1.2 What problems might you have with getting feedback?
Tina is very lucky to have two sources of feedback – her friend Sophie and the interview panel.
However, getting feedback is not always easy and only you know what problems you might have with finding someone to be a mentor and give you feedback about your own qualities, knowledge and skills.
There may be all kinds of reason for this:
- you might not feel that you know anyone whom you would trust to give you feedback in a way in which you would find helpful
- acting as a feedback giver can put someone in such a powerful position that you might feel uncomfortable
- you might feel that you do not know anyone who has the right qualities and skills to help you
- other people’s opinions can make you feel less confident about yourself and may get in the way of creating a clear picture of your strengths.
For these reasons, it is important to choose someone whom you trust to have your best interests at heart.
Activity 2: Problems with getting feedback
This means you have a choice.
Take a few minutes to think about whom you could ask for feedback on the three main skills areas that are the focus of this course: communication skills, problem solving skills and organisational skills. Then, make an entry in your Learning Journal with the title ‘Activity 2: Who could I ask for feedback?’ and note your thoughts about which people you might ask for feedback. If you can’t think of anyone to ask, then make a note of this instead.
Comment
Every student of Learning to learn will have written something different in their Learning Journal as a response to this activity. If you struggled to think of anyone you would be comfortable with asking for feedback, don’t worry – the next section of the course will offer some alternatives to gaining feedback from real human beings.