Episode 292

When I was younger, I worked for a high-tech startup that had to lay most of the company off to survive. They didn’t do anything but prolonged their demise, but the language used during the layoffs stuck with me. I hadn’t thought about it in a long time but recently heard someone say it when talking about photographs. The phrase used when I was laid off and in the review was This isn’t personal. It’s just business. The thing that stuck with me all these years is that it is business to the message’s sender, but nothing but personal to the receiver.

In this week’s podcast, I talk about how we get feedback and give feedback when the idea of it’s not personal is said in the process. When it comes to creative works shared, it is all personal. So when someone says it’s not personal, I feel we have a responsibility to hold someone’s feet to the fire and have them explain what they mean by that phrase. If it’s not personal, then why does it matter? In many cases, the phrase is used to help the person giving the feedback feel better about giving “bad news.” That doesn’t, however, make it right. When we talk about things that matter, they should be personal. We should not allow that phrase to be used without accountability. We should require all communication, to be honest, tactful, empathetic, and compassionate.

As always, hope you and yours are safe, and please remember to keep safe and wear your mask!