You want to improve your team's Agile methodology leadership skills. How can you use feedback?

1 Set clear expectations

Before you start any feedback session, make sure that you and your team have a common understanding of what Agile methodology leadership skills are, why they are important, and how they can be measured. You can use frameworks such as the Agile Leadership Competency Model, the Scrum Master Competencies, or the Agile Coach Competencies to define the key skills and behaviors that you want to assess and improve. You can also agree on the frequency, format, and purpose of feedback, as well as the roles and responsibilities of each team member.

2 Use multiple sources

To get a comprehensive and balanced view of your team's Agile methodology leadership skills, you should collect feedback from multiple sources, such as peers, customers, stakeholders, and self-evaluation. You can use tools such as surveys, interviews, observation, or 360-degree feedback to gather different perspectives and insights. You can also use quantitative and qualitative data, such as metrics, outcomes, or anecdotes, to support your feedback. However, be careful not to overwhelm your team with too much or too conflicting feedback, and prioritize the most relevant and actionable information.

3 Provide constructive feedback

When you give feedback to your team, you should aim to be constructive, not critical. Constructive feedback is specific, timely, factual, respectful, and focused on improvement. It helps your team to identify their strengths and weaknesses, recognize their achievements and challenges, and learn from their mistakes and successes. You should also avoid using vague, general, or personal comments, such as "you are not a good leader" or "you always do this wrong". Instead, use the SBI model (Situation, Behavior, Impact) to describe the situation, the behavior, and the impact of the behavior on the team or the project.

4 Receive feedback with openness

When you receive feedback from your team, you should show openness, curiosity, and gratitude. Openness means that you are willing to listen to feedback without being defensive, dismissive, or angry. Curiosity means that you are eager to learn from feedback and ask questions to clarify or deepen your understanding. Gratitude means that you appreciate the feedback and the feedback giver, and acknowledge their effort and intention. You should also avoid arguing, blaming, or making excuses, and instead focus on the feedback content and the improvement actions.

5 Follow up on feedback

Feedback is only useful if it leads to action and change. Therefore, you should follow up on feedback with your team and create a feedback loop that allows you to monitor and evaluate your progress. You can use tools such as SMART goals, action plans, or retrospectives to define and track your feedback goals, actions, and results. You can also use feedback as an opportunity to celebrate your achievements, recognize your efforts, and reward your behaviors. You should also seek ongoing feedback from your team and other sources to ensure that you are on the right track and to adjust your course if needed.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?