We are all born for one another's good – Marcus Aurelius
Reflection
When you send your code in and see there's a review ready, your first thought might be whether they'll like it or find issues. Pretty much everyone gets nervous about that. But remember, reviewers spend their own time helping you. Even helpful comments can feel harsh if they're not said carefully.
A vague comment like "This is wrong" frustrates, while "This could introduce side effects, consider trying X instead" fosters clarity. Stoicism teaches detachment from ego and wisdom in speech. Code reviews refine skills, strengthen teams, and build better systems.
Great developers listen, acknowledge effort, and provide constructive feedback. Marcus Aurelius believed we were here to help each other. Code reviews show this perfectly. They're not just about catching bugs but also helping teammates grow and improving the whole project.
Today's Insight
When reviewing code, a little empathy goes a long way. Instead of just pointing out mistakes, try seeing things from the coder's viewpoint and offer suggestions that help. That makes reviews feel less like criticism and more like teamwork so everyone can get better together.
Action Steps
- Lead with Understanding and Appreciation - Before diving into feedback, take a second to recognize the effort. Even something like "Hey, thanks for doing this" or "I like how you did this part" can help set the right mood.
- Frame Feedback as Questions and Suggestions. Rather than giving orders, ask questions. Replace "This needs refactoring" with "Would refactoring make this clearer?". This invites conversation instead of defensiveness.
- Focus on the Code, Not the Author - Critique the work, not the person. Avoid "You made a mistake here" and opt for "This logic might introduce a race condition.". Keep feedback objective.
- Explain the 'Why' Behind Feedback -Just as debugging is not about fixing symptoms but understanding root causes, effective feedback includes reasoning. "Avoid global state" is less helpful than "Using global state here might cause unintended side effects in concurrent execution."
- Be Mindful of Tone - Written words lack tone and facial cues. Before submitting a comment, re-read it as if you were on the receiving end. Would it motivate or discourage? Adjust accordingly.
Consider This
Think about a time a code review left you feeling frustrated or inspired. What made the difference? Next time, approach reviews like a mentor, guiding instead of judging, and notice how it changes the interaction.