When children proudly show a drawing to their parents, the universal reaction is one of praise and adoration. Parents don’t typically provide critical feedback like “That doesn’t look like me” or “Trees are supposed to be green.” The primary goal is to show love and encouragement and avoid hurt feelings, rather than develop a world-class artist.
The Importance of Constructive Feedback
Adult employees asking for feedback from colleagues and superiors is a much different situation than a child with a new drawing, but the response is often shockingly similar. Even adults often find it difficult to get genuine feedback because many of the people they seek that feedback from hold back for fear of offending. This is often purely subconscious, but the effect is the same.
