Over the years, I have had to work on giving feedback appropriately, either positive or negative, in a variety of situations. As a quiet person, learning to give voice to an experience has taken me time. However, if the feedback is constructive, I have come to realize how important it can be for both the person giving voice to the feedback as well as the person receiving it.
Nowadays, feedback is everywhere: customer feedback, student feedback, employee feedback, etc. Somehow, so much of it fails to be constructive and may even venture into destructive instead. Rather, than holding someone accountable for performance or offering suggestions for improvement, the feedback can miss the mark completely or be misguided and downright inappropriate.
At the university, the request for student feedback on courses and professors is now standard practice and yet may offer up little of value as this video demonstrates (as well as all the others that follow -- you can keep viewing videos in this vain for some time). In the blogosphere, many bloggers turn off the comment option on their posts so that they can maintain some distance from feedback that provides little insight into their work and its reception. I get it. The effort involved and vulnerability of putting yourself out there is significant.
The problem is that when we turn off comments, we turn off the negativity but lose the opportunity to hear positive and constructive feedback as well. Nonetheless, the difficulty remains: how do you hear the lauding, learning comments without focusing on and feeling crushed by the words that belittle, make negative assumptions, and dig at personhood? One mean and bullying comment can overshadow everything else said in response to someone's efforts.
Two things come to mind, First, words are powerful. Social media is powerful. Harnessing the power of words and social media for good multiplies its power to benefit both individuals and community. Second, a bit more kindness never hurts nor does a bit more listening. Feedback given kindly and in the midst of earnest, open dialogue can only move communication in a positive direction for both parties.
Perhaps, we can all just stop and think about the sounds we make with words and language and otherwise. Do we enlighten, inspire, invigorate? Or, break apart, destroy, diminish? As you ponder and give yourself feedback on your own communication with the world, you can chew on one of these -- another roll recipe to add to the recipe index.
PS: Thank you, dear reader, for feedback that continues to spur me on here in front of the computer, in the kitchen and garden, and at the table. My gratitude runs deep.
Muffin Pan Rolls
2
cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1
cup whole wheat flour
1
teaspoon salt
1
cup 2% or whole milk
4
tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
4
tablespoons granulated sugar
2
½ teaspoons active dry yeast
2
eggs, beaten
¾
to 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1.
Heat
milk, butter, and sugar to 180ºF. Stir and set aside to cool to 115ºF.
2. Stir
in yeast and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Combine
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, and salt in the
bowl of a standing mixer.
3. Combine
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, and salt in the
bowl of a standing mixer.
4. Add
yeast mixture and eggs to flour mixture; stir to combine.
5. Knead
with the mixer, using the dough hook, on medium speed. Add 1 tablespoon of
additional unbleached all-purpose flour at a time to the bowl until dough forms
a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, 8 to 10 minutes.
6. Grease
a large bowl with olive oil and place dough inside. Cover bowl with a towel and
let rise in a warm spot until dough has doubled in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
7. Grease
a muffin pan with butter. Divide dough into 12 equal-size pieces. On a cutting
board, cup your hand over 1 dough piece; roll firmly against the board to form
a smooth ball. Place in muffin cup. Repeat with remaining pieces.
8. Let
rise until 2 inches above pan, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
9. Bake
in a 400ºF oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until light brown. Let cool slightly in
pan, remove, and butter tops.
Yield: 12 rolls
