A ‘blameless’ framework for giving feedback
🎂 Fun fact: Tomorrow is Mark Zuckerberg’s birthday! He is turning 40, which makes Facebook officially half his age.
Also today: Autism inclusion on Broadway, the science of groove, and when to walk the talk at work
By Carly Rose Gillis
On Medium, you see a lot of experts sharing their expertise through writing. It’s a core component of our mission — to open up a way for “doers” to share their learned and earned experience with others who seek wisdom from valid, trusted sources.
But, if you’re an expert in something yet hesitant to write about it in public, you’re not alone.
Software engineer turned technical writer Jess Schalz shares her experience working with engineers who (at first!) were hesitant to document the thinking behind their engineering choices. She empathetically lays out how general writing apprehension, limited resources (including time and energy), and discriminatory criticism can cut into anyone’s confidence when facing a blank page.
One feedback framework that works for her is the “blameless retrospective,” which means assessing someone’s work with curiosity and wonder, rather than disparagement or retribution. “Critiques are a collaborative discussion rather than an argument,” says Schaltz.
If you’re struggling to communicate edits, or if you are a writer struggling to understand feedback, Schaltz provides a few techniques:
- Reflect on expectations: Have they been clearly communicated in terms of style, format, word count, etc.?
- Accommodate verbal explanations: Can you switch to a phone/video call to talk things through or find a way to send a recording?
- Provide templates and examples: Discuss an end result that you want to see and make sure you’re aligned on it.
What else we’re reading
- I’ll admit it: I can’t stop bobbing to the beat of Sabrina Carpenter’s new single, “Espresso.” I thought it was because of its delightfully absurd grammatical structure. But, thanks to this recent story about why some music makes us want to dance, I think it may actually be about syncopation (or, the rhythmic patterns). “Too much syncopation is too unpredictable, while too little is boring, but the sweet groove experience mid-point allows us to predict future melodies accurately, and the result is bursting into dance,” writes Katrina Paulson.
- In light of this month’s focus on mental health, I was delighted to read this story about how Broadway is becoming more inclusive to autistic actors and audience members. Writer Ray Ryan Kao described how one production set up an “access team” dedicated to investigating and implementing various ways to accommodate the experience for all. One technique: “They set up ‘cool-down spaces’ in the basement of the theater where autistic people could relax or ‘stim’ (stimulate their senses to calm feelings) with monitors streaming the show so that they wouldn’t miss the action.”
Your daily dose of practical wisdom: about when to take “walking meetings”
Stressed by too many in-person or video meetings? Try taking a walking meeting next time you want to discuss ideas (rather than specifics) with a small group (1–3 people). “Talking on the move can feel more relaxed — less pressure to fill silence, or get through an agenda, because you are always doing something (moving),” writes Chris M of Meetings Makeover.
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Edited and produced by Scott Lamb & Harris Sockel
Questions, feedback, or story suggestions? Email us: tips@medium.com
