#TALKTIPS DAY 28: EXERCISE YOUR CONSENT

Some months ago I was having a conversation with a conference organizer. We were talking about my future talk catalogue, and what may work for some of their upcoming events when we got on the topic of feedback. I asked how the feedback from my talks had been so far, and learned that they don't offer feedback to speakers freely because they've been told many speakers don't want it. This surprised me. In the field I've been speaking over the past few years, it's been primarily UX-ers, Designers, and Developers - the very people I imagined would seek out and value feedback the most. 

Plenty of folks do want feedback. I had no idea how many didn't. 
I think learning how to ask for feedback and how to listen to the things that people have to say is one of the most important things I can do as a speaker. Certainly I don't change everything based on a comment or two. Yes, sometimes there are comments that sting a little bit. Often, things are left for me to interpret positive or negative tone.
I quote Eleanor Roosevelt a lot. She said many great things, like this:

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

Exercise those "consent" muscles, feedback can make us better, stronger, more AMAZING!