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First draft feedback workshop #230

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# Feedback Workshop 🗣️

Feedback is the foundation of effective collaboration. Both giving and receiving feedback are important communication skills to master.
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Excellent to see motivation here 🙏

Let's rewrite this so it's accessible as possible to our B2 speakers. Hemingway can help here

https://hemingwayapp.com/

Aim for grade 4-6, no sentences hard or very hard to read.


Giving feedback needs to be given in the right context, being mindful of tone and impact on the receiver. Feedback should be given in a timely fashion, be direct, non-accusatory (assume positive intent), and privately. Sometimes it is also better to ask if someone would like feedback.

Receiving feedback is also crucial as it is an effective tool to measure your progress and whether you are living up to unspoken expectations. It is important to ask for feedback early and often. Asking for feedback late on a project or presentation has been [shown](https://hbr.org/2023/06/the-right-time-to-ask-for-feedback#:~:text=The%20best%20approach%20is%20to,annual%20performance%20review%20rolls%20around.) to lead us to be less receptive to criticism and change.

Not all feedback will always be positive so it is important to learn to take good and the bad feedback in stride. Both giving and receiving feedback is a skill that we will practice today.

## Learning Objective 💡

After the workshop today, participants will be able to:

- [] Choose a framework for giving clear, direct feedback depending on the scenario.
- [] Reflect on the impact of feedback on personal growth and team dynamics
- [] Apply feedback techniques to real-world situations, balancing critique with encouragement
- [] Apply techniques for receiving tough feedback

## Set up 🌼

- Pair up into groups of 2

## The Activity 🏆

First, read [this article](https://tanzu.vmware.com/content/blog/mastering-feedback-in-the-workplace) on mastering feedback in the workplace.

Read the following scenarios and role play each. One person will be the person giving the feedback and one person will be receiving the feedback. After each scenario switch who is giving the feedback and who is receiving it.

For the person giving feedback, remember to:
- Be direct
- Use clear language
- Talk about behavior not personality
- Be kind

For the person receiving feedback, remember to:
- Be available and approachaable
- Accountable
- Steer clear of defensiveness.
- Take a moment to reflect before respondng
- Assume positive intent

### Practice Giving Feedback
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How long should they spend on each scenario? Should someone set a timer?


1. Code Review

Scenario: A team member submits the following code that is functional but has inconsistent formatting.

```javascript
function calculateTotal(price, tax, discount){
var t = price + tax
t = t - discount
console.log("Total: $" + t);
return t
}

let price = 100, tax = 5; let discount = 10; calculateTotal(price,tax,discount);
```

Objective: Practice giving constructive feedback on code quality, style consistency, and optimization, while maintaining a positive tone. Mention specific areas for improvement such as consistent use of semicolors, better variable declaration, and reduce the use of magic numbers. Acknowledge what was done well.

2. Missed Deadline

Scenario: A teammate consistently misses deadlines and when they finally do deliver their tasks, they are often not of good quality tasks requiring the rest of the team to redo portions of their work.

Objective: Try to use the situation, behavior, impact (SBI) method. Start by describing the situation, detailing the specific behavior observed, and explain the impact it had. Express concern in a non-blaming way, offer support, and work with them to identify potential roadblocks or strategies to improve. Practice addressing issues of accountability, responsibility, and time management without demotivating the person.

3. Team Presentation

Scenario: A team member gives a presentation that is informative but is too long-winded, going over an hour causing the audience to lose focus. This presentation will be used at the next client meeting that is only 1 hour long and needs to cover lots of other topics.

Objective: Try using the Observation, Feelings, Needs and Actions (OFNA) framework to give the team member feedback. Start by discussing youor observation, how it made you feel, what the needs are and the action they (or you together) can take to correct, Remember to only talk about your own feelings and not bring in others. Practice providing feedback on communication skills, structuring information, and presentation techniques.
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Let's structure this so each framework is introduced clearly

Framework OFNA

  1. Define the framework and link to an external resource
  2. Give a worked example of using the framework
  3. Then an exercise for the learner to apply the framework to
  4. Then a quiz or check for understanding so the learner can assess their work

https://docs.google.com/document/d/18LF9yn-3Hge-96ITRAQJuPZiJ71tAOSDyO3MRyBJdIc/edit?usp=sharing


4. Peer Collaboration

Scenario: A colleague dominates team discussions, interrupting others or dismissing alternative ideas without considering them. His behavior is often seen as grating or rude by the team.

Objective: Use the Actionable, Specific, Kind (ASK) framework to give feedback. Start by addressing the actionable issue and be specific in your request. Make sure it is delivered in a kind and understanding manner. Address how their behavior affects group dynamics and encourage a more inclusive approach, allowing others to share their thoughts.

5. Work Performance

Scenario: A colleague is working towards a promotion to senior software engineer and has asked you for feedback on their performance. Although they have great technical proficiency you have noticed that they do not speak up during meetings unless directly asked and often wait for tasks to be assigned to them instead of taking initiative.

Objective: Try using the Goal, Reality, Options, Will (GROW) model. Explore the individual's goals, assess the current reality, brainstorm options, and try to create a list of actions to commit to to acheive the goal.

### Choose a Framework for Giving Feedback

We have looked at the following frameworks for giving feedback:
- Situation, Behavior, Impact (SBI) - Describe the situation, detail the specific behavior observed, and explain the impact it had.
- Actionable, Specific, Kind (ASK) - Start with an actionable issue, be specific in your request and make sure it is delivered in a kind manner.
- Observation, Feelings, Needs and Actions (OFNA) - discuss an observation, how it made you feel, what needs to happen to rectify this behavior and the actions they can take.
- Goal, Reality, Options, Will (GROW) model. Explore the individual's goals, assess the current reality, brainstorm options, and commit to action. This model is best suited when the individual is already aware of the area to improve.

For the following scenarios, choose any of of the frameworks to give feedback.

6. Behavioral Feedback

Scenario: A team member frequently arrives late to meetings, affecting the team's schedule.

Objective: Practice addressing behavior that affects the team's efficiency while maintaining a professional and respectful tone.

7. Positive Feedback for Improvement

Scenario: A colleague made significant improvements in their work, but there’s still room for further development.

Objective: Practice delivering feedback that celebrates progress while motivating further growth.

8. Conflict Resolution

Scenario: Two team members have a disagreement about how to approach a project, leading to tension in meetings.

Objective: Address the need for open communication, active listening, and problem-solving together, suggesting ways to mediate and align on a common goal.

9. Performance Review

Scenario: You are giving a formal performance review to a team member whose work has been solid but lacks creativity or initiative.

Objective: Practice delivering a balanced performance review, highlighting both strengths and opportunities for taking initiative.

10. Cross-Team Collaboration

Scenario: A team member from another department is not communicating well with your team, leading to delays and confusion.

Objective: Practice giving feedback to someone outside your immediate team, focusing on improving cross-team communication.

## Reflection 🧘‍♂️

Come together as a group and discuss the following:

When giving feedback:
- What challenges did you face when delivering feedback?
- How did you decide which feedback framework to use? Would you choose the same framework in real life?
- Which framework do you find the most useful? Which did you struggle with the most?
- How did you balance providing constructive criticism with being supportive?
- Did the scenario feel realistic or exaggerated? How would you adapt your approach in a real-world situation?
- How do you think feedback methods can differ depending on the person or context?

When Receiving feedback:
- How did the feedback make you feel? Was it easy to remain open to feedback?
- Were there any moments when you felt defensive? How did you manage those feelings? How might you manage those feelings in real-world scenarios?
- Was the feedback clear and actionable? How would you apply it to improve?

- How can you proactively seek out more feedback from your peers or mentors?