Well stated. I feel that sometimes we think that our opinion, idea or vision is so good we put it all out there before we give someone an opportunity to give us a valuable pearl of wisdom. Then the moment is lost without us realizing it. Students are so vulnerable to not sharing their thoughts that we can stunt their growth by doing all the talking for them. If we guide them to where they need to go with questions and listening we may have a much better impact in shaping them for their profession and personal lives.

I agree that too often we say something we wish we hadn't. When this happens it turns from a potential positive outcome to one that is negative. The relationship itself may never be repaired.

This is a very great point. One major pitfall that contributes to a communication breakdown while giving feedback is a lack of listening skills. We should always seek to separate fact from opinion, and to do this we must take time to listen and gather information.