How to get useful feedback as a Tech Lead and what to do with it

Getting useful feedback from tech people it’s not easy.

As a Tech Lead, it’s 10x harder.

But with these strategies, it’s easier than ever to get useful feedback from your team:

How to ask for feedback that you can actually use 😊

🎯 Get clarity on what you want feedback on and tell them

• What area is important to you?

• What area do you feel you are struggling with?

• What's something you feel you're doing well?

• What is your focus right now?

• What is your next goal regarding growth?

Once you have your topic you can use the scaling strategy for each topic

• On a scale of 1->10, how good do you think I am at <skill>?

• What do you think I am missing to get to 10?

👀 Or identify blindspots by asking them:

• What is one thing you think I should be focusing on right now?

• What is one thing I can do to better support you?

• What is one thing that I should start doing as a Tech Lead?

• What is one thing I can do to better support the team?

🟢 Don't forget about the positive:

• What is one thing I should continue doing?

• What do you think is my biggest strength?

• What do you think is my biggest strength as a Tech Lead?

👥 Pick the right people

People who will act as cheerleaders and people who will act as challengers (make sure to have at least one of each)

• team members

• leadership team

• support roles: sponsor, mentor ...

⏳Give them time to prepare

Give them a least a day to prepare feedback for you

🗓️Schedule the feedback time in their calendar 

Book 30 minutes in their calendar

Add a note/description to the invite

• explain the reason for booking

• set expectations

• make clear what you want to get feedback on

• give them a way out

• Example:

"Part of my Performance Review process I have to collect feedback from 5 people and I would appreciate your input.

These are the 3 topics I would like to get feedback on: ...

Please let me know if this works for you.

Thank you,

..."

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😟 "I cannot get my team to give me constructive feedback"

Here are some things to try:

😣Display vulnerability

This is a topic where I know I have to improve…

Do you have ideas on what I should start/stop doing to get better at this?

❓🤨 Ask specific questions 

• What is 1 thing I should improve at?

• What is one thing you think I should be focusing on right now that I am not?

• What is one thing I can do to better support you?

• What is one thing that I should start doing as a Tech Lead?

• What is one thing I can do to better support the team?

📝 Pick from the list

• Share with them the list of expectations for your role 

• Ask them to pick 3 things you are good at and 3 things you should work on 

🔖 Collect constructive feedback anonymously - use a form 

🗣 Give constructive feedback to them first

This makes it easier for them to give you constructive feedback

😬 Pick a situation you know you handled badly and ask:

What do you think about the way I handled that situation? 

What could have I done differently?

Don’t call it feedback

After a tough conversation -> How do you feel this conversation went?

What do you think about my presentation?

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👂🏻Really Listen

➡ Thank people for taking the time to give you the feedback

➡ Whatever you are hearing → VALIDATE IT

Tell them what you understood using your own words: "If I understood correctly this is what you mean: "

➡ Positive feedback that it’s not new? 

Are they telling you something you already know you are good at?

Don't skip through it → dig into it:

• Why do you think it is important to keep doing this?

• How does me doing <action> help you / help the team?

➡ You don't like what you hear?

Don't react / Don't explain / Don't defend yourself!

Instead BE CURIOUS and ask clarifying questions:

• Please tell me more about this

• It would be useful for me if you would give me an example of this behaviour

Remember: you don't have to agree with all the feedback but it would be valuable for you to dig into why there might be that discrepancy

➡ Not sure how to react to a piece of feedback?

Mention you need some time to think about that and that you will come back to them

Don't interrupt them! → write down your question for when they finish

➡ Thank people for the feedback

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📝Document it

Take detailed notes on what's been said

• You might want to write them down on paper instead of typing while they are talking

• write down your questions for them too - so you don't have to interrupt them

Create a Note: My feedback

• move your written notes online to be able to access them at any point

• make sure it has dates and people: WHEN and WHO

• keep this somewhere easy to access to be able to reflect on it

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➡️What to do with the collected feedback

🤨 Inspect it

• What is useful?

• What is new?

• What is repeated?

• What can you directly apply? (you don't have to act on everything)

• How valuable is it to you?

✅ Apply it / Correct it

• Continue doing what works

• Address it → make a plan to change the behaviours you want to change

• Reach out for support if you don't know what to do differently

🔁 Follow up / Review it over time

• What is your progress on your growth/change plan?

• Document what you plan to do

• Schedule a follow-up to check how you're progressing (a great way to create accountability for yourself)

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Until next time

➡ In two weeks will follow up with Feedbacking as a Tech Lead Guide - Part 2: Giving useful feedback

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Thank you so much for being here! ☀️

Remember: you are not alone on this journey 😊

Until next time,

Ane