Giving Proper Feedback

This video explores the complexities of effective feedback in engineering management, emphasizing the balance between honesty and empathy. It also highlights how mentoring approaches must evolve based on the experience level of the engineer receiving feedback.

• Honest feedback is essential for growth: Engineering managers must avoid both extremes—being overly harsh or too protective of emotions—and instead aim to deliver candid, constructive feedback with empathy.
• Empathy does not mean avoidance: Withholding critical feedback to preserve feelings can be detrimental to an engineer’s development; it’s important to be honest even when the message is difficult.
• Good mentorship goes beyond directives: Effective managers explain the why behind advice, helping reports internalize the underlying principles rather than just follow instructions blindly.
• Tailor feedback to experience level: Junior and mid-level engineers often need clear, actionable advice, while senior engineers should be given higher-level guidance and trusted to translate it into execution independently.
• Mentoring is a skill that evolves: The ability to adjust mentoring style across a range of experience levels is a key marker of a strong engineering manager.