Feedback Techniques for Transparent Teams

How strong feedback cycles can improve retrospectives and team function and promote experimentation.

Teams that can effectively give and receive feedback have improved working relationships, productivity, and boost their ability to experiment and adapt in agile environments.

A culture of feedback in agile teams can promote improved work environment where teams push back against complacency and are motivated and comfortable to experiment and adapt. But how do you cultivate such an environment? This talk will address the importance of feedback as well as provide techniques and tips for delivering both positive and critical feedback. We'll discuss how you as a team leader or the member of an agile team can lead by example. I'll provide specific tips around language and delivery of feedback pulling from a variety of popular ideas and books. We'll cover the feedback sandwich, concepts from Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson & Joseph Grenny etc al., as well as Kim Scott's feedback quadrant from her book Radical Candor. I will also share personal experiences where I have failed and succeeded in situations where delivering great feedback was necessary as well as my results from teaching feedback workshops with agile teams. The ultimate goal is that attendees will walk away with an increased appreciation of how to engage in these often difficult and challenging situations with a set of tools and ideas they can share.