Some class of errors/problems are due to taking the wrong approach. Trying harder here is indeed not effective and is bad advice.
Another class of errors are due to giving up too early, not putting in enough effort or not really caring about doing something well/properly. For this class of errors, “try harder” is legitimate feedback because the problem is indeed the amount of effort being put in.
An example from my time at secondary school. Some people would try to study but take the wrong approach and as a consequence not do that well. Telling them to study harder or longer would not have been good advice. Other people didn’t really care, didn’t study or pay attention in class and when they did it was only the bare minimum to avoid punishment. For the second group, telling them to try harder is good advice.
There’s another question here over whether telling someone to try harder is often effective. The implicit assumption of the post is that no, its not. My experience in the real world is that in many situations you can motivate people to exert substantially more effort in an activity with “try harder” advice framed in the right way and with the right relationship with the person you’re talking to.
I think “Next time don’t give up so quickly” or “Next time keep working until you’ve produced something you’re proud of” etc. is often useful advice in a way that “try harder next time” is usually not. It’s a specific thing to do, not just a generic cranking up the motivation dial.
I think “You weren’t trying at all. Next time you need to try.” is also frequently useful (but only if it’s in fact true, from their own perspective, that they weren’t trying at all) (and also only if accompanied by a reason that is likely to convince them, or better yet discussion / debugging of why they weren’t trying at all).
I imagine that there are people who have already mentally replaced the common definition of the words “try harder” (i.e. “crank up the motivation dial”) with an enlightened alternative definition of the words “try harder” (i.e. “strategize about how to improve results, and then execute that strategy”). For those enlightened individuals, “try harder next time” is probably fine. Although I still think that it’s often wise to do the strategizing part right now rather than waiting for next time. Then you can have a plan / advice which is more specific: “Do X next time.”
I agree that “try harder next time” is not bad advice / bad plan in every conceivable situation. I would say “there is frequently a much better option for advice / plan”, especially if “try harder next time” has already been attempted unsuccessfully.
I’m not sure I agree.
Some class of errors/problems are due to taking the wrong approach. Trying harder here is indeed not effective and is bad advice.
Another class of errors are due to giving up too early, not putting in enough effort or not really caring about doing something well/properly. For this class of errors, “try harder” is legitimate feedback because the problem is indeed the amount of effort being put in.
An example from my time at secondary school. Some people would try to study but take the wrong approach and as a consequence not do that well. Telling them to study harder or longer would not have been good advice. Other people didn’t really care, didn’t study or pay attention in class and when they did it was only the bare minimum to avoid punishment. For the second group, telling them to try harder is good advice.
There’s another question here over whether telling someone to try harder is often effective. The implicit assumption of the post is that no, its not. My experience in the real world is that in many situations you can motivate people to exert substantially more effort in an activity with “try harder” advice framed in the right way and with the right relationship with the person you’re talking to.
Thanks for your comment!
I think “Next time don’t give up so quickly” or “Next time keep working until you’ve produced something you’re proud of” etc. is often useful advice in a way that “try harder next time” is usually not. It’s a specific thing to do, not just a generic cranking up the motivation dial.
I think “You weren’t trying at all. Next time you need to try.” is also frequently useful (but only if it’s in fact true, from their own perspective, that they weren’t trying at all) (and also only if accompanied by a reason that is likely to convince them, or better yet discussion / debugging of why they weren’t trying at all).
I imagine that there are people who have already mentally replaced the common definition of the words “try harder” (i.e. “crank up the motivation dial”) with an enlightened alternative definition of the words “try harder” (i.e. “strategize about how to improve results, and then execute that strategy”). For those enlightened individuals, “try harder next time” is probably fine. Although I still think that it’s often wise to do the strategizing part right now rather than waiting for next time. Then you can have a plan / advice which is more specific: “Do X next time.”
I agree that “try harder next time” is not bad advice / bad plan in every conceivable situation. I would say “there is frequently a much better option for advice / plan”, especially if “try harder next time” has already been attempted unsuccessfully.