2010.07.13 22:37:31

Ken Blackburn

“The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism” – Norman Vincent Peale

Feedback is a valuable tool in any endeavor.  However, as the above quote states, people tend to solicit compliments as opposed to seeking out constructive feedback.  The reason is simple – praise feels good and criticism stings.  It’s an easy trap to fall into.  Another variable affecting this dynamic is the person giving the feedback – not always an easy thing to do depending on the person you are interacting with.  We all know the person who needs a huge dose of “honesty” but it’s not worth the emotional explosion that follows. 

A starting point is yourself – have you done an honest assessment of your strengths and development areas?  If you can’t be straight with yourself, there is a high probability you won’t be receptive to direct advice from others.  Write out what you see as your talents and weaknesses – be specific. 

As an example, if you are looking to improve your k-bell competition lifting, evaluate yourself in the following areas:

• Strength
• Grip endurance
• Lockout
• Leg drive
• Hand position
• Cardio
• Bodyweight (too high or low?)
• Mobility/flexibility
• Anxiety levels during competition
• Frequency of training
• Volume/intensity of training sessions
• Attitude toward training
• Hours of sleep per night
• Nutrition
• Mental toughness

The above list can be more detailed/specific depending on the person, and of course, it has to be objective, otherwise it’s a waste of time.   In addition to the above, video your competition lifts and evaluate your mechanics, alignment, breathing, k-bell trajectory etc .  Often times, you will be surprised at what you see.  Another incredibly value tool is a training journal.  The numbers don’t lie and will be your best indication of what direction you are heading.

So, you are now being honest with yourself. From this point, it’s a great idea to solicit feedback from others.  Seek out people who really know you and aren’t afraid to be direct.  Avoid people like your Grandma…“Ken, you are such a handsome young man”……and instead ask your Dad….. “Ken, don’t mean to bust your ass but you are no Tom Jones.  Developing your personality will be critical.” …ha ha…My dad is a great guy and his point was well taken.  Thus, that is why at that time (I was around 18), I chose not to emulate Tom Jones (who would really??) and opted for Jean Claude Van Damme instead. My closet was loaded with “Van Damage!” – cowboy boots with silver tips, dress pants and tank tops with clips.  Oh yeah! Couple that with some jump spinning kicks on the dance floor and I had found my niche.  All good things come to an end though.  The outfit is now retired to a dark area of my closet like some old superhero costume.  Makes me misty thinking about it….

 Okay, way off topic.  When getting feedback from others, make it easy for them.  Getting in their face and yelling.. “Go ahead, tell me something I suck at” may not be productive.  Same thing for… “Hey, my set looked good right?”.   Intimidation and fishing for compliments isn’t what we are looking for.

Instead try the following:
• Have a list of questions that are specific to your activity and have the person rate you on a scale of 1-10 in each area.  Target the questions you scored low on and ask for greater detail
• Encourage super honest/objective responses
• For some, verbal interactions are uncomfortable.  Thus, you could e-mail the above instead
• Ask the person if they can re-evaluate your performance again in a month (measure progress)
• Don’t limit this to just one person, have others do this as well

As it relates to the k-bell sport world, attend a competition.  This will give you feedback on where you are at and it’s a great environment to get an evaluation of your performance from lifters you don’t normally interact with.

The more you repeat this process, the more comfortable you will become.  Make a habit of being honest with yourself and continually making it easier for others to be honest with you as well.   From there, reflect on the information you’ve gathered and make the necessary adjustments to your game plan.  The data you gathered is of no use if you don’t apply it.  Of course, it goes without saying that you will have to filter the feedback you get – not all information is valuable.  Some folks are too critical or simply just don’t have a clue. 

To give you a real world example of this process in action, let’s look at the movie career of IKFF UK Director Rannoch Donald.  Below is a promotional poster for his first movie “Heartlight”.

It’s a passion project paying tribute to Rannoch’s two favorite things – the Twilight movie series and his muse Neil Diamond.  His idea was to create a musical centered around teenage vampires and the struggles they face (Rannoch has always attacked meaningful topics). However, because he was so excited about the project and its success, he avoided the opinions of others to protect his feelings.  The end result was a disaster at the box office that rivaled even “Waterworld”.

This story has a happy ending though.  After Rannoch opened himself up for input, he hit a homerun and produced an independent film on the life/times of Madonna.  What made this so extraordinary is that he cast himself in the lead role.  Below is a still from the movie:

Critics raved!:

“Rannoch’s reenactment of the “Like a Virgin” video is Oscar worthy”……Entertainment Weekly

“Despite a much needed bikini wax, Rannoch’s performance is superb, brave, and inspiring”……USA Today

”My t-levels have never been lower”…Mike Mahler

So, let Rannoch be our inspiration.  Be truthful with yourself, solicit honest information from others and watch your performance skyrocket!

Keep on truckin!

Ken

IKFF | Ken Blackburn | Mike Mahler | Kettlebells | Rannoch