A key component of someone's feedback is the "why". Why do so many seem to neglect communicating the "why" when collaborating?

2017-04-25T09:55:54-04:00

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 25 at 2017 11:39 AM

2017-04-25T11:39:50-04:00

SGT Private RallyPoint Member this was such a pet peeve of mine during my Masters courses. In our sessions, people would give feedback, but it just sounded like they were prattling on in order to sound intelligent.
Perhaps that is the reason for the neglect. They want to critique in order to seem knowledgeable, but leave out why they are critiquing in the fashion they are because they really do not have the knowledge they are trying to portray?
I made it a point to explain why my feedback was the way it was: what issues I found with the subject I was providing feedback for, whether positive or negative.

Do you think that the world of online courses has had an effect on this? I noticed, when I was taking online courses, that many people would glom on to discussions & simply say, "I agree" in order to get credit for the discussion, but there was never any real feedback or discussion.

Response by SGT Charles Napierala made Apr 25 at 2017 3:55 PM

2017-04-25T15:55:31-04:00

I feel that people are fearful of conflict. Depending on the environment and setting, the person may be doing things the way they do because that's just how they were taught to perform. They weren't ever taught to ask why, they just learned it a certain way from a credentialed individual and now mimic what was taught. Asking why opens up discussion and critical thinking, both of which take time. In a generation where everyone's too wrapped up in themselves and what's immediately gratifying them, they can just run through the same mindless actions that they've seen or heard before.

TL;DR - Asking why takes too much effort.