Note: This blog entry was typed into my Blackberry in the middle of the night a few weeks ago…hopefully that highlights my emotional state at the time. Please be advised, that although the outcome was much better than I expected at the time of original writing, the lesson is still taken to heart. Sometimes you have to “sweat” it out a bit to get the “real learning”. Enjoy!
Regretfully I must admit, I flunked a final from last term. According to the memo the instructor circulated with the graded exam, I passed the course, BUT in my mind I flunked the test.
What makes it worse is that the coursework was in an area where I have a lot of expertise. I don’t know if I am upset, disappointed or feeling like a humiliated fraud. Nonetheless, I am up at midnight, blogging!
I read through the comments in the instructor’s memo compared with my answers. My first instinct was to pat myself on the back and think, I really do get it. I made all the major points they highlighted…I think I am headed for a re-grade…
Then I re-read the professor’s memo. Upfront, they clearly highlighted that good answers considered the question from both sides. Hmmm…I don’t think I did that (actually I may not be doing that now either…). In fact I jumped in and answered each question with my opinions blazing the way. And then I got it…one of my wonderful shortcomings, the one that says I am always right, has raised its head and cost me an exam grade!
Wow! Now I am thinking this grade is right in time! In a tough economy where competition is stiff, can any professional afford to be narrow in their focus or to not be balanced in their approach? If you’re striving to do your best, shouldn’t you consider our perspective and then those inconsistent with your perspective before you draw a conclusion or form a recommendation?
It’s obvious, right?
But sometimes it isn’t. And it’s particularly easy to skip steps when you think you have the answer. Thank goodness my professor approached their grading this way and allowed me to remember this often taught principle in the form of a grade and not a performance evaluation in my upcoming summer internship.
Admittedly, I’ve become a bit less focused on grades as time has progressed for various reasons, but his grade reminds me that feedback is a gift. And as I am actively working on the skills I need to be successful this summer and beyond, this gift couldn’t be more timely. For me it also reinforces that this MBA experience is so much richer than it appears on the surface. Being willing to introspect on what’s presented, even a grade that you may not like, holds some value if you’re willing to extract it.
So instead of writing more due to upset, I am going to sleep. Yet again, today, I feel I got my money’s worth. And this revelation is just of those gifts, I felt I had to share.
Read the full article: The "real learning"