Why it's hard to get talented without a precise set of benchmarks
We all have done some sort of course. Maybe we've taken a course on writing, drawing or swimming. Yet we don't always get very far. Is it because we're not talented? Or are benchmarks the problem?
How do you get good at the overhead shot in badminton?
You do so by asking the right question.
Hence, a client who's learning to play badminton might ask, "how am I doing with the overhead shot"? They see the entire shot as one thing, but in reality, it's about five.
1- Getting into position
2- Raising non-racquet palm to judge height correctly and balance
3- Raising racquet hand while squeezing palm on the racquet
4- Deciding to smash or just a drop shot (tip over the net).
5- Going through with the action
That's a breakdown of the elements. When someone says: Give me feedback on how I took the overhead shot, we'd have to go through each bit and analyse which one went wrong, and which was fine. We have to figure out how the player can repeat the good stuff and reduce or eliminate the errors.
Hence when someone says, "how's my article?" I almost never answer.
In the courses, we break down every element, but I follow the same technique when giving any critique. We're looking at individual elements and taking those apart.
Feedback has to be precise. e.g. Do these silver earrings look okay with this blue sari? That allows anyone, even a child, to give exact feedback. If you're asking for, "how do I look?" and expect an answer, you get a bland response that feels good but not precise at all.
That "say something nice" is then a lovely sentiment, but not crucial.
When giving feedback, you have to have a precise questions and precise answers. And then, over and above that, you can say something nice. eg. Those earrings looked great on the red sari, but not on the blue one. But your bangles look great.
That "say something nice" is then a lovely sentiment, but not crucial.
Simply sandwiching "nice" and "not so nice" doesn't make the fix any easier. People want precision so that they don't have to deal with the problem anymore. They're not asking for feedback because they want it. They are asking for it because they don't know what mistake they're making. And until we narrow down the elements to the precise point, you can't give detailed feedback.
Yet, most of us don't know what we don't know.
When learning a skill, we don't know what we're doing wrong.
Hence, asking for precise feedback is difficult, if not impossible. It's also the reason why our skill level gets upgraded at a snail's pace. We think we're not talented, but in reality, it's the lack of precise benchmarks.
You can benchmark your progress when you have a marker in place and know what it takes to get to that point. It's also why a coach, teacher or trainer needs that marker, so they can tell you where you need to be and what's holding you back.
Don't blame yourself if you're making little or no progress.
It's not entirely your fault. However, it's essential to find a good trainer or teacher—one who realises the importance of benchmarks.
That's when you start to realise that talent is first and foremost a matter of measurement and only later a point of skill.
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Oh, and if you want to know about me, me, me. I’m Sean D'Souza. Just another Kiwi who lives in middle Earth and enjoys the sweeping views of New Zealand. Oh, I’m a cartoonist too. And a writer, avid chef, but staying away from gardening and power tools. And um, I’d better stop. If you want to see some stuff, you can amble across to Psychotactics.com as well.