Feedback Strategies

 I read How to Give Bad Feedback without Being a Jerk and The Trouble with Amazing. I also skimmed most of the other articles, looking at them from a social work client interaction perspective. 

I know that in my practicum so far, there have actually been times and clients who you have to go backwards and just say amazing, I'm so glad you are here. But that's a social work thing and all about knowing your audience - if you've got someone who just walked in looking for food and resources on mental health a lot of stuff does not apply in that moment.

Once we've worked with someone for a while, more constructive feedback might come in to play. It just totally depends on the person and where they are in their journey. It is a bit difficult for me to remember to switch out of my social work mode and back into story feedback mode. That is something I'll have to work on throughout the semester!

They wouldn't make erasers if we didn't make mistakes

Found on Feedback padlet

Feedback Thoughts

 I decided to read Make Good Art: Neil Gaiman's Advice on the Creative Life, Adapted by Design Legend Chip Kidd and How to Tame Your Inner Critic: A Simple Habit to Rewire Your Brain. 

These articles were really interesting to me. Like a lot of people I struggle with confidence! Hello imposter syndrome, my old friend. I can be told over and over again by people I work with, people I go to school with or family that I am good at what I do, that I am smart and so on but do I believe it? Heck no!

I finally begin to believe some of this when I get feedback from those who my brain files in the 'trusted professional' category. Why them? My family spends the most time with me, they see my good side, my horrible side, my hasn't done laundry in two weeks side. Why shouldn't they be a trusted professional on the subject of me? Why shouldn't I be a trusted professional on the subject of myself?

I think this is what I'm taking away from all of this and these articles this time around. Take a breath. Yes, you are probably your own worst critic. It's okay. Breathe and do the thing. Then do the thing some more. Do the thing because you want to do the thing! (Okay that maybe doesn't apply if the 'thing' you want to do is say...brain surgery and you are not an MD. That's frowned on. A lot.) Experience joy that you have done the thing and do the thing some more.

Image from Laura's Growth Mindset & Feedback blog - Picture from cheezburger