the work you do, by enhancing both your experience and your confidence. It’s important to begin by understanding the function that positive and negative feedback serve. Can’t negative feedback be discouraging? Demotivating?Īnd don’t people need encouragement to feel confident? Doesn’t that help them stay motivated?Ĭonfusing, isn’t it? Thankfully, brilliant new research by Stacey Finkelstein (Columbia University) and Ayelet Fishbach (University of Chicago) sheds light on the seemingly paradoxical nature of feedback, by making it clear why, when, and for whom negative feedback is appropriate. Staying “positive” when doling out feedback will only get you so far. Dangerous because without awareness of the mistakes he or she is making, no one can possibly improve. Wrong-headed because, when delivered the right way, at the right time, criticism is in fact highly motivating. After all, you probably don’t relish the thought of having to tell someone else what they are doing wrong - at minimum, it’s a little embarrassing for everyone involved.īut avoiding negative feedback is both wrong-headed and dangerous. This kind of advice is surely well meant, and it certainly sounds good. If I see one more article or blog post about how you should never be “critical” or “negative” when giving feedback to an employee or colleague (or, for that matter, your children), I think my head will explode.