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Feedback conversations

Welcome to the first official BLR feedback process. Find guidelines below in your preferred format.

The feedback process, in a nutshell.

Schedule a 1-1 “feedback conversation” call with each colleague you’ve worked with. We recommend 45mins. Aim to have all calls within a month from now.
You will each take turns asking “feedback questions” you have prepared.
These can be questions to help you spot room for improvement; help you understand your strengths; and help you collaborate better with your colleague.
To receive any feedback they have, you can ask: “From your perspective, where could I improve?”, “From your perspective, what are my strengths?”, and “From your perspective, in what ways could we collaborate better?”
Jump to
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for more detailed examples of questions.
Send your questions to each colleague before the call. This will give them time to think about it and provide more in-depth answers.
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If you have questions about this process, or need help managing discomfort around giving or receiving feedback, message Troy or David. They’re here to help. And very open to feedback :)

VIDEO: the feedback process

Watch this 5-min video to understand our current feedback process and next steps.

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IN WRITING: the feedback process

Feedback is a learning tool. It will show you what you do well and where you could improve. If we regularly give and receive feedback with each other in a way that feels kind and supportive, we are making good use of this tool.
You’ll know from your own experience that giving and receiving feedback “well” is a skill. It takes practice. To help us practice this skill, we’re introducing a recurring feedback process.
The feedback process is simple: a few times a year, you’ll schedule 1-1 “feedback conversations” with those you’ve worked with, where you’ll ask “feedback questions” you’ve prepared.
The guidelines below will help you prepare and complete your feedback conversations.

Guidelines

(1) Schedule your feedback conversation

Schedule a call with each colleague you’ve worked with. We recommend 45 minutes: 5 minutes checking in with each other, then 20 minutes each to ask feedback questions.

(2) Prepare your feedback questions

For each call, prepare a list of feedback questions you will ask. Important: send your questions to your colleague before the call to improve the quality of the answers you get.
There are at least three categories of feedback questions you can ask (see below). Aim to ask at least one question from each category (where applicable).
If you simply want to receive any feedback they have, use the “general feedback examples” below as inspiration. If you want to ask more specific questions, use the “specific examples” as inspiration.
Questions that help you spot room for improvement
General feedback example: “From your perspective, where could I improve?”
Specific examples:
“I think I did a good job on X but the client didn’t seem too happy. This was the situation: ... What do you think? Is there something I might have been able to do better?”
“You delivered X at the end of June. I was surprised how quickly you managed to get that done. Do you have any tips on how I could do the same?”
“In a meeting with a client last month, you handled X very well. Do you have any suggestions of how I could handle the situation like you did?”
“Are there ways you think I could improve my technical skills?”
“Are there ways you think I could improve my communication with you/the client?”
“Where do you think I could I add more value?”
"If I was more senior, what would I do differently?"
“If I was an strong leader, what would I do differently?”
“What do you think are the characteristics of someone who goes far in my role?”
Questions that help you understand your strengths
General feedback example: “From your perspective, what are my strengths?”
Specific examples:
“While working together, where did I add the most value to the company or our collaboration?”
"What's something you think is positive about me that I might not know about myself?"
“What can you rely on me to get done?”
“Is there anything I’m not currently working on that you think I would be great at?”
Questions that help you both collaborate better
General feedback example: “From your perspective, in what ways could we collaborate better?”
Specific examples:
“Last quarter we didn’t do so well with project X. From your perspective, what are some things we could do differently next time?”
“On a few occasions, you shared that you didn’t understand what I was trying to communicate. From your perspective, are there ways I could be communicating more clearly and effectively?”
“On project X, it took us a lot of time to agree on the best way to do ABC. From your perspective, how could we have managed that piece of work better?”
“On project X, I often found myself not knowing what you were working on and that made it difficult for me because ... . How do you think we can improve on this?”

(3) Have the feedback conversation

Set a goal for yourself to have an interesting, relaxed conversation. Once you’ve both arrived to the call, take a moment to check-in. You can share your expectations of the call, what your experience has been with feedback in the past, and who would like to ask their questions first.
Here are some guidelines to keep in mind while having the call:
When giving feedback, follow these guidelines:
Remember, this is not about evaluating others. We are not evaluating the other's performance, rather we're sharing what we observe from our standpoint, and letting them arrive at their own conclusion. You are offering them a new perspective.
Share specific examples. As much as possible, share actual events and behaviors that happened rather than generalizations. This will help make the conversation concrete and actionable and steer it away from value judgements. Focus on the facts.
Be caring. Delivering feedback that puts someone on the spot, and may touch on difficult topics, demands extra sensitivity. The conversation can elicit strong emotions that can easily be confused as defensiveness. Be prepared to give people the space they’ll need to process the feedback on their own time.
Assume good intent. As a general principle, it's rarely the case that people have bad intentions; meaning people don't consciously choose to be lazy, condescending, or deliver low quality work, etc. There are underlying factors that they may or may not be aware of. Shining light on their behavior, in a kind way, is the first step (and sometimes a sufficient step) for change.
What if I have nothing to say? that's ok, you shouldn't have to force it and say something just for the sake of it.
HOWEVER, remember that giving (and receiving) feedback can feel hard. So sometimes we may confuse being uncomfortable about sharing feedback as having nothing to say. It's easy to justify this position, for example: "what I'm thinking of is not that important actually", "it was a long time ago", "I don't know enough about this topic to have an opinion", and so on. None of this should prevent you from sharing your perspective. For the other, these are more data points that they can decide what to do with.
When receiving feedback, follow these guidelines:
Listen. Listen with an open-mind, do not let your defenses get in the way of your listening. The person on the other end may not always be the most tactful or kind when delivering feedback (though, we should expect them to). However, in every piece of feedback, there is something genuinely useful to learn if we take it in and reflect on it. This is an opportunity for growth.
Clarify. You do not have to take their word for granted. Instead, use this conversation as an opportunity to explore this feedback together. Ask them questions about their experience, what they perceived, what they expected, etc. Your experience and their experience won't always line up, and in that process of clarification, there will be an opportunity for both of you to learn.
Take Action. Turn this conversation into action by discussing how you both see things differently and in what ways you choose to act differently. You can agree to help each other out. It doesn't need to be a single person's task to effect change. As before, it is helpful to also be specific in what your expectations of each other will be. You can also choose to explore this further in your mentorship sessions.
The feedback process, in a nutshell.
VIDEO: the feedback process
For more examples of feedback questions, you can refer to this section below.
IN WRITING: the feedback process
Reach out for support if you need it
Guidelines
(1) Schedule your feedback conversation
(2) Prepare your feedback questions
(3) Have the feedback conversation
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