The Performance Boosting Power of Feedback — Darva Satcher // GitLab Inc.

Feedback can be scary to give and receive, but it doesn't have to be because everyone needs it to improve and grow the company. See feedback as data and not a judgment about who or what is right or wrong. How do you deal with the emotions that come with feedback? How do you ask for feedback to get the data you need to boost performance? Listen to Darva Satcher, Director of Engineering of GitLab Inc., as she discusses the performance-boosting power of feedback.
About the speaker

Darva Satcher

GitLab Inc.

- GitLab Inc.

Darva Satcher is Director of Engineering at GitLab Inc.

Show Notes

  • 01:37
    Doing skip level right produces a ton of feedback. How do you leverage feedback?
    Feedback is just data. Some people reject the data, and some people accept the data.
  • 03:15
    How do you deal with the emotions that come with feedback?
    Dont get into the right and wrong context. Give feedback as appreciation or coaching using the action, result, and impact approach.
  • 05:10
    How to help someone set their emotions and excuses aside when receiving feedback
    Use the root cause analysis approach to get them to tell you what they could have done. Constructive feedback is how you grow, even if they dont want to hear it. They should learn to accept it as quickly as they take appreciation.
  • 06:45
    What is the proof that feedback boosts performance?
    Feedback is the only way to learn a lesson, improve processes and avoid repeating mistakes.
  • 09:41
    How to ask for feedback to get the data you need
    Keep your feedback targeted. Feedback takes away the guesswork. It provides the answers you need to move forward and empowers people.
  • 12:49
    Dont treat feedback as optional
    Stop giving generalized feedback. Make feedback as laser-focused as possible because it is not about right or wrong but about improvements.

Quotes

  • "Feedback is just data. Some people reject the data, and some people accept the data." - Darva Satcher

  • "When I have one-on-ones, I give two types of feedback and highlight them. It's either coaching or appreciation. Every week, I appreciate someone for something. I appreciate the collaboration you showed here when resolving this incident. And closing the incident in record time impacted X number of users who now have access." - Darva Satcher

  • "Constructive feedback is coaching. For instance, your delayed response to the incident impacted the customer this way. And as a result, we had an outage for this period, which wouldn't scale well. I explain the impact. And then, I ask your thoughts on how we could have had a better outcome." - Darva Satcher

  • "Feedback is the only way to learn a lesson. Let's say the organization has a systematic problem with a process. As a result, we keep having incidents. Learning from the feedback you get from, let's say, the root cause analysis prevents you from making that same mistake." - Darva Satcher

  • "How to ask for feedback? Empower people and let them think I want everyone to have a custom experience. I want to give you what you need from me. But I don't know what you need. So please tell me." - Darva Satcher

  • "I found that for some people is hard to receive feedback. But you don't want that to block your feedback because there's nowhere to go but down." - Darva Satcher

  • "Feedback is a gift, and I know people don't see it that way. If you deliver it, I've seen what it can do." - Darva Satcher

About the speaker

Darva Satcher

GitLab Inc.

- GitLab Inc.

Darva Satcher is Director of Engineering at GitLab Inc.

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