In today’s global tech landscape, teams are increasingly diverse, bringing together professionals from various backgrounds, cultures, and experience levels. As someone who leads engineering teams, I’ve seen the incredible value diversity brings to problem-solving and innovation. It’s incomparable when you have a mix of genders and races, compared to a group of individuals from the same race. However, to truly harness the power of a diverse team, it’s crucial to establish a robust feedback culture.
A strong feedback culture is the cornerstone of continuous improvement and professional growth. It encourages open communication, promotes transparency, and helps align individual goals with team objectives. In a diverse team, where perspectives and communication styles vary, a structured feedback approach becomes even more critical.
One widely used feedback framework in the industry follows a simple yet effective structure: “When you did [X], it made me / team feel [Y]. In the future, I would recommend that you do [Z].” This approach ensures feedback is specific, fact-based, and actionable, making it easier for team members to understand and implement.
Key points of an effective feedback culture include:
- Make it a habit
- Two-way street (provide feedback – listen listen listen – then conclude)
- Be specific (be ready with verbatim examples)
- Sprinkle in some positivity (we’re not here to crush souls)
- Follow up (be the friend who always texts back)
An essential aspect of maintaining a strong feedback culture is the use of a 1:1 document for crucial meetings. This document serves as a record of discussions, feedback given, and expected outcomes. It ensures that both the manager and the team member have a clear understanding of the feedback provided and the actions to be taken. This documentation is particularly valuable in diverse teams where communication styles may vary, as it provides a concrete reference point for future discussions and progress tracking.
To illustrate, consider a scenario where a Senior engineer is seeking promotion but hasn’t been actively contributing to team meetings or driving architectural decisions. Using the feedback framework and documenting it in a 1:1 document, a manager might say:
Depending on the nature of the feedback, one must always start by stating the obvious – “I am going to give you some feedback, you might not fully agree with it but its important we talk about it so that I as your manager am responsible for both you and the business (department goals, performance, targets etc etc)”
“When you remain silent during our architecture discussions, it makes me feel that we’re missing out on your valuable insights. As someone aspiring to a lead role, I’d recommend you actively participate in these meetings. However, it’s important to note that simply speaking up isn’t the key takeaway. What we’re looking for is your ability to present options, discuss pros and cons, and evaluate both short-term and long-term impacts on performance, cost, and scalability.”
The manager would then document this feedback in the 1:1 document, along with specific actionable items:
- Present at least two architecture options in the next team meeting, detailing pros and cons.
- Prepare a document on the company wiki platform analyzing the performance, cost, and scalability implications of a current architectural decision.
- Lead a discussion in the next month’s architecture review, focusing on long-term scalability considerations for our main product.
By documenting these expectations and actions, both the manager and the engineer have a clear understanding of what needs to be done. The engineer can refer back to this document as they work on improving their contributions, and the manager can use it to track progress and provide further guidance as needed.
This approach not only provides clear direction for the engineer but also aligns with the diverse nature of the team. It acknowledges that valuable contributions can come in various forms – whether through verbal discussions in meetings or well-prepared written analyses. By encouraging both verbal and written contributions, we create more opportunities for team members with different communication preferences to showcase their skills and insights.
Cultivating a strong feedback culture, supported by clear documentation and diverse contribution channels, allows engineering teams to maximize their potential. It fosters an environment where every member, regardless of their background or communication style, feels valued, heard, and motivated to contribute their unique perspective to the team’s success. This approach not only aids in individual growth but also enhances the overall effectiveness and innovation capacity of the diverse engineering team.
Please do share what has been your experience in providing feedback, a core part of your team-building culture. I am more interested in knowing what works and what doesn’t especially when you are working with late GenY’s and GenZ’s where the communication paradigm changes drastically.