Good day yesterday – I scored an assignment late Tuesday, so I was able to line up some interviews early. I got some marketing done, too. Always. Never stop, I say. I sent out a few Craig’s List ads locally, hit LinkedIn a bit, put out feelers on Twitter, and got another query going. All before noon.
We’ve spent a good deal of time talking about fears and overcoming them this week. I want to expand on that theme a bit. Wendy said it yesterday: some fear the feedback. I say embrace it. Feedback is going to make you a stronger person and a better writer.
I’ve sought out feedback in nearly every client or employer interaction. Some went well. Some didn’t. I learned a lot from it all, especially about human behavior, and my own to be honest.
In one case, I asked for feedback after an interview in which I wasn’t offered the job. The editor was impressed by that, enough that he met me for coffee at the shop next to his office to tell me why I wasn’t chosen. His feedback – that I still seemed strongly connected to my then-current job – was bang on. I was. I was at that time the sole employee and putting out two issues of the magazine that month. I couldn’t help but be connected. But he said my asking for feedback was what impressed him. Okay, he went on to hit on me in email later, but at that moment he was giving me good feedback.
Another case was when I was still working for the magazine and looking for a job in another company. At one point I had a call from the hiring woman – could I come in that day for a follow-up interview? I wasn’t completely prepared – no suit on or in the car – but I said yes. I assumed she’d understand that I had just come from a job and had no time to rush home and get a jacket.
I was wrong. When I asked for feedback, she was brutally honest. She said my attire was totally inappropriate (note that in my first interview I was wearing a suit and in my second I was wearing a cardigan, blouse, and dress pants). Furthermore, she said, I had been given a test assignment that she said I should have had at least three questions for her. I had delivered to her a result that she said was proof that “I ignored the assignment altogether.” It didn’t occur to her that the “ignoring” was really my misunderstanding what she’d wanted. Her choice of words was a huge red flag.
In that case, the disconnect was obvious, and I was thrilled to have dodged a huge bullet. If she’s that difficult to please in the small instances, imagine working with that every day.
Feedback is essential because:
It tells you how to improve. Never fear the “I hate this” or “there are several mistakes” feedback. Usually, they don’t hate it all, but can’t relate to one or two things. And those “several” mistakes? In every case I’ve had, they’ve been minor things and usually just one or two. The point is to ignore the emotional delivery and focus on the points being made – he doesn’t like the word “leading” because it’s overused, or she would rather the press release look more like a news story. Those are things you can fix.
It tells you what personalities you can work with. I could work for the lecherous dude (there are laws that protect against that) much easier than I could work for a woman who chose to view my actions or attire as something purposefully irreverent. Clients who have panic attacks are easily calmed if you figure out how they like to receive information.
It helps you build boundaries. I will never work with someone who feels the need to belittle me or shout at me. I’ve had a small number of clients chastize me for baseless things. I responded by pointing out their errors directly as I was firing them.
It helps you build confidence. Good feedback gives you courage and confidence so that when bad feedback comes, you have something to show you you’re not the failure this person is making you feel like. Bad feedback too can help you build confidence once you’re able to read the hidden messages (like “I’m not paying you, so I’m going to tear this apart”).
Do you seek feedback from your clients? If so, how has that helped you? Give examples, if you can.
Feedback is very helpful. In teaching, the class evaluations help me plan future classes and even create new ones from the things the students want and need.
There are always a few who say I'm too strict or there was too much work (I'm sorry, if you expect to be a contracted, published novelist, you better be writing 1K a day — when you have 3-4 days to do a 750 word assignment and you start saying you have "no time" — you don't belong in the class).
As in your example, Lori, feedback also helps you decide who NOT to work with in the future.
Exactly, Devon. It helps them see that their level of commitment isn't strong enough, though they probably wouldn't view it that way.
Likewise on feedback showing you who your best client is. I wouldn't work with the lecherous dude either, but he'd be easier to tolerate (and handle – I'm stronger than some weak man who can't behave like a grownup), but I won't put myself in the tiresome position of having to do so.
If a client goes out of her way to give me good (clear, actionable) feedback, I will go out of my way to encourage it.
There's also a sales psychology element here: A skilled salesperson will often make a mildly incorrect statement or comment in order to give the prospect a chance to correct the error–and therefore establish authority in their own mind. Which is not to say that we want to make mistakes (!), but rather that a client/prospect taking the time to give feedback or revise something is making a commitment/investment.
The opposite of love isn't hate–it's indifference.
Hey LW, apparently my comment went to spam. Not sure what I said that was offensive! 🙂
Every time I turn in an assignment, I ask the editor or client to let me know if they have any questions. In the editorial world, outside of direct quotations, there are few absolutes. If they don't like something – like Lori's example of the client who thought "leading" is overused – they need to tell me, and possibly even allow me to explain my choices.
Call me crazy, but I like when an editor uses the Track Changes feature on word. I can see the things they're changing, and learn about their particular editorial preferences. (And with one editor who said I "relied too heavily" on direct quotations, I could see how badly she paraphrased those quotes and correct her corrections.)
Saved it, Jake! Yours wasn't the only comment in there, either. Gabriella's from yesterday landed there.
Another reason why Blogger is in my rearview.
Good point on introducing something small error to give them something to do. Normally, they find things wrong without my help, though! 🙂
Amen, Paula. I love when they use Track Changes, too. You can often see the rationale behind the changes better that way.