You say you love feedback. The truth is, we love the feedback that we want to hear.
I've just completed a new online training programme called Write That Book Masterclass.
At the end, I asked the 70 plus new authors for their feedback on the course and to complete a survey.
The vast majority of the scores and comments have been wonderful. I’m thrilled for the participants and my ego says thank you, too.
However, there have been a couple of negative comments.
This is the test of asking for feedback.
The first negative I agreed with. Good point well made. Am on it for the next course.
The second hurt a little. My temptation was to dive in and find out why – to fix something.
Difficult to do without a time machine!
Later that night, I was completing my journal and wrote, ‘Disappointed about the opinion of one of the members’.
Then it hit me.
It wasn’t feedback they had given – it was opinion.
Opinion - a viewpoint, a belief
Feedback - advice, a pointer, direction.
With 70+ members they can't all have the same opinion.
My granny used to say, 'Opinions are like belly buttons; everyone has one'.
(Actually what she really said was, 'Opinions were like **** ***** ' but I’ll stick with belly buttons)
You should see some of the reviews for my books and audios on Amazon and Audible.
Two of my favourite one star reviews from Audible:
The reader's voice was really annoying and he had a silly overblown American style of presentation telling us he was the third best presenter in the world. Really? Not for me. One of the worst.
and
'Shockingly ignorant man narrates obvious ideas in an annoyingly 'adult to child' tone'.
Ouch!
But I wouldn't change the content of a book because of a review… an opinion.
The next time you ask for feedback follow your heart and ask, ‘Is this feedback or is it opinion?’
Be Brilliant!
