Finding Your Edge in a Culture of Feedback

Have you ever wished for more feedback from colleagues to help you get better at your job? When’s the last time you offered helpful feedback to someone else? Imagine an entire company fluent in the daily practice of giving and receiving constructive feedback. Would your experience improve? What does a team lose when feedback doesn’t flow?

Feedback conversations can be difficult. But giving and receiving feedback pushes us to the edge of our growth potential, where the biggest payoffs occur. Use these slides to grow your career by learning how to get real.

Transcript

1. Finding your edge in a culture of feedback Photo by Joshua Earle Finding your edge in a culture of feedback by Paulette Luftig slides at bit.ly/forwardjs-feedback-edge-slides
2. Paulette Luftig paulette@mavenlink.com @pyluftig Software Engineer bit.ly/forwardjs-feedback-edge-slides bit.ly/give-edge-feedback
4. mavenlink.com/engineering
5. 1. A culture of feedback - What is it? Why is it valuable? 2. Finding your edge in a culture of feedback: What does that mean? 3. Giving and Receiving Feedback Well
6. Feedback Culture What is it? Why is it valuable?
7. Organizational Culture A system of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs, which influences how people behave and dictates how they dress, act, and perform their jobs.
8. Feedback Skillful communication that is intended to serve a developmental purpose for the individual, team or organization in question.
9. Culture of Feedback A culture in which people witness, support, even provoke one another to grow their capabilities and adapt to challenges through practice.
10. everyone matters
12. promotes growth
14. persist in the face of setbacks instead of giving up easily
15. learn from criticism rather than ignoring useful negative feedback
16. mirrors the XP / agile business environment Develop, Test, Feedback Develop, Test, Feedback Develop, Test, Feedback Project / Goal Setup
17. What does all this really mean in practice? That depends…
19. courage / desire / growth mindset
20. ~ Brene Brown The Power of Vulnerability “Imperfections are not inadequacies; 
 they are reminders that we are all in this together.”
21. Finding your edge in a culture of feedback: What does that mean?
22. Use self-analysis, contemplation, and inquiry within your Culture of Feedback to answer questions like…
23. Where do you stop trying?
24. Where do your thoughts turn self-defeating?
25. What conversations are you not having?
26. http://www.gratisography.com/
27. avoidance envy jealousy separation fear sadness control longing irritation
28. trigger avoidance envy jealousy separation fear sadness control longing irritation
29. trigger avoidance envy jealousy separation fear sadness control longing irritation
30. trigger acceptance surrender adm iration joy connection fearlessness drive passion patience avoidance envy jealousy separation fear sadness control longing irritation
34. So if working our edge has the potential to be as exhilarating as a fearless base jump, why aren't we all taking the leap and working our growth edge at our companies?
35. Most organizational cultures don’t feel safe enough to explore our edges.
36. “In a typical organization…individuals hide parts of themselves, avoid conflict, unwittingly sabotage change efforts, and subtly enforce a separation between the ‘me at work’ and the ‘real me’.” An Everyone Culture: Becoming a Deliberately Developmental Organization
37. “In a typical organization…everyone is doing a second job that no one is getting paid to do - look good, stay safe, avoid vulnerability.” An Everyone Culture: Becoming a Deliberately Developmental Organization
38. An Everyone Culture: Becoming a Deliberately Developmental Organization Deliberately Developmental Organization Strives to support employees to close the gap between who they are at work and who they really are. Views weakness as a potential asset; error as an opportunity.
39. Feedback & G row th O pportunity Regular Organization DDO Employee Satisfaction Awareness, Transparency, Integrity, Trust, Trustworthiness
40. Giving and Receiving Feedback Well
41. Part 1: Structuring Feedback with A.S.K.
42. ASK Specific Actionable Kind
43. ACTIONABLE FEEDBACK is about something the recipient has the ability to change explains what the recipient is being asked to do differently
44. SPECIFIC FEEDBACK focuses on impact - the action, not the person states what happened that was done well or not well avoids absolutes like ‘always’ and ‘never’
45. KIND FEEDBACK discreet when appropriate positively intended timely empathetic unassuming
46. …there is one caveat about kindness in relation to feedback…
47. kindness is a terrible reason not to give important feedback
48. Radical Candor - the Surprising Secret to being a Good Boss http://www.radicalcandor.com/ Candor and Kim Scott
49. Radical Candor - the Surprising Secret to being a Good Boss http://www.radicalcandor.com/ Candor and Kim Scott
50. Radical Candor - the Surprising Secret to being a Good Boss http://www.radicalcandor.com/ Candor and Kim Scott
51. “If you can't offer radical candor, the second best thing you can do is be an asshole.”
52. Radical Candor - the Surprising Secret to being a Good Boss http://www.radicalcandor.com/ Candor and Kim Scott
53. Giving feedback that is Actionable Specific and Kind is a great start to giving awesome feedback, but it isn’t enough to ensure you won’t do this…
55. Part 2: Start with You
56. Is now the right time?
57. How emotionally grounded am I? How emotionally grounded is s/he?
58. Am I aware of my personal values, privileges, and biases? The Career Advise You Probably Didn’t Get by Susan Colantuono
59. Am I in a position of power and can I use it wisely?
60. Am I willing to have a conversation?
61. Brene Brown on Empathy Can I respond with empathy (not sympathy)?
62. • check in after the fact • if you’ve offered support or made agreements, have integrity - be your word and show up!
63. Giving feedback should never include… venting frustrations blaming / making others responsible for our emotional experience advice giving shaming a power trip to control or manipulate passive aggression
64. Now that we understand how to give feedback, let’s consider how to do our best from the other side of the conversation.
65. Part 3: Receiving Feedback Effectively
66. ~ Brene Brown The Power of Vulnerability “Healthy striving is self-focused: ‘How can I improve?’ Perfectionism is other-focused: ‘What will they think?’
67. • Relax the unhelpful perfectionist mindset
68. • Relax the unhelpful perfectionist mindset • Choose a growth over a fixed mindset
70. • Relax the unhelpful perfectionist mindset • Choose a growth over a fixed mindset • See it as opportunity to grow with help from others
72. • Relax the unhelpful perfectionist mindset • Choose a growth over a fixed mindset • See it as opportunity to grow with help from others • Stop playing defense (passively or actively)
74. • Relax the unhelpful perfectionist mindset • Choose a growth over a fixed mindset • See it as opportunity to grow with help from others • Stop playing defense (passively or actively) • Be aware of your experience
76. • Relax the unhelpful perfectionist mindset • Choose a growth over a fixed mindset • See it as opportunity to grow with help from others • Stop playing defense (passively or actively) • Be aware of your experience • Have compassion for self and others
78. • Relax the unhelpful perfectionist mindset • Choose a growth over a fixed mindset • See it as opportunity to grow with help from others • Stop playing defense (passively or actively) • Be aware of your experience • Be empathetic towards self and others • Take what works and leave the rest - all in gratitude
80. Nonviolent Communication ~ Marshal Rosenburg Difficult Conversations - How to Discuss What Matters Most ~ Douglas Stone, Bruce Patten, Sheila Heen Integral Coaching Canada’s Coaching Manual Five Stars Coaching Manual T.E.D (The Empowerment Dynamic) Giving Effective Feedback (HBR 20-Minute Manager Series) An Everyone Culture: Becoming a Deliberately Developmental Organization ~ Robert Kegan, Lisa Laskow Lahey et al. Great Resources on Feedback
81. Paulette Luftig Software Engineer paulette@mavenlink.com @pyluftig slides: bit.ly/forwardjs-feedback-edge-slides Mavenlink is hiring. If you’re interested in learning more about Mavenlink and its engineering department, check out the link below. mavenlink.com/engineering Give Paulette feedback and practice what you learned at bit.ly/give-edge-feedback Thank you!!!