This document discusses feedback and provides guidelines for giving effective feedback. It explains that feedback should be given directly to the person concerned, anchor what is valued about the person, provide specific examples, discuss the impact, make suggestions, ask for help, avoid "but", and end on a positive note about the future. The document also provides examples of praise, improvement, and abusive feedback and how to make the abusive feedback more constructive. Finally, it discusses three models for feedback: porpoise, sandwich, and Atkins models.

1. Liz Keogh
@lunivore
July 2011

2. Why should we give feedback?
Strengthen confidence
Increase effectiveness

3. What are bad reasons
for giving feedback?

4. When should we give feedback?
Provide feedback quickly
Provide feedback safely
Provide feedback directly
to the person concerned

5. What are alternatives
to giving feedback?

6. Some examples

7. Praise
George is a fantastic developer. His OO design skills are
amazing. His estimates are consistently bang-on. He’s
fast, uses keyboard shortcuts effectively and his tests
are well-named and legible. He takes ownership of
problems and sees them through to the end. We need
more people on the team like him!
- Joe

8. Improvement
George’s development skills are great. It would be
fantastic if he could pass on some of that wisdom. I’d
like to see him take on a leadership or training position.
We need a tech lead here.
If he brushes up on his presentation and
communication skills, I think he could do a good job.
- Sue

9. Abuse
George has good technical skills, but isn’t a good tech lead. He confuses
people when he talks, and none of us know how to do the things he’s asking
us to. George can also be really mean sometimes when we do things he
doesn't like. He really upsets Alice. He’s far too idealistic and very patronizing.
He goes on and on about how great Agile is until we’ve had enough. I’m not
an idiot; I’m very experienced so he doesn’t need to teach me half the things
he thinks we should be doing.
He also has no real grasp of how Agile works in an enterprise environment.
Everything he comes up with is nice in theory but never works in practice.
Everyone says I’d be much better at this than him.
- Harry

10. Making abuse effective
What are the good things
about the feedback?
What can you do
to make it more effective?

11. All feedback
is
good feedback

12. Reworded
George, thanks for taking on the role of tech lead. You’re passionate about
Agile, your technical skills are great and I’ve learnt a lot from you.
A few times, I’ve struggled to understand what you said. For instance, when
you were talking about performance testing, I was confused - it wasn’t
obvious whether we were meeting our targets or not. I saw other people
frowning too. Could you maybe slow down, draw some diagrams, or give us
time to ask questions? That would help me.
Like many of the team, I'm still learning. I'd really like to be able to do the
Agile practices well. I would love you to support the people like me, and help
us to improve without taking on everything all at once.
- Harry

13. Feedback Guidelines

14. Give feedback directly
to the person concerned
George, thanks for taking on the role of tech
lead. You’re passionate about Agile, your
technical skills are great and I’ve learnt a lot
from you.

15. Anchor the things you value
George, thanks for taking on the role of tech
lead.

16. Provide examples
A few times, I’ve struggled to understand what
you said. For instance…

17. Talk about what you see, hear
I saw other people frowning too.

18. Talk about the impact on you
I was confused.

19. Make suggestions
Could you maybe slow down, draw some
diagrams, or give us time to ask questions?

20. Ask for help
That would help me.

21. Put unwanted behavior
in the past tense
A few times, I’ve struggled
to understand what you said.

22. End with the bright future,
in the present tense
Support the people like me, and help us improve

23. Avoid “but”
He’s ugly,
but he’s rich!
Mum,
he’s rich,
but he’s ugly!

24. Feedback Guidelines
Anchor the things you value.
Provide examples.
Talk about the things you see, hear, etc.
Talk about the impact on you.
Make suggestions.
Ask for help.
Put unwanted behavior in the past tense.
End with the bright future, in the present tense.
Avoid “but”.

25. All kinds of useful
Hi Diane, I was wondering if you could help me. I want the project to be a
success, and I also want to spend time with my family.
Last weekend I worked both Saturday and Sunday, and missed my baby son’s
first words. Can you suggest any ways in which I can be more effective while
still getting to see my children? For instance, could I take on some of the DB
tasks, or automate some tests to cut down the test effort, or sit with George
and teach him C#?
I want to be here to see the project go live, and I also want to be at home
when my son takes his first steps! Any suggestions welcome.
- Joe

26. Three models of feedback

27. Porpoise feedback
Anchor the things you value.

28. Sandwich Model
Anchor the things you value.
Provide feedback to increase effectiveness.
End with a bright future.

29. Atkins (no bread!)
The value is already anchored.
The bright future is already understood.
Provide feedback to increase effectiveness.

30. Homework
Give me feedback!