2.1 Some theories about feedback
Some theories, like that of the founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, suggest there are aspects of ourselves that we are only slightly, or not at all, aware of.
Freud believed that the human personality had three aspects to it; he called these the id, the ego and the super-ego. He also argued that the working of the unconscious part of the mind, those parts under the waterline in the picture of the iceberg (Figure 2), is almost impossible to access. However, these hidden aspects could contain information that might be useful for personal development – and so we need to think about how to access them.
The idea of using feedback builds on the idea that other people, because they have different perspectives, can help us to gather information that would be difficult to obtain if we worked alone.
This idea is the basis of what is called 360-degree feedback. This is sometimes used in workplaces to give someone as wide a picture as possible about how well he or she is doing. It involves asking for feedback from everyone whose views are seen as helpful and relevant.
Maybe you have had this kind of feedback yourself? It is always interesting, but sometimes difficult, to hear your colleagues’ or workmates’ perspectives on your performance at work.
For this part of the course, in order to see the value of feedback it would be useful to have some feedback from someone on your qualities, knowledge and skills. So the next activity asks you to start thinking about this. (If you cannot think of anyone, there is an alternative method coming shortly – but spend a little time trying to identify someone first.)
Activity 3 Choosing a trusted adviser or mentor
Take a few minutes to think about asking someone for feedback, particularly on your qualities and skills and knowledge.
Note down your thoughts about people you might ask. They would be taking the role of a mentor – someone with relevant experience who you can trust to advise you, so choose them carefully. It may be a relative or a friend perhaps.
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 an alternative.