Author, public speaker, and coach for managers and leaders across the tech industry.
Feedback Delivery Resources
Aiming to give feedback that they'll actually hear and take action on?
Check out my new Delivering Feedback video course to find exercises, tips, and homework to quickly level up your feedback skills.
Manage up without getting (too) salty about it blog post
An attendee from one of my Delivering Feedback workshops asked:
I think the Feedback Equation we learned today could work well with my manager, but I’m concerned about implementing it.
One of my biggest fears about giving them feedback is their negative response to it, so tying it back to what’s important to him makes a lot of sense to me.
However, how would I use coaching/open questions without getting salty that I have to coach them through the situation? I don’t have power in the relationship and that makes me worried about how I will handle it if and when my manager gets negative. (read more)
“Should I create a Performance Improvement Plan for my direct report?” blog post
There’s lots to be said (and felt) about Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs); they’re often a step that a company takes when an employee is not meeting the expectations of their role, and their manager (or the company) is considering whether or not to terminate this person’s employment. (read more)
How to get helpful, actionable feedback from your colleagues blog post
This post originally appeared on Lead Dev. (read more)
What to do when your feedback doesn't land blog post
This email I received from a recent workshop attendee describes a common, but challenging, situation: (read more)
Jean, Jorts, and tough feedback blog post
I can’t stop thinking about a recent AITA post from the manager of two cats named Jorts and Jean. (read more)
Don't soften feedback. blog post
When I talk about balancing being directive and empowering as a leader, the distinction between being kind and being nice often comes up. (read more)
Coding Sans podcast on performance reviews interview
We talked through building feedback delivery skills from the ground up, the step-by-step process of writing and delivering performance reviews, preparation tips, mistakes you might make, and more.
Why 'bring solutions not problems' doesn’t work blog post
Many years ago, when I asked a very grumpy direct report to “start bringing solutions, not just problems,” it did not go well. (read more)
How To Evaluate Your Leadership Impact On A Performance Review blog post
Given that identifying visible, measurable progress in leadership work is a challenge, how can you evaluate your impact as a leader? And when it’s performance review season, how can you describe the impact of your work to your manager, human resources department and others who are evaluating you? (read more)
Set future performance reviews up for success now blog post
Hopefully you’re nearing the end of the current performance review season! (read more)
Performance reviews should be unsurprising, fair, and motivating blog post
Performance review season is upon us again! (read more)
Tough love for managers who need to give feedback blog post
I’m honored to coach a lot of really terrific managers and leaders in my work. But no matter how experienced or how smart these folks are, we all still get some things wrong sometimes. When it comes to feedback, I have a lot of tough love to give. (read more)
My 3 favorite types of manager meetings blog post
The first time I came across the concept of a “first team”, it was in the incredible book The Manager’s Path: (read more)
A Tiny, Powerful Question for Better Feedback blog post
This post originally appeard on the 11:11 Supply Nerd Out Blog (read more)
Roleplaying Difficult Conversations blog post
As a manager, I had no idea how to handle my first disruptive teammate. The work environment was becoming less and less psychologically safe; the rest of the team had started to work from home more to avoid being yelled at by her. But she rarely acted out when I was around, so I found myself struggling to give this teammate feedback. (read more)
It's performance review season! blog post
Ah, performance reviews. The season that eats up most managers’ spare time as they collect and synthesize feedback from others. The season that ramps up anxiety in teammates as they wait to hear what’s been said about them, and whether or not they’re gonna get that promotion. It’s both draining and tedious, and tremendously important. (read more)
Feedback Equation blog post
As I mention in my book Demystifying Public Speaking, humans are mostly bad at giving feedback. We’re also really bad at preparing ourselves to receive feedback. (read more)