Last week I had a great conversation with Steve Spalding and Dr. Jason Watson, the Coordinator of Digital Environments Education, and the Director of International Business Development at Queensland University of Technology in Australia. Dr. Watson is creating a social media major for the University, the first of it’s kind in Australia.
In our two hour conversation we discussed many things, from the use of social media in corporate environments to personal branding to Rock the Job. One of the topics we talked about was anonymous commenting. I didn’t mince my words then, and I won’t here.
Anonymous commenting helps no one, and frankly I think, it is weak. I understand that providing good constructive feedback is difficult, but come on people. Are you trying to make a logical argument, or do you just want to bitch? I think for many it is the latter. Unfortunately, they normally drown out the great feedback.
Here’s a cliche for you: communication is a two way street. And so it is with feedback.
When posting feedback, don’t get whiny. Lay out your argument in a logical fashion. If you think something is wrong, tell why. But don’t stop there. Offer a suggestion of how to make it better. If you complain about something, how do I know how I can help you if you don’t tell me?
Here’s a great example of good feedback and a conversation I have with a potential user of scrum’d:
So rather than just complain about something, lay out your argument, and offer a solution. That way everyone can benefit.
