The Feedback Fix Book
I don’t know about you, but I have a stack of unread books on my shelf. If you’re anything like me, you may have at least read the first chapter but then get distracted because let’s face it, school psychs are extremely busy! A couple of years ago, I started doing book clubs with school psychologists as a way to hold myself accountable so books would be read in their entirety and so as a community, we could share what we’ve learned and apply the information to our practice. The Feedback Fix was a book we read inside the Prepared School Psych community because our role as a school psychologist requires us to provide feedback to colleagues effectively so positive working relationships are created. Let’s talk about my results from applying The Feedback Fix and its techniques! If you are interested in watching a replay of the live recording where I discuss these topics, please click here.
Getting What We Want Means Giving Other People What They Need
One quote from The Feedback Fix said this, “Getting what we want means giving other people what they need.” Sometimes when we are working with colleagues, we find ourselves frustrated because we didn’t get the OT’s portion of the report on time or the academic scores are being emailed to you the same day as the IEP. Sound familiar? Instead of wishing my colleagues will magically become different and start doing things on time, maybe I need to change my perspective. One approach I have recently utilized from the book is asking the case manager if we could create a document together and list out a timeline of all the tasks that need to be completed before the IEP meeting. It’s important to get permission first but I have noticed that most people who are flustered and overwhelmed will gladly accept the help! What if they decline the assistance? Respect their position and walk away.
Using “And” Instead of “But”
In The Feedback Fix, the author suggests we use “and” rather than “but” when responding to someone’s ideas and giving feedback. For instance, your colleague may share his idea with you and the author’s research shows that responding with, “That’s a great idea and maybe we can add a phone meeting to discuss the academic scores before the IEP meeting.” By using the word “and”, we validate the other individual’s idea. However, using the word “but” indicates a more closed off response. It’s interesting how a slight change in verbiage can change the meaning of the feedback! I have been practicing this approach with colleagues, friends, and family and have found it quite effective. Give it a try and see what works best for you!
We have exciting news to share! Our next book club starts in January and we will be reading The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey. This book will be read over a seven-week period, giving prepared school psych members a full week to focus on each one of the seven habits. But wait, there’s a caveat! There are two additional books written by Stephen Covey called, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens and The Seven Habits of Happy Kids. What’s interesting is that all seven habits are the same across all three books. I have decided to read all three versions and let people who want to participate in the book club choose which version they want to read. Our discussions will focus on how to improve our own habits as well as ways to support effective habits of the children and adolescents we work with! If you are interested in coming along on this book club journey, become a member of the prepared school psych community today! Don’t have time to read the book? We’ve got you covered! All book club discussion sessions will be recorded for you to watch at your leisure! Come and join our community today!
