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> I'm almost invariably more interested in the folks who've registered negative feedback, though I sense many product teams find watching that material to be st

> I'm almost invariably more interested in the folks who've registered negative feedback, though I sense many product teams find watching that material to be stomach-churning. YES! I wish more people were comfortable dealing with negative feedback and not just receiving but also giving or soliciting it. IMO positive and negative feedback is complementary. IMO, positive feedback is most useful for reinforcing patterns and trends - driving surplus by optimizing the current model. Negative feedback is most useful for generating alpha as it puts emphasis on where the real friction/desires are, what obstacles lie ahead and therefore what problem to solve instead of what is the best solution - allowing us to update our understanding, and break out of a cycle.

mooreds 8y ago
I feel the same way about feedback about my personal performance. It's always nice to hear "you are doing great", but at performance reviews or status meetings I really want to hear how I am screwing up and (more importantly) what I need to improve. Having been on both sides of that conversation, it's really hard to deliver it, and takes humility to receive. But it's far more valuable.
- kemiller2002 8y ago
  I'm not saying you're wrong, but there is a difference between constructive feedback and merely negative feedback. Most of what I've seen is feedback with little understanding of the situation or empathy, and I think that is why people have become negative about receiving any sort of criticism. I had a boss that was great at that, and I always got constructive feedback, but those managers are far and few between. Most of the time I get things like, "The project is late." without any understanding as to how or why this happened.
  - mooreds 8y ago
    > there is a difference between constructive feedback and merely negative feedback That's totally fair, and a great distinction. I will say that learning to ask for clarification on negative feedback is a good skill to have. Not easy when you depend on a job for income, for sure.
dwighttk 8y ago
I know this reveals I'm a rube, but what is the "alpha" from "generating alpha"?
- joker3 8y ago
  https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/alpha.asp https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/alpha.asp
  - dwighttk 8y ago
    thanks

mooreds 8y ago

I feel the same way about feedback about my personal performance. It's always nice to hear "you are doing great", but at performance reviews or status meetings I really want to hear how I am screwing up and (more importantly) what I need to improve. Having been on both sides of that conversation, it's really hard to deliver it, and takes humility to receive. But it's far more valuable.

kemiller2002 8y ago
I'm not saying you're wrong, but there is a difference between constructive feedback and merely negative feedback. Most of what I've seen is feedback with little understanding of the situation or empathy, and I think that is why people have become negative about receiving any sort of criticism. I had a boss that was great at that, and I always got constructive feedback, but those managers are far and few between. Most of the time I get things like, "The project is late." without any understanding as to how or why this happened.
- mooreds 8y ago
  > there is a difference between constructive feedback and merely negative feedback That's totally fair, and a great distinction. I will say that learning to ask for clarification on negative feedback is a good skill to have. Not easy when you depend on a job for income, for sure.

dwighttk 8y ago

I know this reveals I'm a rube, but what is the "alpha" from "generating alpha"?

joker3 8y ago
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/alpha.asp https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/alpha.asp
- dwighttk 8y ago
  thanks