Do you know what your co-workers value most from you? Do they give you advice where they see you in a couple of years? Tell you what you can improve? We’ll have a look beyond code reviews and team retrospectives. Let’s look into techniques of giving feedback and how you can use your co-worker’s opinion as valuable career advice. Be warned as soon as you start asking for feedback you will learn a lot about yourself – and others want that too. Let’s also get prepared into giving valuable feedback!

1. ACCELERATE YOUR
CAREER BY
ESTABLISHING A
FEEDBACK CULTURE
Michael Schnyder
Zuhlke Engineering Ltd Pte
Image Source https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Toilet_Rating_Changi_Airport.jpg

2. Michael Schnyder
Lead Software Architect/Trainer @ Zuhlke

3. «Soft Skills are
Just as Important
as Hard Skills.»
From the “CareerBuilder Survey” (2014)

5. How to test social skills?

6. We need
Continuous, Acceptable, and Motivational
Feedback

7. But According to studies…
• Employees frequently report a desire for feedback
• However, for ego maintenance and other reasons, they
are often reluctant to take that extra step and actually ask
for feedback
Lack of feedback culture leads to low
feedback seeking frequency!
Ashford (1989) & Levy, Albright, Cawley & Williams (1995)

8. Feedback
Environments
Aspects
Source Credibility
Feedback Quality
Feedback Delivery
Opportunity

9. Source Credibility
TRUST-WORTHY QUALIFIED
ABLE TO
EVALUATE

10. 724, 947, 421, 843,
411, 394, 054, 248
What do
this
numbers
have in
common?

11. 349, 851, 274, 905,
772, 032, 854, 113
What do
this
numbers
have in
common?

12. Bring light into the dark
Company Values
Corporate Culture
Job Descriptions
Role Models
Career Paths

13. «Hey, I’ve drafted this post. Would love
to hear your thoughts and feedback.
What do you think?»

16. I failed to define
«Conditions that my article
must satisfy to be interesting for
a reader, customer or other
stakeholder.»

17. Well, that sounds
familiar…

18. Acceptance Criterias!
«Conditions that a feature
must satisfy to be accepted by
a user, customer or other
stakeholder.»

19. Feedback Quality
Allow the feedback giver to provide concise and useful feedback
by telling what kind of feedback you are looking for.
Examples:
“From my abilities, which is the most important one?”
“What do you like the most regarding your collaboration?”
“Is there one task I should no longer take over?”

20. Feedback
Environments
Aspects
Source Credibility
Feedback Quality
Feedback Delivery
Opportunity

21. «Can I give you a
short feedback?»

22. Run, Forrest,
Run!

23. «I really like you as a
colleague …»

24. Run Faster!

25. Relax…

26. Why?
Credit : https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs.svg

27. Offer criticism the best way possible
• Have the right reason
• Lead with questions
• Frame the conversation positively
• Make intention explicit
• Focus on the behavior, not the person

28. Feedback is a gift
treat it with care!

29. Don’t destroy it
• It’s a gift → “Thank you.”
• Opinions cannot be wrong
• You don’t have to respond directly – but
a follow up is appreciated
• Learn about values and believes of
feedback giver

31. Create Opportunities
Lead by Example
• Provide “Feedback-as-a-Service”
• Periodically Ask for Feedback
• Invite to Feedback Sessions
Integrate to existing processes
• After Interviews
• After Probation
• After Project Completion
• After Major Release
• Mid of Year

32. 360° Feedback
1. Goal: Employee
Development
2. Credibility & Quality
3. Written, but verbally
discussed
4. No anonymous
feedbacks
Receiver
Superior
Customer
Direct
Reports
Peers
4 Rules:

33. Fishbowls
Inner Circle: Panellists
Outer Circle: Audience
2 Rules:
Join panellists when you have
to say something
Leave panellists when not
(anymore)

34. Avoid
Providing Feedback only the end of the Year
(Recency bias)
Collecting Feedback solely for appraisals
(Self-serving bias)

35. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nicmcphee/2057350339

36. Sticky
Notes!

37. Companies with a feedback culture
Show their feedback culture in recruiting process
• Credibility: Experts in interview, job descriptions, warm atmosphere
• Quality: Consistent guidelines, following a plan
• Delivery: Instant Feedback if continue/fail, non-harming reasoning
• Opportunity: Ask candidate about their impression, improvements
Are investors in talent
• providing a career path
• retain talents

38. Let’s start with YOU…

39. 1. PersonalRetro
Every evening, answer two questions:
1. On a scale from 1-10, How was my
team contribution today?
2. What could Michael improve to reach a 10?
Goal: Get used to feedback without getting hurt

40. 2. Validate your assumptions
Reach out to 1-2 Co-workers, with two questions
1. Do they agree on our observations?
2. What’s missing?
Goal: Escape the conformation bias

41. 3. Scale It
Include your whole team on feedback giving.
1. On what do we want feedback?
2. How do we want it?
3. When? Or When not?
Goal: Make the team own the feedback culture

42. Remember to
acknowledge your
coworkers when they do
something impressive or
forward-thinking.

43. I need your Feedback too ☺…