Monday, October 12, 2015

The Dove Identity Sketches and Their Importance in Coaching Work


On Tuesdays, the writing community at Two Writing Teachers hosts the Slice of Life. Everyone is welcome to join in by writing, commenting, or just reading slices from around the world! For the month of October, I am also participating in the #Educoach Blogging Challenge. This is a post that relates to coaching as well as daily slicing. 


Somehow I missed the viral spread of Dove's Identity Sketches when they first were released a couple of years ago. I was at an instructional coach workshop last week, and our presenter shared the video and the concept with us insofar as it relates to the work we do as coaches.

If you also missed it, the concept involves the theory that we see ourselves much more critically than the rest of the world. An artist sketched women first based on their own descriptions, and then again based on someone else's description. Here is an example of the discrepancies between a set of sketches.
I can imagine the woman describing her own face as fat with small eyes and thin lips. Some of the other sketches in the video are more dramatic in terms of how personalities are suggested. Sketches described by women themselves create meaner or angrier looking people. If you have three minutes I highly recommend watching the video.

So what does this mean for coaching? I think it means that we have to remember that we are our own worst critics, and we criticize ourselves even when we are good. Many people we are coaching might benefit first from authentic and specific compliments and validation that the work we are doing is important and hard.

Happy Slicing and Coaching,


11 comments:

  1. I think most women are extremely hard on their appearance. I know I can be counted among that group but I read someone say that you will never look again as young as you are today and I remind myself of this when I am putting on my makeup and start up bemoaning what aging has done to my face.

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  2. Love that last line - and it applies to teachers and students, too.

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    1. Agreed. That last line I am going to add to my coaching notebook.Though I had seen these, I hadn't made the same link you did, Melanie, and it is a powerful one.

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  3. Love that last line - and it applies to teachers and students, too.

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  4. What an eye-opening experiment! Your connection to the work we do is so true: we are our own worst critics. Thanks for the reminder not to be so hard on myself or my colleagues!

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  5. I was just thinking about this video this morning as I put on my "face", my makeup. I am so critical early in the morning when the shadows are dark and the lines seem to cover my whole face. Yes, we are most critical about ourselves. I think all people, coaches, teachers, administrators should all remember this.

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  6. I was just thinking about this video this morning as I put on my "face", my makeup. I am so critical early in the morning when the shadows are dark and the lines seem to cover my whole face. Yes, we are most critical about ourselves. I think all people, coaches, teachers, administrators should all remember this.

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  7. I remember seeing these videos. There is another series, too, where women describe themselves and then their children describe them. It's eye-opening.

    Never thought about the coaching connection, Melanie. Interesting connection.

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  8. I have never seen or heard of these videos. So sad that this is how we view ourselves --thank you for sharing it is very powerful
    Clare

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  9. I have never heard of or seen these. So sad that this is the reality! Thank you for sharing - so powerful to remember in all we do in life.
    Clare

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  10. I have never seen or heard of these videos. So sad that this is the reality. Thank you for sharing -- it is important to remember in all we do in life.
    Clare

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