Make Room For Feedback
Feedback is a gift. And there are a lot of types of feedback. There is a subtle unsubscribe. And then there is the intentional and thoughtfully worded "you're better than this - so step it up Andy" kind of feedback like the note I got last week.
"While your tagline is Make Room for Many, it feels like Make Room for Many Men... I read your newsletters and I'm constantly wondering when I'm going to be pointed to a non-dude. I'm paying attention because I still care about what you're doing in the world and what you're thinking about. And I'm waiting for the moment I'm wrong (but) I don't see how I fit or am reflected there."
I read this response to last week's email about a dozen times before responding. The person that sent it had even given me the courtesy of writing, "if you don't want to know what I am really thinking, stop scrolling" at the top of their email. I kept scrolling. Anyone who cares enough to take the time to write how they truly feel about something I am doing deserves to be heard. And after some initial pain, and a little bit of shock, I realized the truth of their words.
Last week, all links went out to white men sharing their thoughts.
Every quote from the past six weeks of newsletters was a quote from an old white guy.
I am sharing this because I want to get better and I want feedback. Even if it is hard feedback to receive. I want to know my blind spots. I want to do something about them.
King Solomon said, "Wounds from a friend can be trusted but an enemy multiplies kisses."
Or as my wife told me on our fifth date, "Only the good get coached."
Maddie grew up as a professional dancer. If she ever wasn't getting consistent feedback from her dance instructors, she knew she wasn't at the top of the class. It meant her coaches didn't care enough to push her to be better. It meant they didn't think their feedback would be enough to help her make it into the next tier of performers. She told me that when giving me some early feedback about the two of us because she wanted me to step it up and make it to the next tier of our relationship. I'm really glad she did.
Only the good get coached.
So we'll keep making adjustments and growing over here at Make Room. For example, next week we have a guest curator pulling together their perspective and sharing how they Make Room For Many in their life! So stay tuned!
Timely Mindset For Difficult Conversations
Mel Robins is a force and I love the way she talks about having difficult conversations and her four points that can help guide the conversations.
"I use these 4 techniques whenever I’m going to have a difficult conversation to help me stay focused instead of getting hijacked by my emotions.
TRY THIS:
1️⃣ I always start the conversation by acknowledging my responsibility.
2️⃣ Define the outcome or goal you have for this conversation.
3️⃣ Do A LOT of listening and validating the other person’s feelings.
4️⃣ Restate the outcome.
Bonus tip: try rehearsing the conversation with a friend to work out the kinks and get comfortable with what you’re going to say. These techniques will help you build your confidence and improve the chances that you reach your desired outcome."
See more from Mel on this topic HERE.
Question I Keep Thinking About
Last week during Make Room's monthly office hours, I got the chance to chat with one of our members who is a Professor of Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship at a respected school in the Northeast. She is a true global citizen and thinks about things from a macro perspective. As a result, our conversation covered a lot of topics, but one that jumped out to me that I'd love your feedback on is this:
"What skills are the most valuable for students ages 16-25 to learn to be competitive in the global workforce of the future?"
If you were coming out of school and into the workforce today, what would be essential for your success?
Video I Keep Rewatching
Newsletter I Am Really Glad I Subscribe To
In 2009, I was a part of building one of the first smartphone apps to reach a million users. Building apps was the wild west. In 2012 I got verified on Twitter because I was all-in on that platform and it opened the door for me to write for Forbes for a few years. In 2014 I bought my first Bitcoin and rode the crypto wave for the past almost a decade.
Each of these experiences were challenging because the education of how to participate and how to leverage the opportunity was scattered at best and seemed to be only sold by a snake oil salesman at worst.
Now the AI revolution is here and curatorial community creators extraordinaire Lexi Lampner and Greg Isenberg are behind my new favorite newsletter, YOU PROBABLY NEED A ROBOT.
I've already learned a ton and am diving in deeper each week.
If you were forwarded this email and aren't already subscribed to Make Room, we'd love to have you join our curious community. You can see those options and explore which one is right for you HERE
