This example, and many others regarding cross-cultural perspectives on feedback, suggest that the American School’s enthusiasm regarding direct and open feedback processes needs to be tempered with a recognition of differences. The first phase in any feedback process, when people from different cultures are involved, is a discussion about the differing perspectives on and interpretations of the process of feedback. Trust in both intentions and competencies will be enhanced by this initial step of building trust in shared perspectives (or at last shared understanding of differences in perspectives).
The British School
Whereas the first quadrant (public self) is “owned” by the American school, this second quadrant is clearly “owned” by the British School. Those who view interpersonal relationships from this perspective—especially those who are strongly influenced by the Kleinian (Neo-Freudian) branch of the British school—are fascinated with that which we don’t know about our relationships with other people. Quad Two is very large for these observers of human interactions and it is filled with many psychic dynamics and complexities.
The Psychic Echo Redux
I first spoke of the “psychic echo” when describing the dynamics of Quad One in Chapter Three. The third phase of this echo (when the voice hits the wall and begins to bounce back) is all about feedback and it exemplifies the British School’s caution about the veracity of interpersonal feedback. When someone else is powerful, famous, charismatic or a major player (in some capacity) in a group of which we are a member, we must be careful about the quality and timing of the feedback we give. We may be “buying into” the self-image of the person receiving the feedback or colluding with other members of the group to assign a specific role and cluster of personal characteristics to the person receiving the feedback.
