Lesley Hetherington: Personality of an Entrepreneur

SCE - Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship
27 Feb 201409:09

Summary

TLDRLeslie Heatherington, Director of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at the University of Abertay in Scotland, challenges the notion of a singular entrepreneurial personality. Instead, she emphasizes the importance of personal orientation, including sustainable motivation, a positive attitude, and the ability to innovate and persist through challenges. Heatherington believes everyone has entrepreneurial potential, which can be nurtured by uncovering and developing individual strengths and competencies. She advocates for reflective feedback as a tool to enhance entrepreneurial capacity and resilience.

Takeaways

  • 🧩 The concept of an 'entrepreneurial personality' is not definitive and may not be as crucial as personal orientation towards entrepreneurship.
  • 🌟 Personal orientation includes motivation, attitude, and stamina, which are more significant in supporting entrepreneurial success.
  • 🌱 Motivation is key, especially the desire to make a difference in the world and leave a legacy.
  • πŸ”Ž Attitude plays a significant role, with a positive outlook being more conducive to identifying opportunities and overcoming challenges.
  • πŸ‹οΈβ€β™‚οΈ Stamina is essential for enduring tough times and persisting through failures, which is crucial for entrepreneurial endeavors.
  • πŸ’‘ Recognizing and leveraging one's key signature strengths can lead to a state of 'flow', enhancing productivity and resilience.
  • πŸ‘Ά Entrepreneurial potential is inherent in everyone, including children, who naturally exhibit persistence, resilience, and innovation.
  • πŸš€ Uncovering or recovering an individual's personal orientation for entrepreneurship is vital for developing skills and behaviors that lead to success.
  • πŸ“š Learning to reflect and provide self-feedback is a powerful tool for developing entrepreneurial capacity and resilience.
  • πŸ”„ Double Loop learning, which involves understanding what could be done differently for future success, is a critical aspect of entrepreneurial development.
  • 🏁 Knowing when to stop and pass on responsibilities is an important skill, indicating a strategic understanding of when to exit an endeavor.

Q & A

  • What is the main topic of discussion in the video script?

    -The main topic of discussion is the concept of an entrepreneurial personality and whether it truly exists.

  • What does Leslie Heatherington suggest about the entrepreneurial personality?

    -Leslie Heatherington suggests that rather than a fixed entrepreneurial personality, it is more about personal orientation and traits that can be developed and support success in entrepreneurship.

  • What are some of the personal orientations Leslie mentions that can support entrepreneurial success?

    -Leslie mentions motivation, sustainable motivation, attitude, resilience, and stamina as key personal orientations that can support entrepreneurial success.

  • What is the role of motivation in developing an entrepreneurial orientation?

    -Motivation plays a crucial role in developing an entrepreneurial orientation as it drives individuals to make a difference in the world and create a legacy.

  • How does attitude affect an entrepreneur's ability to succeed?

    -A positive attitude helps entrepreneurs see opportunities and overcome challenges, whereas a negative attitude can hinder progress and lead to self-sabotage.

  • What is the significance of stamina in the entrepreneurial journey?

    -Stamina is important for enduring tough times and persisting through challenges, which is essential for long-term success in entrepreneurship.

  • What does Leslie mean by 'knowing your key signature strengths'?

    -Knowing your key signature strengths refers to understanding one's unique abilities and using them effectively in various contexts, which can help maintain engagement and energy.

  • Why is it important for entrepreneurs to learn reflective feedback?

    -Reflective feedback is crucial for developing entrepreneurial capacity and resilience as it helps in learning from experiences, identifying areas for improvement, and reinforcing successes.

  • What is the 'feedback sandwich' method mentioned by Leslie?

    -The 'feedback sandwich' method involves starting with positive feedback, followed by constructive criticism, and ending with more positive feedback to encourage improvement.

  • How does Leslie view the potential for entrepreneurship in everyone?

    -Leslie believes that everyone has entrepreneurial potential, even children, as they exhibit persistence, resilience, and a willingness to innovate and experiment.

  • What advice does Leslie give for uncovering and developing an entrepreneurial orientation?

    -Leslie advises taking time to explore, learn, and reflect on one's personal orientation towards entrepreneurship, and developing the necessary skills, behaviors, and competencies to succeed.

Outlines

00:00

🧐 The Myth of the Entrepreneurial Personality

Leslie Heatherington, the Director of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship skills at the University of Abertay in Scotland, challenges the notion of a distinct entrepreneurial personality. She questions whether such a personality type even exists and suggests that it might be more about personal orientation that can be developed to support entrepreneurial success. Heatherington emphasizes the importance of motivation, the desire to make a difference, and the ability to sustain this motivation over time. She also highlights the significance of having a positive attitude, the ability to see opportunities, and the resilience to keep going through tough times. Heatherington introduces the concept of 'key signature strengths' and the idea of achieving a state of 'flow' to maintain stamina and enthusiasm in entrepreneurial endeavors.

05:03

πŸš€ Cultivating Entrepreneurial Orientation

In this paragraph, Heatherington delves deeper into how individuals can uncover or recover their personal orientation towards entrepreneurship. She discusses the importance of identifying one's motivations and the legacy one wishes to leave behind. Heatherington stresses the value of resilience, innovation, and experimentation, drawing parallels to the persistence and creativity of children in achieving their goals. She encourages individuals to reflect on their personal strengths and how to use them effectively in various contexts. The paragraph also touches on the importance of knowing when to continue and when to stop, suggesting that self-awareness and reflective feedback are crucial for developing entrepreneurial capacity and resilience. Heatherington concludes by advocating for the exploration of one's entrepreneurial potential and the practice of reflective feedback as tools for personal and professional growth.

Mindmap

Keywords

πŸ’‘Entrepreneurial Personality

The term 'Entrepreneurial Personality' refers to the set of characteristics often associated with individuals who start and run their own businesses. In the video, Leslie Heatherington challenges the notion that there is a specific entrepreneurial personality, suggesting instead that it is a matter of personal orientation and attitudes that can support entrepreneurial success. The script questions the traditional image of an extroverted, confident individual as the only type capable of entrepreneurship.

πŸ’‘Entrepreneurial Education

Entrepreneurial Education is the process of teaching and learning how to be an entrepreneur, including skills and mindsets that support the creation and management of new ventures. The video discusses the quest in educational research to identify an entrepreneurial personality with the aim of incorporating these traits into educational curricula to develop such personalities in students.

πŸ’‘Personal Orientation

Personal Orientation, as discussed in the script, refers to an individual's inherent inclinations, motivations, and attitudes that can predispose them towards entrepreneurial success. It is suggested that these orientations, rather than a fixed set of personality traits, are what truly support an individual in becoming a successful entrepreneur.

πŸ’‘Motivation

Motivation in this context is the driving force behind an individual's desire to create a difference in the world or leave a legacy. The script emphasizes the importance of sustainable motivation for entrepreneurial success, questioning whether traditional personality traits are as important as having a clear purpose or goal.

πŸ’‘Attitude

Attitude is portrayed as a critical component of entrepreneurial success in the video. It refers to one's mindset towards challenges and opportunities, with a positive attitude being more conducive to entrepreneurship. The script contrasts individuals who focus on the negatives with those who see opportunities and are proactive in pursuing them.

πŸ’‘Stamina

Stamina, within the video, is the ability to endure and persist through tough times, which is essential for entrepreneurs. It is linked to the concept of resilience and the capacity to recover from setbacks, a trait that is highlighted as more important than specific personality traits for entrepreneurial success.

πŸ’‘Key Signature Strengths

Key Signature Strengths are the unique abilities or talents that an individual possesses. The script suggests that understanding and utilizing these strengths in various contexts can lead to a state of 'flow,' where one is so engaged that they are energized rather than exhausted by their efforts, which is highly beneficial for entrepreneurial endeavors.

πŸ’‘Reflective Feedback

Reflective Feedback is the process of self-evaluation and learning from one's experiences. The video emphasizes the importance of learning how to reflect on one's actions and outcomes to improve and develop entrepreneurial capacity and resilience. It is presented as a tool for enhancing one's ability to make better decisions and improve future endeavors.

πŸ’‘Double Loop Learning

Double Loop Learning is a concept from the academic literature mentioned in the script, referring to a deeper level of learning where individuals not only assess the success of an action but also question the underlying assumptions and strategies that led to it. This type of learning is crucial for entrepreneurs to adapt and grow their ventures.

πŸ’‘Feedback Sandwich

The Feedback Sandwich is a method of delivering constructive feedback effectively, starting with a positive comment, followed by suggestions for improvement, and ending with another positive remark. The script uses this as an example of how to self-reflect and improve, which is vital for personal development in entrepreneurship.

πŸ’‘Innovation and Experimentation

Innovation and Experimentation are presented in the video as natural behaviors of children, which are also essential for entrepreneurs. The script suggests that the willingness to innovate and experiment is a sign of entrepreneurial potential, as it demonstrates a proactive approach to problem-solving and opportunity creation.

Highlights

Leslie Heatherington discusses the quest for identifying an entrepreneurial personality and its existence.

The idea that entrepreneurial personality can be mimicked or developed in students is questioned.

Heatherington suggests that personal orientation, rather than personality, supports entrepreneurial success.

Motivation and sustainability are key factors in entrepreneurial success.

The importance of having a legacy or a specific difference one wants to make in the world is highlighted.

Attitude plays a significant role, with a positive outlook being more conducive to entrepreneurial ventures.

The willingness to face challenges and find solutions is more important than asking if one can do something.

Stamina and resilience are crucial for enduring tough times in entrepreneurship.

Understanding and utilizing one's key signature strengths can lead to a state of flow.

Heatherington believes everyone has entrepreneurial potential, including children.

Children's persistence and resilience are likened to entrepreneurial traits.

Innovation and experimentation are natural entrepreneurial behaviors seen in children.

The key is uncovering or recovering an individual's orientation towards entrepreneurship.

Developing skills and behaviors that support entrepreneurship is essential.

Reflective feedback and double-loop learning are powerful tools for developing entrepreneurial capacity.

The importance of knowing when to stop and pass on responsibilities is discussed.

Heatherington concludes by emphasizing the importance of personal orientation to entrepreneurship.

Learning to reflect and give oneself feedback is crucial for entrepreneurial resilience.

Transcripts

play00:02

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my name is Leslie Leslie heatherington

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I'm director of Enterprise and

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Entrepreneurship skills at the

play00:19

University of abedine in Scotland and

play00:22

today you've asked me to talk a little

play00:24

bit about entrepreneurial

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personality and there has been

play00:30

and there still is to some extent a real

play00:33

Quest around entrepreneurial education

play00:36

and entrepreneurial education research

play00:38

to identify what is the entrepreneurial

play00:42

personality I in some to some extent

play00:44

with an intention to then if you could

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identify it you could mimic it and maybe

play00:49

you could more actively develop

play00:52

entrepreneurial personality in students

play00:56

but I have a question for you does

play00:59

entrepreneur IAL

play01:01

personality as such really

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exist it's very easy to follow the the

play01:09

imagery that says if somebody is

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confident they're outgoing they're

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extrovert and they jump in with both

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three to make things happen this makes

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for an entrepreneurial personality and

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in some way somebody with that profile

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is more likely to be successful in their

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venture or even to they're not

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successful in the first time they're

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more likely to jump in recover fail a

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few times but eventually come to be

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successful but I'm not so sure about

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that I would like to suggest it's not so

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much entrepreneurial personality but

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there are issues of personal

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orientation which if you have them or

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you develop them are more likely to

play01:52

support you in being successful as an

play01:55

entrepreneur um the issues I would

play01:57

suggest we look for therefore are your

play02:00

motivation and is it

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sustainable that so that would be

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questions like do you want to make a

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difference in the world and if so what

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difference do you want to

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make is there some Legacy is there

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something you would like to leave behind

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you or be remembered for and is there a

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specific Legacy and when you start to

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spot people or they

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uncover that an answer to that question

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what specific difference would you like

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to make actually

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that is the starting Embers of saying

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this person is developing an

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entrepreneurial orientation which may

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well lead to

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success of course attitude makes a

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difference um somebody who is always

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looking for the negatives and what can't

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be done is they're going to drown

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themselves in their own reasons why not

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and even if they get started probably

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like to stop themselves so of course

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someone who sees opportunities but maybe

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more importantly somebody who went faced

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with something that's important that

play03:03

they really want to make happen doesn't

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ask can I do it but is willing either on

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their own or with support and

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encouragement to go okay how can I make

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this happen and how many different ways

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can I make this happen and what if this

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was possible what would I do what if I

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had support what would I do and I think

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you can probably see that these are

play03:29

questions but they're questions that you

play03:30

could ask somebody no matter what their

play03:33

natural personality was and then the

play03:36

last element in terms of personal

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orientation would be the issue of

play03:40

stamina

play03:42

and being able to keep going being able

play03:45

to keep going through the tough times

play03:47

being able to pick yourself up and this

play03:50

links to something I've talked to about

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before and that's the idea of knowing

play03:54

your key signature

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strengths understanding them being able

play03:58

to use them in different contexts and

play04:02

situations and therefore being able to

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go into this state that maaii sent mikai

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describes as flow where you're so

play04:09

engaged with what you're doing that not

play04:11

only do you tend to lose track of time

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when you're doing it and therefore keep

play04:16

on going but when you come away from it

play04:19

you're likely to be energized and

play04:21

buzzing rather than exhausted by the

play04:24

effort that you've put in if you can use

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this in the Endeavor

play04:31

of creating whatever Legacy whatever

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entrepreneurial business or social

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Enterprise that you're passionate about

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your chances of keeping going through

play04:39

the tough times leading other people

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through the tough times and inspiring

play04:44

those around you is instantly much

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higher I have a personal belief I

play04:51

believe that everybody here has

play04:53

entrepreneurial potential I think

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children have it in abundance any of you

play04:59

who to observe a small child who wants

play05:02

something like an ice cream is seeing

play05:06

entrepreneurial personality in action

play05:10

they have persistence they learn they

play05:13

learn 20 ways not to get an ice cream

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they learn a 100 ways not to get an ice

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cream but on the 101th chances are they

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have

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breakthrough they are pretty resilient

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towards failure and rejection and

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they're very inclined to Innovation and

play05:33

experimentation so I would say that the

play05:35

key question here is more how can one

play05:38

uncover or

play05:40

recover an individual's personal

play05:43

orientation for entrepreneurship for

play05:45

entrepreneurial Endeavor for making a

play05:48

difference for creating value to other

play05:51

people and then having uncovered that

play05:54

natural

play05:55

orientation how can we develop the

play05:58

skills the behavior behaviors and the

play06:02

competencies that are actually going are

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going to help somebody to take it to the

play06:06

next step make it real make it

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sustainable and attract the

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collaboration the resources the team

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that they will need in order to really

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succeed key aspects in terms of what the

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person would need to

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do as B to answer the questions what is

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it that I should be starting now some of

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that is as much about knowing also what

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to reject not being attracted to

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anything that might be an opport

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opportunity but being able to answer the

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question is this an opportunity that is

play06:43

in some way right for

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me how to keep going and be engaged

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which I've already discussed and then

play06:50

finally and maybe actually this is the

play06:52

thing that is in some ways hardest

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knowing when to stop um um knowing when

play07:00

it's time to get out and pass the re

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over to somebody else so basically

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therefore in conclusion I would say that

play07:11

the real issue here is finding your

play07:13

personal

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orientation to Enterprise to

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entrepreneurship to making a

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difference and in order to do that the

play07:23

thing I would

play07:25

recommend is take the time to to explore

play07:30

take the time to learn how to

play07:33

reflect um one of the most powerful

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Tools in terms of developing

play07:39

entrepreneurial capacity and

play07:41

entrepreneurial resilience is to learn

play07:44

how to do reflective feedback um the

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academic literature and this will is

play07:51

covers things like double Loop learning

play07:53

so how to learn not just was it a

play07:55

success or not but actually what would

play07:58

you do differently next next time what

play08:00

would really make a difference but to be

play08:02

able to apply this to yourself and use

play08:04

that thing called the feedback sandwich

play08:07

which starts with the idea of spotting

play08:09

that something is good then the sandwich

play08:11

layer is the developmental feedback the

play08:14

thing that would make it even better or

play08:16

the thing that's not yet in place and

play08:19

the last bit being a reaffirmation of

play08:22

what's good learn to do feedback

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sandwiches for yourself learn to spot

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what you're doing right and sort of put

play08:29

your own success into your life as

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something you believe in is credible

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tell people about your

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successes don't be afraid to reflect and

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go okay I did that well but I could do

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it even better but articulate what even

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better would look like and assuming that

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you are being true to yourself and it's

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your vision and your strengths you're

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playing to just reminded tell yourself

play08:54

you've done really well and give

play08:55

yourself a metaphorical pat on the back

play08:58

keep going good luck look

play09:02

[Music]

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Related Tags
EntrepreneurshipPersonalityEducationMotivationInnovationSuccessResilienceReflectionFeedbackPotential