Two interesting, albeit drunken, conversations this May Bank Holiday. (I had more than two, honestly...!)
1. With a colleague from the training/development world. My friend was ticking about something some corporate HR drongo had said about the feedback my friend had received on post-training happy sheets. The feedback was as stupid as was the passing of it on. I felt strongly about this. My friend has done her time, her 10,000 hours or whatever, she's a bona fide star. I had a red wine rant.
“Fuck 'em. There's nothing you or I will ever read on some shitty little feedback sheet that will tell us anything new or useful. You know exactly how well that session went, you know in minute detail the things that went wrong, you are your sternest critic. The people in the cheap seats ain't gonna tell you anything you don't already know and will be wrong about the rest.”
2. With an old college friend who has doctorate in James Joyce and a nice line in honesty. He said “You're done with this validation shit, right?” Which I think was his way of saying just get on with being a writer (which coming from him is, ironically, in itself a very welcome form of validation). And I was wondering where the confidence I have with training comes from, compared to the lesser confidence I have with writing.
And, as it happens, as a result of our conversation, the trainer from number one, sent me the link below, because something in my rant had chimed with it. And whilst it doesn't answer the “confidence” question, it should definitely be required watching for anyone who has ever doubted their creativity.
Brene Brown: Why Your Critics Aren't the Ones Who Count.
1. With a colleague from the training/development world. My friend was ticking about something some corporate HR drongo had said about the feedback my friend had received on post-training happy sheets. The feedback was as stupid as was the passing of it on. I felt strongly about this. My friend has done her time, her 10,000 hours or whatever, she's a bona fide star. I had a red wine rant.
“Fuck 'em. There's nothing you or I will ever read on some shitty little feedback sheet that will tell us anything new or useful. You know exactly how well that session went, you know in minute detail the things that went wrong, you are your sternest critic. The people in the cheap seats ain't gonna tell you anything you don't already know and will be wrong about the rest.”
2. With an old college friend who has doctorate in James Joyce and a nice line in honesty. He said “You're done with this validation shit, right?” Which I think was his way of saying just get on with being a writer (which coming from him is, ironically, in itself a very welcome form of validation). And I was wondering where the confidence I have with training comes from, compared to the lesser confidence I have with writing.
And, as it happens, as a result of our conversation, the trainer from number one, sent me the link below, because something in my rant had chimed with it. And whilst it doesn't answer the “confidence” question, it should definitely be required watching for anyone who has ever doubted their creativity.
Brene Brown: Why Your Critics Aren't the Ones Who Count.
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