Give Feedback Someone Does Not Want
A respected colleague's work is quietly costing the team, and nobody has told him. He does not think there is a problem.
Who you face
Marcus Lindqvist
Senior Engineer
Friendly, until the third sentence.
“You wanted a quick word? I've got ten minutes before standup.”
The opening line is fixed. Everything after it depends on what you say.
What you have to get done
- 1Name the specific behaviour, not the person
- 2Show the concrete cost to the team
- 3Leave with something he agreed to change
An objective counts only when a judge can quote the line where you hit it. Nothing is credited on impression.
Read first
How to take criticism without getting defensive
Vague feedback is not a verdict, it is an unfinished sentence. Defending yourself is what stops it ever being finished.
How to give difficult feedback to a colleague
Feedback about a person starts an argument. Feedback about a behaviour, with a named cost, ends one.
The rest of this Path