“We need to talk”
How to receive feedback like a boss
Marco Alabruzzo
Engineering Manager
marco.alabruzzo@gmail.com
CTO Craft Con
24 May 2023
FEEDBACK IS
UNCOMFORTABLE
Why Receiving and not Giving?
+
+
=
=
Good feedback
Bad receiver
Bad feedback
Good receiver
Tech Leaders have to speak often
These are the new OKRs
I've created a new WFH policy
We should invest in AI
Great result in the last quarter!
Feedback is a moment when we can show how we listen
How to receive feedback like a boss
Solicit 🤔
Embrace 🤗
Repeat 🔁
Investigate 🔎
Follow up 🤔
SERIF
Solicit 🤔
GOAL + BEHAVIOUR = IMPACT
state your
describe your
ask for the
Asking specific questions
Examples
"To reduce meeting time, I've shortened the Team Review.
Do you think we are still covering everything?"
GOAL
BEHAVIOUR
IMPACT
"I want to invest more in your Personal Development;
I changed the agenda of our 1:1. Is this better for you?"
GOAL
BEHAVIOUR
IMPACT
Solicit 🤔
Embrace 🤗
"I never did that, what I did was a different thing!"
"I did that, but what I wanted to do was..."
INVALIDATING
JUSTIFICATION
"I can fix this by doing that!"
DEFENSIVE
Just focus on listening and asking questions
Embrace 🤗
Repeat 🔁
I understand.
Thank you!
I need a exotic fruit, a sweet one.
Repeat it back 🔁
I need a exotic fruit, a sweet one.
Do you mean a round one?
No, I need a long one...
Repeat 🔁
"If I understand you correctly, I did X in situation Y, that caused Z"
"Correct me if I am wrong, you are asking me to do X when Y happens"
Investigate 🔎
2) The feedback is relevant, and you already knew
3) The feedback is relevant, but you didn't know
1) The feedback is not relevant to you
ASSUME THAT IS ALWAYS THIS
IGNORE
IGNORE
Investigate 🔎
Examples
To help me understand, can you give me a specific example?
Can you tell me more about how this affected you?
MORE DATA
IMPACT
Is this affecting others?
Is this going to push back the project?
How often does this happen?
Follow up 🤔
Don't commit to actions yet.
Commit to look more into the problem.
Follow up 🤔
Your point of view
Feedback
Peers
Mentor
Coach
How to receive feedback like a boss
Solicit 🤔
Embrace 🤗
Repeat 🔁
Investigate 🔎
Follow up 🤔
SERIF
Thank you for listening!
Questions?
Grab me in the break room or ask on Slack
Slides available at
https://slides.com/marcoala/we-need-to-talk-cto-craft/