Constructive Feedback: A Managerial Dialogue

It might sound counter intuitive but the worse manager you can get is actually the one that only tells you: "You are doing great."

Here is a dialog between two managers about giving constructive feedback

Me: Hey Tommy, I noticed that you seemed a bit hesitant during the feedback session earlier?

Tommy: Oh, hi! Yes, I have been struggling a bit with giving meaningful constructive feedback to my team. It's not easy to point out areas of improvement without sounding critical or discouraging.

Me: I completely understand. It's a common hurdle for many new managers. Have you ever considered looking at it from a coaching perspective? Take my daughter's swim coach for example; after every practice, each swimmer lines up to receive personalized feedback on their performance. The coach highlights what they did well and what they could improve on. It's a routine they all value. I am always amazed by how the coaches remember so many details of each kid.

Tommy: That’s interesting. But how does it translate to our work environment?

Me: Great question! Like the swim coach, we can adopt a situation based feedback. For instance, I've initiated bi-weekly sessions for my tech leads, where we review and discuss their public speaking skills right after their sprint demos. Our aim is to improve how they articulate the value of what they've worked on, without diving too deep into technical details.

Tommy: How do you structure the feedback?

Me: We pick one person to re-present their sprint demo, and we even have a “grammar police” to point out speech filler words like "om, err" etc. The majority of the time is spent discussing how to present content in terms of the "What, So What and Next What": value being delivered to who, why it is importance, and what happen next. It’s a simple format, yet it challenges them to think beyond the technical details, focusing on the customers and the value they deliver to them.

Tommy: But my team mostly consists of junior developers. They may need different feedback compared to tech leads, right?

Me: Absolutely! Tailoring feedback to each individual's role and level is crucial. For junior developers, the focus might be on enhancing their technical skills and understanding of our systems. However, as they advance, the feedback should evolve to encompass higher-level skills, such as effective communication, teamwork, and decision making.

Tommy: That sounds really beneficial. It's about identifying the specific needs of each team member's particular stage of career growth, and addressing those in a constructive manner, isn't it?

Me: Exactly, Tommy. Constructive feedback, when tailored to individual needs and delivered consistently, can significantly accelerate a team member's growth and confidence. It fosters a culture of continuous improvement and learning, much like in competitive swimming. Remember, effective feedback is a skill that gets better with practice.