METM17 presentation

Learning to deal with negative feedback

 
Patrícia Cardoso Ferreira, Estoril, Portugal
 
At some point in our careers in the language services industry, namely in translation and editing, we all receive feedback on our performance – some positive and some negative. Negative comments on our decisions should always serve as valuable information and should not be seen as a judgement or an "absolute truth". Admittedly, negative feedback can be tough to deal with and can end up, in most cases, being demotivating or even lead us to making the same mistakes all over again.
 
The question then is not so much how we can avoid negative feedback, but rather how we can learn to deal with it. If we can learn to handle negative feedback effectively, this can be a useful skill that will help us grow.
 
In my view, it is therefore vital to learn how to take negative feedback on board in a healthy way. I intend to conduct a practical session, in which I will use techniques and exercises from neurolinguistic programming to help attendees master methods to minimize the threat of negative feedback on their self-confidence and well-being.


Patricia Cardoso wanted to be a doctor or a war journalist when she was a child but ended up studying linguistics. She has been a translator, localizer, terminology manager and consecutive interpreter for more than 23 years, specializing in scientific and technical areas. She has a BA in translation and an MA in German studies. Six years ago she embarked on a new journey and is now in the final stages of studies in somatic psychotherapy (specialization in psychosomatics and epigenetics), certified by the Internationales Institut für Biosynthese IIBS, in Heiden (Switzerland). A speaker at several congresses and conferences worldwide on emotional intelligence and psychology for translators and interpreters, her ambition is for her colleagues to discover and harness their strengths so that they can become the creative leaders of their lives.