Fifteen (!) Big Room Feedback sessions have successfully concluded this fall. This marks a doubling from last year, with a significant number of teams participating for the first time. With this, we have also introduced the adaptation of conducting Big Room Feedback sessions either fully remote or in a hybrid format, alongside the continued default co-located sessions.
As we reflect on this achievement, we wanted to take a moment to share some insights with you. These insights might help you in your search for the ideal performance feedback tool for your agile organization.
Big Room Feedback, what's that all about?
In short, Big Room Feedback, a performance feedback format cultivated at Skyline, is designed to deliver honest, fair, and actionable feedback within a transparent face-to-face setting—an ideal tool for agile organizations.
We've previously released a detailed blog post that deep dives into the topic of how we organize our Big Room Feedback meetings at Skyline. Definitely worth checking out!
And if you don't feel like reading, then you're in luck. Our global agile lead, Bram de Block, was invited by Scrum Masters of the Universe to talk about our newest feedback format. And fortunately, there's a recording available!
Why did we introduce the Big Room Feedback format at Skyline?
As an agile organization, we are constantly looking for more effective agile ways to foster evolution, both on an individual level and as a cohesive team.
Our aim is to create an environment where each member contributes to that collective growth. And we feel that providing actionable feedback to colleagues you collaborate with daily is a key aspect of this process.
Additionally, this practice also provides the direct manager with a broader and more contextualized perspective. This input becomes a valuable element, as one of the many aspects considered in performance evaluations.
What our colleagues think of Big Room Feedback
To measure the effectiveness of our Big Room Feedback format, we sent out three questions to every participant. Here are the results.
They are hooked
When we asked all teams whether they would like to continue with the Big Room Feedback format, 90% answered "yes":
Actionable feedback
Why do they like it so much? Because most participants found the received feedback valuable and actionable, as indicated when we asked, '"How likely is it that you will be able to use some of the feedback received?"
Good can always get better
We also asked whether they had any suggestions on how to improve the format. And while not all the feedback has been processed yet, we'd like to share some of the adaptations we're considering for the next iteration:
- When conducting hybrid or remote sessions, make sure to have top-notch facilities available, including excellent audio and video equipment, for an optimal experience.
- Keep striving to get that balance between thoroughness and staying within the timebox. Correctly splitting larger teams can aid in achieving this.
- Allowing some initial reaction to the received feedback summary. (Due to limited time, the person receiving the feedback did not get the chance to respond to the received feedback.)
- For experienced teams, consider empowering them to score each other to indicate how well their colleagues meet their personal expectations.
- Some colleagues were disappointed with the limited number of 'grows' received. In these instances, we will inquire about the team's expectations for the individual. This can still provide valuable insights for the person, even when explicit growth points are minimal.
- We might re-introduce the practice of having the Product Owner bring a list of topics the team worked on in the past 6 months, to serve as a memory trigger.
Closing thought: give your glows the attention they deserve
It's a common pitfall to only view your areas of growth as actionable. While addressing your 'grows' is strongly encouraged, dedicating effort to enhance your glows (strengths) can be equally or even more rewarding, especially when you witness yourself reaching stellar performance.
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