The New Year is a convenient time to make changes big and small. We make resolutions and goals in an attempt to alter the fabric of our lives for the better. Here at the Feedback Loop, we’re going to be altering our content for 2017 (hopefully for the better). We’ll still be bringing you quality […]
The Carrot and the Stick
There has long been a difference of opinions about the proper application of carrot versus stick–positive versus negative reinforcement–in encouraging the culture of feedback in the Judge Program. There’s really not much stick in the Judge Program when it comes to reviews these days. The current review-writing requirements are solely for advancement and maintenance. In the […]
Feedbag #9: The Other Side
Hello and welcome to this month’s edition of the Feedbag! Last time, we covered how to best approach providing feedback to your staff members. This month, we’ll be flipping things! (No, not !) I recently head judged an event where a couple of players who happened to be judges took the time to speak with […]
My Review Year in Review
Grand Prix Milwaukee, my last major event of the year, is in the books. 2016 was a big year for me as a judge – I worked 13 Grand Prix, 5 Opens, 2 Regional Championships, and 5 PPTQs. I served as a Head Judge for my biggest event to date, coordinated about 350 PPTQs in […]
Refresh Your Advancement Reviews
Advancement reviews are some of the most important reviews that we give judges, and they often serve as an introduction to the peer review process itself. They not only remind judges of what happened during the interview and exam portion of the advancement process but also provide tools for success at their new level. With […]
Giving Thanks
Thanksgiving. A holiday for eating turkey, watching football, and yes, giving thanks. “Thanks” is an important word in feedback, so much so that it is the name of my favorite book on the subject: Thanks for the Feedback by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen. This book discusses feedback in three primary types: appreciation, coaching, and […]
Radical Candor Workshop
Quick: Think of a time you’ve failed. That’s precisely the challenge I posed to about 20 judges at the Northeast Judge Conference earlier this month. My workshop, “Practicing Radical Candor,” was an exploration of our experiences with failure — and how we can grow from them. I’ll start this article the same way I began […]
Taking Selfies – Part Four
Welcome back to the thrilling conclusion of the self evaluation series. If you’re just joining me, be sure to go back to Parts One, Two, and Three. This week, as the second half of my advice on how to write your Level 3 Self Review, I’ll be covering the final five Qualities of a Premier […]
Feedbag #8: Top Down
Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Feedbag! Last month, we discussed how to encourage judges on your team to review each other. This time, we’ll look at managing teams from another angle, with our question coming courtesy of : I recently was Head Judge of a large event that had teams of […]
The Spiderman Review
I’m not sure how many of you out there have been called a superhero. For those of you who haven’t, let me tell you: It definitely gets your attention. A little over a year ago I received a review from that I refer to as the “Spiderman Review.” This review was eye opening; it helped […]