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> Mistake 1: Thinking people give feedback the way they want to receive it Yes, deciding how to deliver feedback could be a nuanced, delicate challenge. But a

> Mistake 1: Thinking people give feedback the way they want to receive it Yes, deciding how to deliver feedback could be a nuanced, delicate challenge. But a non-obvious related problem I've found is whether to deliver it at all. The mistake there being that people want or can benefit from the feedback you think you would've wanted, were you in their position.

ska 6y ago
> related problem I've found is whether to deliver it at all. This is definitely a problem when you are peers, but as an engineering manager one of the things you are often responsible for is making sure that individuals development is both progressing and tracking well to group/company needs. So a certain amount of feedback is often unavoidable.
tchalla 6y ago
> But a non-obvious related problem I've found is whether to deliver it at all. The mistake there being that people want or can benefit from the feedback you think you would've wanted, were you in their position. Too often, I see feedback being used for individual convenience. Typically, feedback should be linked to team/organisational goals. If you can not frame the feedback towards team/organisational objectives, it might be the case that feedback is not necessary at all. In the end, HOW you deliver feedback matters. Personally, I have three important characteristics for a feedback. Point 1 : "Be Specific". I can not stress this enough. Please point out specific observable behaviour. Point 2 : Frame feedback in terms of team/organisational goals. Every team has a purpose within the organisation. It's a team game and every team member should know the feedback in context of the team game. Individual feedback, team context. Point 3 : Cite the past but look for future changes in behaviour. You can not change the past but you can influence the future. For example, "Hey John! When you do X, it helps the team achieve Y. Please continue doing so!" or "Hey John! When you do Z, it impacts the team to achieve its objective. What can you do differently?".

ska 6y ago

> related problem I've found is whether to deliver it at all. This is definitely a problem when you are peers, but as an engineering manager one of the things you are often responsible for is making sure that individuals development is both progressing and tracking well to group/company needs. So a certain amount of feedback is often unavoidable.

tchalla 6y ago

> But a non-obvious related problem I've found is whether to deliver it at all. The mistake there being that people want or can benefit from the feedback you think you would've wanted, were you in their position. Too often, I see feedback being used for individual convenience. Typically, feedback should be linked to team/organisational goals. If you can not frame the feedback towards team/organisational objectives, it might be the case that feedback is not necessary at all. In the end, HOW you deliver feedback matters. Personally, I have three important characteristics for a feedback. Point 1 : "Be Specific". I can not stress this enough. Please point out specific observable behaviour. Point 2 : Frame feedback in terms of team/organisational goals. Every team has a purpose within the organisation. It's a team game and every team member should know the feedback in context of the team game. Individual feedback, team context. Point 3 : Cite the past but look for future changes in behaviour. You can not change the past but you can influence the future. For example, "Hey John! When you do X, it helps the team achieve Y. Please continue doing so!" or "Hey John! When you do Z, it impacts the team to achieve its objective. What can you do differently?".