But it's also called a shit sandwich, because no matter how much praise you put on top and bottom, you're still eating shit. People shy away

Why you're bad at giving feedback

submited by
Style Pass
2024-11-13 01:30:03

But it's also called a shit sandwich, because no matter how much praise you put on top and bottom, you're still eating shit.

People shy away from being direct because they're afraid of how the other person is going to react. A good sign you’re holding back is if you're using words like "quite", "kind of", or "might" in your feedback.

"Max, your pull requests lack detailed descriptions. It makes it hard for me to understand the context and give an effective review. This causes us to ship buggy code. Going forward, can you include more information such as the problem you're solving for, the approach you took, and any important factors you considered?"

Imagine if your GPS told you to "go in a general northward direction" instead of "turn right in 100 meters." You'd end up lost, frustrated, and probably in a different country.

That's what happens when your feedback isn't specific enough. Great feedback should leave the recipient walking away without any doubt about what to do next.

Leave a Comment