Feedback: Ask, Pause, and Close 🔁

☕ Whew, feedback can be rough sometimes.

Whew, feedback can be rough sometimes.

Just last week, I got some on an email to a customer I thought was solid—until a teammate pointed out a pretty big issue I hadn’t even considered.

My first reaction? Ugh. That sinking feeling in my stomach, the urge to explain why I did it my way… all of it. But after stepping back (and grabbing a coffee), I realized they were right. And more than that, they were helping me get better.

That’s what I’m focusing on this week, and I’ve got some thoughts to share with you.

How To Make Feedback Work for You

✅ Ask before you need it – A simple “Hey, what do you think of this?” can save you from bigger rewrites later.

✅ Pause before reacting – It’s easy to get defensive, but feedback isn’t about you, it’s about the work. Take a beat before responding, and start with a “thank you”.

✅ Close the loop – If you apply feedback, let the person know. “Hey, I tried your suggestion—what do you think?” - it keeps the conversation open and builds trust.

This essentially builds a feedback loop - In a business context, a feedback loop is a continuous cycle of communication where information is exchanged, actions are taken based on that information, and the results of those actions are then evaluated to inform future decisions.

Resource Corner

Curated Picks to Boost Your Work & Personal Growth

📚 "Thanks for the Feedback" by Douglas Stone & Sheila Heen – This book helped me reframe feedback from something to endure into something to use. Highly recommend.

💡 Want to give better feedback, too? Check out this guide: 12 Tips for Giving Constructive Feedback to Developers. It’s packed with insights on making feedback clear, actionable, and actually helpful.

🛠️ Stay organized while tracking tasks! Todoist is a simple yet powerful task manager to keep track of action items, whether it’s fixing a bug from code review or following up on career feedback.

Celebrating Community Wins

Here’s what we crushed this week:

👏 “My mentor told me they are very happy with my work during onboarding.”
- Software Engineer Intern

👏 “I created a small automation today which helped my team reply to customers quicker.”
- Customer Success Engineer (1 YOE)

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👉 Feedback isn’t always fun, but it’s one of the fastest ways to grow. What’s a piece of feedback that really stuck with you? Hit reply and let me know— I’d love to share it!

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I wish you a great week ✨

Until next time,

Sonika