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How to ask for feedback from old team?

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Mid-Level Software Engineer [L4] at Target2 years ago

I will be moving to a new team soon. Is it recommended to ask for feedback from my old team before moving out.

I have good relationship with my team and I want to leverage them to know more about my overall contribution as a team player and engineer.

What is the best way to do that ? What type of questions I can ask ?

I want to avoid falling into same mistakes and grow faster in my new team.

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    Founder
    2 years ago

    It is a great idea to get feedback from the old team.

    Schedule 1:1 meetings (in-person or via zoom) with the individuals to talk about feedback. I don't recommend having this conversation on chat or in a group setting.

    In the meeting, go with a mood of enthusiasm, gratitude, and new beginner. Share your vulnerability to improve yourself and level up through their feedback.

    Remind yourself that the feedback is just an assessment by them. That assessment might be grounded or not grounded. And you permitted them to share the feedback. No need to get defensive or counter-respond. Listen with patience and an open heart. With this mood, you will get far better feedback which you can process later. Lastly, do not make gestures that show that you are not in agreement with the feedback.

    It is better to ask open-ended questions to let the other party share as much as they want, and they might go in directions which you might not have thought about.

    Some example questions:

    1. What did you like most about my work on project x?
    2. What suggestions do you have for improvement?
    3. What are the three things I can do to level up?

    In the end, you may be asked for feedback in return as well. Be ready to respond with thoughtful answers with care for them. Feedback is a gift.

  • 2
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    Robinhood, Meta, Course Hero, PayPal
    2 years ago

    Is it recommended to ask for feedback from my old team before moving out.

    This will probably have value, especially as you mentioned that you have a good relationship with them. Feedback is generally a gift, and I know that Target has a lot of engineering talent.

    What is the best way to do that ? What type of questions I can ask ?

    I would ask your manager at the very least, ideally in a 1 on 1 setting. From here, you can also approach your tech lead alongside other L5 and L6 engineers on your terms.

    In terms of what questions to ask, I first recommend our video on how to ask for feedback properly. If there's anything in particular you know you should get better at (your old performance reviews will be a great resource for this), ask pointed questions about that.

    If you can't come up with any pointed questions, you can try something like: "Looking back on our entire time working together, do you have any high-level feedback on broad themes where I can improve? Anything in particular that you think will help me reach L5?"

    Best of luck on the new team!

Target Corporation (doing business as Target and stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American big box department store chain headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is one of the largest retailers in the United States.
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