See Feedback as a Gift
Learning from feedback is how good lawyers turn into great lawyers
If you haven’t figured it out already being a good summer associate (and frankly a good lawyer) is all about learning from experience. But so many people fail to learn from experience (especially when it comes to written work) because they are afraid of getting feedback.
Therefore one of the single most important mindset shifts you can make this summer is to stop being afraid of feedback. Instead welcome it, invite it, and relish it. Become a better lawyer by getting better at receiving feedback on your work.
To be fair, receiving feedback is hard & learning from that feedback is harder. But here are four tips to help:
SEE FEEDBACK AS A GIFT 🎁 . Getting feedback is hard because it tells the writer what they did wrong. No one likes hearing that they fell short. Instead try to receive feedback with a GROWTH MINDSET—see it as a gift. Don't read it as what you did wrong, but rather how you can improve next time. After all, giving feedback takes time and the person giving that feedback (whether they do it well or not) is trying to improve not only the document, but also you as a writer. This is part of growing and, unlike many exercises, it is individualized to you.
DEPERSONALIZE THE FEEDBACK. The best feedback is never personal. It is about the writing not the writer. But many feedback givers don't know that. So even if you get feedback which starts with “you should” read it as “the document should.” Huge shift.
UNIVERSALIZE THE FEEDBACK. Even if you get feedback in a redline, try to understand the changes and make those changes throughout that document. First, the feedback giver assumes you will. Second, that is how you learn to identify what didn't work and how to fix it next time. This also means that even if you end up “accepting all” the tracked changes at the end, if you don’t go through those changes you really haven’t done your job because you haven’t incorporated other potential changes and haven’t learned from the exercise.
LEARN FROM THE FEEDBACK / DON’T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE TWICE. The best lawyers make mistakes, they just don't make the same mistake twice. Reverse engineer feedback and make a checklist for yourself for the next document.
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE FEEDBACK THEN ASK. Maybe not the day a brief is due but send an e-mail later asking why a change was made OR even better ask to sit down with your supervisor to discuss areas for improvement. This not only helps you and the work product it demonstrates a dedicated interest to growth which is something every supervisor looks for.
Getting feedback about what you did wrong is hard (even two decades into your legal career like me). But it will make you a stronger lawyer. Start now.
Talk soon,
Jonah