The purpose of this guide is to introduce you to feedback as a tool to help you effectively develop yourself and those around you.
Our vision is to improve the lives of others through the work we do. But to improve something, we need to know the state of the matter by gathering information that we then evaluate - and that's what feedback is. With feedback, you can improve not only your code, but also all your soft skills.
In this document, you'll read about three methods you can use in Applifting to get feedback and how to properly accept it.
If someone has asked you for feedback, read the Giving Feedback Guide to learn what feedback should look like to be developmental and how to give it to someone.
💡 Are you a team leader? Add feedback to your daily routine! It might improve the relation with your team, clears expectations,reinforces what works well and adds to the overall feedback culture of Applifting. Detailed note can be soon found in Team leader codex.
We all know the term "feedback", but what is its meaning in the context of our culture? In our DNA is the desire to develop and improve not only our surroundings, but also ourselves. Feedback is our guide to that improvement, so we encourage sharing it across the company. Open communication and a safe environment in which we are not afraid to share our opinions are a recognised value at our company and everyone's daily actions are aimed at cultivating this. That's why we actively solicit feedback and willingly provide it to others.
Feedback:
- is a way of developing yourself and others;
- is a way out of our own dissatisfaction/discomfort;
- is a way to influence our environment;
- is a communication of how we perceive the behaviour of others;
- is based on honesty, trust and seeking to understand;
- is part of an agile approach to work;
- improves teamwork;
- helps to clarify reality and eliminates (mis)assumptions;
- is not negative nitpicking or criticism;
- not just a hateful remark that diminishes someone's person or work.
At Applifting, we have several ways you can ask for feedback.
Do you want to develop yourself? Feedback is available to you from anyone, you just need to ask for it. Simply go to a colleague and ask them if they can give you feedback on a topic that interests you. You can ask about a specific situation, your collaboration, etc. Schedule a meeting with your colleague right away to give the requested feedback (ideally about 2 weeks after you ask for feedback and the meeting length is 45-60 min) and send him/her a link to Giving Feedback Guide so that he/she knows how to do it.
Would you like to get a comprehensive feedback? Ask your team leader to collect feedback on your work from your team. Your team leader will get feedback from your team and this will then be given to you anonymously. You will get answers to following:
- what is good about working with me and should I continue to do so?
- what should I start doing more of?
- what should I stop doing because it's interfering with the collaboration?
Thinking about the vision of your work and whether it is going in the right direction? Set up a feedback meeting with your team leader (ideally for 1 hour) to discuss:
- what should I be doing more/less/differently?
- what is the long-term vision for my position?
- what can I do to fulfill this vision?
Alternatively, you can write to your team leader with other questions you would like to know the answer to.
Listening to negative feedback can sometimes be uncomfortable. One's natural tendency is to protect oneself, defend one's behaviour or even be aggressive. To better receive feedback, it is important to be aware of its intent.
Probably the most important thing about feedback is that it's a gift 🎁. A gift that one person gives to another with the sole intention of making him/her better. If we see feedback as a developmental gift, it will be much easier to receive and give.
The key benefit of feedback is that it shows us our blind spot. It helps us see our strengths and weaknesses through another person's eyes. This allows us to discover new connections and meanings that are hidden to ourselves.
Following these principles when sharing feedback will help you to receive it as openly as possible. This will allow you to get the most out of it, while fostering a willingness to give feedback in others. By doing so, you contribute to a culture of giving feedback throughout Applifting.
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Clarity and intelligibility - get as clear as possible about what you are getting feedback on, listen to the other party and ask for details.
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Don't get defensive or counter-attack - aggressive counter-attacking and assuming are the most common mistakes on the part of the recipient, instead listen to the feedback and allow yourself to not react to it right away in order to gain distance from the situation so that you can better assess the feedback yourself.
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Positive - although receiving feedback can be stressful, your goal (as well as the feedback giver) is to not burden it with negative emotions.
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Open Minded - take responsibility for how you receive and handle feedback, it's up to you whether you perceive it as unnecessary criticism or an incentive to improve.
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Record - write down the feedback (even during the handover) and save it so you can refer back to it later.
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Say thanks - the other person gave you a gift! Don't forget to thank him/her for it and thus contribute a safe atmosphere.
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Process the information (preferably write it down or create a mind map) and evaluate whether it is an incentive for you to change, or whether it your behaviour should remain the same.
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Remember that feedback is subjective and don't hesitate to get the opinion of other people (who are ideally in the same role/situation as the person who originally gave you the feedback).
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Decide whether you will actively work on the change. Remember that you are the only one who can take this step.
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If you decide to change something, you can ask for feedback again after some time to see if you have shifted in the perception of others.
Think about how long it will take to see the effects of your change in behaviour (sometimes it can be days, but other times it can be months - depending on the nature of the change);
with regard to the time when the change will be visible, go back to the colleague and tell him/her your intention - i.e. to get an update on whether or how the colleague perceives your shift;
jointly schedule a meeting (recommended time is 30 min) where he/she will again give you feedback that is now specific to the development area;
you can also discuss your progress and development with your leader (e.g. in 1:1 meetings).
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If you feel you can't make the change on your own, it's perfectly ok to ask for help. Have a team leader, mentor or ask HR to connect you with a coach.
💡 Whatever the feedback is, it is essential to work with it afterwards to achieve the effect. If we seek to change behaviour, it will only be achieved by working for a long time, monitoring our efforts and gradually reaching partial goals.
| Version | Date | Change | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| v0.1 | 28. 7. 2021 | Initial release - translation from czech | Filip |