Giving feedback is something that I think is very important in establishing cooperation and openness, especially in a profession such as Medicine. This was made clear to us in our Introduction to Patient Care lectures in previous semesters. Criticism should be brought to light as soon as possible before it festers and creates chaos down the road. To create an effective working environment, one must not only be comfortable with giving feedback (both criticisms and praise) but also receiving feedback. Back in IPC we had various exercises on this -- we would give feedback to each other and discuss how it made us feel, etc.
Criticism should be dealt with in a mature manner. We don't really know fully what kind of a person we portray to other people, and the only way this aspect of ourselves can be revealed is through honest criticism (this was shown through an exercise on making Jocari windows back then). When we receive criticism, we need to acknowledge the things that the other person brought up and if they are legitimate points, we should act upon them to improve.
Personally I have no reason dealing with criticism. My problem is actually giving it. There are a lot of things I wish I could say to my classmates but I am afraid that they would be offended by my observations. But this fear is something that I need to overcome as I advance in year levels because me not saying anything might actually have serious repercussions in the life of a patient!
In IPC they would give us a formula to use when giving feedback.
I feel _____ because you ______. In the future, I think you should ________________.
This process of giving feedback is effective because we assert ourselves in a way that doesn't infringe on the other person's personal space/beliefs. Being assertive when giving feedback is extremely important. Assertiveness gives you the drive to actually say what needs to be said and take action when it is needed.
IPC also expanded the topic of giving feedback to having effective leadership -- too much criticism is bad (it becomes some sort of a dictatorship) and too much freedom is bad as well (the so-called laissez-faire leadership). A healthy balance of the two ensures the smooth cooperation of a group.
I just hope that in the future my reservations about giving feedback will dissolve. I don't want to enter Med without the assertiveness I need to speak my mind. I really do have a lot of things to say sometimes.
Note: forgot to post last Sunday. Nevermind, my prof is apparently not as strict about the journalling pala.
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