Not so Happy with Happy Sheets

Yes it has....

I was recruited internally for my trainer role, this was quite tricky for me at first as it meant I was training people that I'd previously managed but maybe more difficult than that, I was training my old team mates and in a lot of cases really close friends.

I remember handing out my first set of happy sheets after my first official delivery, feeling nervous about what would come back. Did my friends and old team mates accept me as a trainer; did they think I had done a good job??

I remember reading the evaluation feedback and feeling great, yes they had, the comments were fantastic, I felt like I had made the transition in to the new role and been accepted.  This nervous dread every time I handed out a happy sheet stayed with me for a couple of years, and thankfully I had nothing to worry about, all the comments were great.

Then I remember being asked in a one to one – what improvements can you make in your delivery? I said I would review the feedback and see if there were any trends which would give me an idea of what else I could be doing.

I read through about 12 months’ worth of feedback, there was nothing in terms of suggestions from my delegates; it was a whole bunch of Jo is fab, Jo is great, Jo is an awesome trainer.  All of which was nice to hear but none of it was going to allow me to develop and grow as a trainer.

I later came across the term – chocolate praise.  That’s what my feedback was, it made you feel good for a bit but then you were left wanting more, something different, maybe even some criticism!

The dread I had handing out the happy sheets has disappeared, in fact now when I read comments I am almost disappointed to receive Jo is fab/great/awesome feedback.  I want to know, I have pushed people, I want to know I have challenged them and forced them out of their comfort zone.