HOW FEEDBACK IMPACTS SPEAKER ENERGY

If you’re a speaker, you’re a presenter of any kind, I’m sure that you’ve had your share of evaluation or feedback forms. Some forms are written in such a way that they’re very helpful, asking questions that provide opportunity for change, and growth on the part of the speaker. https://youtu.be/yPkJ7dpL2FQ

For example: what did you like about the presentation? How will you use what the speaker talked about? How will you put that into practice? Where could you put it into practice? Why do you think that your team needs this? The answers to those questions help facilitators and presenters make adjustments for the next time.

Evaluation forms that rate the speaker from 1 to five, or ask participants if they were satisfied, or dissatisfied are less helpful. Who is dissatisfied? What does that mean? Was the dissatisfied person a manager, a CEO, CFO? Was it a regular participant?

It’s important to know and yet, often these things are not mentioned when you get the number rating. Or, how many people thought the presenter gave a good workshop? If 50% thought it was great, who were the 50%? How do they rate in the decision-making process in the organization? Unless the feedback forms focus on specific questions, they aren’t always as helpful as they could be.

And, there’s one other thing to consider when it comes reviewing feedback/ evaluation forms. When you, the presenter, receive feedback that is not focused on the content of the presentation, be careful.

Many years ago, near the start of my speaking and workshop career, I was reviewing my feedback forms. I was ecstatic, Participants were saying how much they appreciated the tips, the activities and the information I shared …along with some very positive suggestions.

This went on and on and then, and then, the very last form … of course it had to be the very last form … the very last form said something like ‘You stink. You’re full of yourself. You’re arrogant. You suck.”  It was a personal assault.

On one hand I had a pile of feedback forms that focused on content. On the other hand, I had one feedback form … one form that basically told me that I was ‘shit’.  A personal attack that had nothing to do with the content. Guess where my energy went. My energy did not go to the positive affirming forms dealing with content. No. My focus went on the one feedback form that was a personal attack.

There’s a saying that says, ‘Where your thinking goes, the energy flows’ … and my energy went to the personal assault. It did nothing to help me move forward. Instead, it held me down for days, until I had somebody grab me by the scruff of the neck and say, ‘Dorothea shape up.  Shape up.

Where your thinking goes, your energy flows. Where do you want your energy to go? A wake-up call! I wasn’t doing myself any favors by being focused on somebody’s personal rant. Who knows why the person responded the way they did. Maybe I didn’t look at them or acknowledge them. They said ‘Hi’ to me and I didn’t return it. Who knows? They made it clear they didn’t like me, but what could I do? I didn’t even know who they were. https://youtu.be/Uvm064a2_1M

As a presenter, as a trainer, as a speaker you want your energy going toward improvement and toward being a better presenter, and making sure your workshop meets the needs of your participants. That means asking specific questions on your evaluation forms.

Asking for feedback means asking: what worked, why did it work, and where will this information be used.  When reviewing evaluation forms, as speakers and presenters, we can choose what evaluate, what we want to focus on and where we want our energy to go.

Where your thinking goes, the energy flows. https://dorotheahendriks.com/how-to-unleash-human-potential/

Make sure you know where your energy flows.