How to give feedback

Transcript

1. How to give feedback
   Charles-Axel Dein
   July 2017
   

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2. Table of contents
   1. Why it's important
   2. How to do it
   3. Bad examples
   

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3. Intro
   The "T3B3" tool
   

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4. T3 = "Top 3" things you
   do well
   Reinforcing feedback
   

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5. B3 = "Bottom 3" things
   you can work on
   Redirecting feedback
   

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6. This presentation is
   applicable to both
   redirecting and
   reinforcing feedback
   

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7. Part 1.
   Why
   It's
   Important
   

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8. Great mentors deliver
   great feedback
   

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9. Being great at
   delivering feedback
   helps receiving it
   

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10. Part 2.
    Howto
    Deliver
    Feedback
    

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11. Here's an example situation
    Your colleague said the software you just shipped on the connected
    toaster was "a piece of shitty spaghetti code".
    

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12. Let's try without a
    framework!
    

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13. "You make disrespectful
    comments about code."
    — Inexperienced Feedback Giver
    

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14. How does that make you feel?
    

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15. Now, let's review some
    better ways to share
    feedback.
    

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16. First we'll review the
    model
    Then we'll have an example feedback
    

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17. Framework 1: Non-Violent
    Communication's ONFR
    1. Observations
    2. Feelings
    3. Needs
    4. Request
    

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18. Simplified example: Non-
    Violent Communication
    1. Observation: yesterday you said that my code was "a piece of shitty
    spaghetti code".
    2. Feelings: this made me feel disrespected because I had put a lot of
    energy in this new feature.
    3. Needs: for our team to function well, we need feedback to be
    shared in a respectful manner.
    4. Request: moving forward, can you try to find better words and more
    actionable feedback?
    

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19. Framework 2: Crucial
    Conversations' STATE
    1. State your facts
    2. Tell your story
    3. Ask for others' paths
    4. Talk tentatively
    5. Encourage testing
    

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20. Simplified example: Crucial
    Conversation
    1. State: yesterday you said that my code was "a piece of shitty
    spaghetti code".
    2. Tell: I can't help but think you want to hurt my feelings with such
    strong words.
    3. Ask: what was your intention with sharing those strong words?
    "Hold to your belief; merely soften your approach"
    

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21. Framework 3: behavioral
    interview's STAR
    1. Situation
    2. Task
    3. Action
    4. Result
    

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22. Simplified example:
    behavioral STAR model
    1. Situation: yesterday in the chat room you said that my code was "a
    piece of shitty spaghetti code".
    2. Task: N/A here.
    3. Action: I felt disrespected as a result. We need everyone to share
    feedback respectfully.
    4. Outcome: when feedback is shared respectfully, people are more
    keen acting upon it.
    

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23. Part 3.
    Bad
    Examples
    

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24. Feedback antipatterns
    1. The Generalization Attack
    2. I'm not talking to you
    3. The CIA Antipattern
    4. The Sloth Sandbagging
    5. The Feedback Sandwich
    

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25. All of those are inspired
    by real examples
    

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26. 1. The Generalization
    Attack
    By far the most common, and the
    worst
    

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27. If only you could be less
    aggressive when giving
    feedback on code reviews, it
    would make discussions
    easier!
    — Inexperienced Feedback Giver
    

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28. What's wrong about
    this feedback?
    

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29. Avoid generalizations!
    1. Use examples (facts).
    2. Be specific (situation: where & when?).
    3. Talk tentatively, avoid attacks. It's your story.
    

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30. How would you re-write
    it?
    ❓
    

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31. 2. I'm not talking to you
    

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32. "Our team's code quality has
    lowered recently."
    — Inexperienced Feedback Giver
    

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33. What's wrong about
    this feedback?
    

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34. Talk to the person
    1. Use "you" when sharing feedback.
    2. Talk about concrete action your interlocutor did or didn't take.
    3. Make it concrete and actionable!
    

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35. How would you re-write
    it?
    ❓
    

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36. 3. The CIA Antipattern
    "Can't Impact Anyway"
    

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37. You could have led more
    projects!
    — Inexperienced Feedback Giver
    

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38. What's wrong about
    this feedback?
    

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39. Don't give feedback about
    things the individual can't
    impact
    E.g. leading a project is mostly dependent on staffing and business
    priorities
    

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40. How would you re-write
    it?
    ❓
    

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41. 4. The Sloth
    Sandbagging
    

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42. You could have done more
    mentoring!
    — Inexperienced Feedback Giver
    

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43. What's wrong about
    this feedback?
    

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44. We can always do more!
    1. Everyone's pretty busy. Focus your feedback on prioritization.
    2. Clarify what impact was missed.
    

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45. How would you re-write
    it?
    ❓
    

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46. 5. The Feedback Sandwich
    

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47. You're such a knowledgeable
    person! You could mentor me
    more. But I love working
    with you!
    — Inexperienced Feedback Giver
    

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48. What's wrong about
    this feedback?
    ❓
    

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49. Go straight to the feedback!
    The feedback sandwich introduces cognitive dissonance and make it
    more difficult for your interlocutor to understand it.
    

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50. How would you re-write
    it?
    ❓
    

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51. Conclusion
    

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52. How to train?
    1. Focus on positive feedback delivery (5:1 ratio).
    2. It's fine to generalize if you can find examples.
    3. Do not nitpick!
    

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53. Read more
    • charlax/engineering-management
    • Negative feedback antipatterns
    

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54. Thank you!
    Questions?
    

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