How to Give Effective Feedback

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines feedback as:

the transmission of evaluative or corrective information about an action, event, or process to the original or controlling source.

In software development it's important to give appropiated and constant feedback to the people that sorround us. There are two types of feedback:

• Positive: we provide these feedback when a person did something good, that we like and we think behaviurs or actions
• Corrective: this feedback is applied when someone does something not aligned with the values or mission of the team, so we donñt want that behavior to happen again.

There is no such thing as negative feedback. If we’re providing feedback in a good way, it should not be negative.

The steps to give any kind of feedback are the following:

• Prepare the feedback you’re going to provide
• Tell the receptor what action you did or did not that you’re going to give feedback for it.
• Explain the result of that action. Did it provide good results? Was something that affected the team?
• Ask and expect an answer from the receptor. We will want a response and an explanation from the other person. Was everything as I explained before?
• Give a list of recommendations to the receptor. Like if they should communicate their actions to the other team members or how they can avoid repeating some action in the future to improve.
• Create a plan together. If it’s something we need to avoid, steps to reduce actions that lead me to that. If it’s something good, how can they help other team members to repeat those actions?
• And finally, the feedback is not something that you give once. You should follow the plan of action and verify that the recommendations provided are being applied with time.

This process of feedback should be a dialog. Both, the emissary and the receptor should be open to talk about every aspect of the action they are evaluating.

The feedback applied effectively can lead to great improvements inside a team and a company.