You Asked For It…

Last week, I got the opportunity to train a church staff team on the topic of flourishing partnerships between women and men. It was a big moment for me, so I decided I’d bring along my secret weapon:

Lily.

That’s right, this little 8 year old charmer was the best wing-girl a dad could ask for. And as we were heading to the church that morning, we talked about what she would do to pass the time during the three hour training. At one point, I said, “heck, maybe you should take notes on what Daddy does well and what could use some work.”

Be careful what you wish for!

I meant it as a throwaway comment, but she took me up on it. First, here’s her “Good Notes on Daddy:”

For those of you who can’t read Lily, here are the 7 things I did well:

1. Talking, which she labeled “very wise.” I’ll take it.
2. Family photo, on the flash drive.
3. Lesson men and women in partnership. This was her way of saying that she approved of my main point. Phew.
4. Photo slide show. Basically, she liked seeing herself on the big screen.
5. They know what he’s talking about. Good to know I was being clear!
6. You’re happy and funny; you’re not strict. That’s right, I’m the fun teacher!
7. You give them breaks. And, to be clear, on each of those breaks Lily got into the candy…

And, now, the bad news:

Here you go, the “Bad Notes on Daddy:”

1. How you show emotions. She thinks I could show more emotion when I teach and train. #fairpoint
2. Call on people if they have a question. Evidently, I missed a hand at one point…
3. Show a picture of me and Hannah. Huge mistake. I had showed a slide with three pictures of “Daddy Adventures” I had gone on with my three older kids. Missing? The picture from the day before where Lily had hung out with her 2 year old friend Hannah. My bad Lily!
4. Let people say their opinion. Whoops. OK, maybe I’m NOT the fun teacher…
5. Don’t push them for questions.
6. Tell them about your experience. Stories. More stories!
7. Tell them how you feel about a question.

All in all, I think this is some pretty good feedback. In particular, it interests me that she picked up on a lack of emotion in my presentation. Duly noted!

Thanks, Lily. You are a wonderful partner!