Handling Feedback

[SuF]

Please post any questions, comments, concerns, inaccuracies, etc.

Receiving Feedback

Getting feedback from members and fellow moderators is extremely important for everyone to preform to the best of their abilities. However, the way in which one handles receiving feedback has a great effect on the power of the feedback. Poorly received feedback not only causes user discontent, but also can sway users into not providing feedback as often. There is also an effect on the receiver of the feedback which makes the person less likely to consider what has been said as well as any changes that may need to go along with it. Below are some tips and common issues to give everyone a better feedback experience.
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General Advice

As stated above, the way in which feedback is received has a great effect on the power of the feedback. The most important aspect of receiving feedback in a good way is the thought that goes into what the feedback states. The section “Understanding Feedback” covers this aspect extensively. Another important aspect of feedback is the communication or lack thereof between the user giving feedback and the staff member receiving the feedback. Sometimes there is an appropriate time and method for communicating with the user and sometimes there is not. In situations like the staff feedback thread, where there is a lot of quick feedback for many different people communication is generally not needed. In the case that communication is required, for whatever reason, a private message to the user is a much better option that posting on the thread itself, as the thread is about a lot more than just one person.

For other situations where there is a thread dedicated to a specific person, group of people, specific problem, or anything else that is not general, communication has a much higher likelihood of being needed. In cases such as these, posting on the thread itself is perfectly acceptable as long as the post is on-topic and contributes something to the feedback given.
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Understanding Feedback

The most important aspect of feedback is how the receiver understands and acts on it. For all feedback there are two parts to it, one that is always said and one that is sometimes implied. The first part is the simple, this guy did this and that is bad (or good) part of feedback. To understand this aspect is fairly simple, as it is written out for you. To get the most out of the feedback, one should think about what has been said and try to see that within oneself. If the feedback is simple, such as “Billy – Does not state reasons for locked threads”, then understanding the first part of the feedback is simple. However, if it is more complicated such as “Billy – Acts like an elitist, egotistical jerk”, then it becomes harder. For these harder ones, a lot of thought may need to be put into it in order to understand and see the issue within oneself. If one cannot understand the feedback contacting the user for clarification should be done.

The second part of feedback is the mainly implied suggestion on what one needs to do after understanding the feedback. For the first example, above, the answer to this is simple, post reasons when locking threads. This aspect of feedback is extremely simple, once the first aspect is understood. However, it is just as important as the first aspect as understanding feedback is nice, but acting on that feedback is just as or even more important.
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Defending oneself

One of the most common issues with user-posted feedback is staff members attempting to defend themselves against negative feedback. There are numerous ways in which this is done, including asking for justification, arguing specific points with the user, or just telling them that they are incorrect. By using any of these methods, or any other ones, in an attempt to defend yourself does not help anyone or anything.

Negative feedback is much more important than positive feedback, as it tells the receiver what he or she needs to work on to become a better moderator. Thus, for most cases one should simply read and understand the feedback given and not engage the user at all. The only case that you may need to engage the user is if you do not understand the feedback provided. In this case asking for justification in order to better understand the feedback is acceptable, when done correctly. Asking for justification and understanding feedback are covered in their own sections.​

Asking for justification or proof:

Most of the time when users give feedback, there is no citation given to back up the claims that are being made. When these claims are negative the receiver often will get defensive and ask for justification of the feedback. At times, when worded correctly, this is completely fine. However, there are also times when it is neither helpful nor needed.

The first step in determining whether or not justification should be asked for is fairly simple as it revolves around one's understanding of the feedback. If you understand the feedback that has been provided, justification should not be needed most of the time. Consider this example: "Billy - Has a tendency to lock threads without posting a reason". With this example, everyone should be able to understand the feedback provided and take whatever course of action is necessary, in this case, posting reasons for locked threads. Justification, in this case, would thus only be to defend one's self from negative feedback, which is not helpful.

However, there is always the case that one does not understand the feedback given. Consider this example: "Billy - sometimes acts like an elitist". With this example, one may have no idea what the user is referring to and thus is unable to make any correction to one's moderating. In this case, communicating with the user would be acceptable, if the message is written correctly. The message must be respectful and one must ask for a better explanation or for examples, not demand them. Remember that the user is taking time out of his or her day in order to make you a better moderator and you should acknowledge them for that. Make your intentions clear, meaning tell the user that you want to become a better moderator and that their feedback is important to you and finally, make sure you thank them.

On top of all of this, just use your judgment. Try to figure out what works and what doesn't. No guide can be a good substitute for experience when it comes to dealing with users.​

Thanking users for feedback:

Thanking users for spending their time giving you feedback is a perfectly acceptable, kind, and thoughtful thing to do. However, these personal gestures of appreciation should follow the guidelines in the general section about communicating with users. In addition, any thanks should be genuine and not sarcastic in anyway. For negative feedback this is especially important as users want to know that you are really trying to improve your moderating and that user feedback is actually important to you, as it should be. Thanking a user for negative feedback and specifically stating what you will trying to improve is a good method as if you have misunderstood the feedback for any reason, the user can correct the issue with you.
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[Bubba Fuzz]

First off I read your entire "guide" but I think there is an issue here. You start off by talking about feedback in general and then you switch to the staff here. I noticed your thread about staff feedback and I agree with some parts off it but making a guide like this doesn't help the cause. It seems like you dumbing them down to a low level where you have to explain to them how they should take feedback. Now that may not be your original intent but it comes out in that manner. I think taking feedback is some thing a lot of people struggle and I think you did cover some important points but considering when you made this guide and what lead up before it, shows that it's more against the staff here then for a normal user. I respect you a lot for standing out for what you believe in Suf but I don't think your going about these things in the right way.

 

[SuF]

I actually wrote this for the staff of Spyike's forum and just decided to post it here as well.

 

[Bubba Fuzz]

It was a good idea. It just looks as if your insulting the staff by writing a guide on how they should take feedback. Since it's more focused on the staff I don't think this should be in the UE section since this is a place for users to learn things and your guide doesn't really help most users.

 

[SuF]

It was a good idea. It just looks as if your insulting the staff by writing a guide on how they should take feedback. Since it's more focused on the staff I don't think this should be in the UE section since this is a place for users to learn things and your guide doesn't really help most users.

How is it insulting the staff? I am more experienced than many of them. And eh. What ever.

 

[Bubba Fuzz]

How is it insulting the staff? I am more experienced than many of them. And eh. What ever.

That's kind of what I'm talking about right there. Chances are you are more experienced then a good portion of the staff but your writing a guide on how to accept feedback for staff members. The fact that you have a guide for something so directed to them and how your pointing out a small issue for only several of the staff shows that your "putting them down" by writing them a guide. I think it would have been easier if you would have just talked to the ones you have issues with. That would save time and solve your problem. Chances are they may never see this thread anyway.

 

[SuF]

That's kind of what I'm talking about right there. Chances are you are more experienced then a good portion of the staff but your writing a guide on how to accept feedback for staff members. The fact that you have a guide for something so directed to them and how your pointing out a small issue for only several of the staff shows that your "putting them down" by writing them a guide. I think it would have been easier if you would have just talked to the ones you have issues with. That would save time and solve your problem. Chances are they may never see this thread anyway.

I had the guide, so why not post it? >_>. I wanted to make resources for Spyike's forum to allow new staff members to become good staff members quickly. Using guides to give them the basic ideas seems to be a good idea, in my mind anyways. Sythe mods can use this if they want. Users that mod elsewhere can also. If they want to use it as a resource, they may. If they don't, what ever.

 

[PPaco]

Great guide as usual.