Our new Director of the Media Lab, Frank Moss, has been meeting with the students here at the Lab to understand how we can improve. The number one topic brought up by a certain constituency of students was "a lack of feedback from their advisors." Such a problem isn't unfamiliar to any academic institution that I've been to. But it's not exactly clear to me that it is can be dismissed as an evil bug, because in some cases it can be a strong feature.
Too much feedback is called "micro-management"; too little feedback is grounds for becoming lost. I'm of the camp that when it comes to creative people, less management is always better. Thus in my own research group, I strive to manage less whenever I can. This may sound easy and like I am intentionally slacking, but it's really not. There are certain ways that I like things and of course want things. But I often remind myself that the students aren't there to manage my needs and wants, but that they have their own needs and wants that naturally need and want to be addressed. It's definitely a process of give and take for both sides. So whenever in doubt, I err on the side of keeping my mouth shut. As a result, I figure that my students spend most of their time in a state of being lost -- but ideally "comfortably lost."
If you're any good as a creative, you'll rarely get feedback from anyone. And if you're even better, you'll never have to listen to feedback even when it comes. Feeling lost is a perk from excelling at what you do, so it's best to get comfortable w ith the feeling. It's also a hit TV show.
Posted by maeda at April 20, 2006 12:48 PM