Maven

How to give and receive feedback

Facebook

Harvard Business Review

MIT Sloan Management Review Middle East

Stanford University

Julie Zhuo

Author, The Making of a Manager; Formerly VP Design at Facebook

Thinking about feedback as a truly helpful gift

Creating a foundation of trust & curiosity

Checking in on whether you're being heard (correctly)

Being specific enough to drive positive change

You want to present your ideas and opinions with unshakable confidence. You want to feel powerful in every room or zoom, but sometimes, when the moment is at hand, you start second-guessing yourself. You want to be both assertive yet kind. But you also don’t want to come across as pushy or a pushover. Maybe you’ve even spent the night counting the opportunities you missed instead of counting sheep. Or worse, you spent the night spiraling about that thing you regret saying.&nbsp;&nbsp;In this course, you'll learn how to step up without stepping on toes, inspire your employees to take meaningful action and captivate your boss with your words so your ideas are heard and valued. Whether you are delivering a presentation, leading a meeting, or having a difficult 1:1 feedback conversation, I’ll give you frameworks to help you with what to say and how to say it so you’re not just part of the conversation but leading it.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Every lesson is live and is packed with opportunities to practice and refine your communication skills. You’ll learn how to take up space in the “right way.” And how to get your employees to be thanking YOU when you ask them to take on another project.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;You will develop the communication skills that will help you drive your team’s success and earn that next promotion or raise!&nbsp; Next Cohort: February Cohort is Tuesdays at 2pm EST

The Ultimate Leadership Edge

Before you speak it starts with how you think. We are going to train your brain to&nbsp;think like a great leader.

Manager Mindset

Learn how to give feedback that sparks change. We'll learn how to get buy-in and how to give super specific, realistic, and kind feedback. Yes, I'll show you how honesty can be kind and powerful.

Fruitful Feedback & 1:1s

Clarify your strategy and make it so compelling your employees are thanking you for the opportunity to work on it

Spellbinding Strategy

Set the tone and structure of meetings to optimize productivity and collaboration. Learn what to say to help you navigate tricky challenges and how to stay confident and calm throughout.

Confident Collaboration

Course Syllabus

Four 1-hour-long workshopsTuesday Dec 3: Manager MindsetThursday Dec 5: Fruitful FeedbackTuesday Dec 10: Spellbinding Strategy &amp; Defining DecisionsTuesday Dec 12: Confident Collaboration

December Cohort: Tuesday & Thursday 

Compact learning format for busy professionals

No required homework

Every session is recorded, so you can watch it on your own if you can't make the live session.

Can't make a session?

Course schedule

First-time managers (Congrats!) Develop the critical skills that differentiate a follower from a leader

Startup founders &amp; business ownersBuild a culture that will empower your employees to create their best work

Experienced leaders with a new team Quickly ﻿establish trust, improve productivity and amplify your influence

Who is this course for

You'll learn how to ...

Discover the most costly communication mistake most managers make in giving feedback and the seven-step formula to spark change.

Give feedback that actually results in change

Understand the psychology underneath great storytelling. Learn the technique politicians like Barack Obama use to make your message stick with limited time.

Develop spellbinding presentations & pep talks

The 5 key questions that will transform your relationship with your direct reports. Plus, the simple communication checklist that will help you optimize every meeting.

Run effective 1:1s & efficient meetings

Why trying only to control your employees is a waste of time and what you need to say instead that actually increases accountability and improves trust.

Improve employee engagement and productivity

The secret the best conflict negotiators know to surface issues before they become problems.

Breakdown unproductive conflicts and avoid misunderstandings

The simple tip for converting any task or project into a hero’s mission that employees want to take on.

Inspire employees with a clear & compelling mission

The 5-part formula to take your boss from questioning your ideas to following them.

Manage up with grace & power

Many people think charisma is only for extroverts, but I’ll give you two simple tools to increase your likability instantly. In the course you’ll get scripts and formulas to help you get started. And don’t worry, we’ll practice so you can sound natural when you use them.

Level up your confidence and charisma

🚀 Learn the 8 critical skills to make you a confident and compelling leader. 

Jess Goldberg

Teaches communication skills  @ Columbia University, Executive Coach & former VP in AI Robotics 

December 2024

Feb 2025 

Managers and leaders are not taught how to deliver feedback that changes behavior and drives performance. The result? Managers gets frustrated when people don't implement feedback and performance and business results suffer. It doesn't need to be this way. You can transform the way you manage and become the manager who shares direct feedback and drives results. You can get there in this course. You will become more confident and competent sharing feedback fearlessly. WHAT TO EXPECT: Tactics you can implement immediately. Sessions are loaded with lively discussion, breakout exercises, and a 27-page learning guide to both personalize and customize your learning experience. In just 3 sessions, you will have more tools in your tool belt to more effectively drive performance on your team. COURSE CONTENT: • How to speak candidly, and with care, using the Fearless Feedback Model• How to structure feedback using Headline, Observation, Ask• How to navigate reactions using HEAR• How to identify the core behavior needing to be addressed using Name It To Tame It• How to shift to a High Cadence, Low Stakes mental model• How to lay a foundation for feedback with the Relationship Kickoff Conversation• How to view feedback as information to be shared to help someone be their best• How to lead as a human with standards of excellence You can also expect: - A 27-page learning guide loaded with sample language, exercises, and reference materials to leverage well beyond the course- Videos modeling the Headline, Observation, Ask model- Video modeling how to navigate reactions to feedback- Video illustrating how to effectively kick off a feedback relationship with a new team member- Drafting feedback for real time situations you're facing How you view delivering feedback as a manager and leader will fundamentally change. You will have greater confidence and competence opening a feedback conversation, delivering direct and caring feedback, and navigating emotional reactions to your message. Invest in the skills that will truly elevate you and your team's business impact.

Drive stronger performance with actionable feedback.

Your fears and assumptions significantly impact the way you show up in a feedback conversation. When you don't feel confident, you beat around the bush. When you're worried about the reaction, you walk on egg shells. That's not conducive to impacting behavior change, nor is it kind to our team member. Let's set you up for success!

Mastering Your Feedback Mindset

Develop your ability to deliver valuable feedback leveraging the Headline, Observation, Ask model. Explore how feedback can and should escalate. Observe then practice real feedback situations. Walk away equipped to have the feedback conversations you've been putting off.

Delivering Effective Feedback Fearlessly

Even with best laid plans and intentions, feedback can still spark a reaction, let's get you ready! Simplify your approach by learning the HEAR model and then put it to work with real time practice.

Navigating Feedback Reactions

Course syllabus

Before our first session, you will have pre-session videos to view that will set us up for a strong discussion.

Pre-Work Videos & Materials

We kick off our course by exploring the impact Mindset and Relationship have on feedback delivery. Learn 1 core perspective shift, 3 mindset tactics, and then how to lead the Relationship Kickoff Conversation.

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

This will be the meatiest session with feedback model exploration and you'll walk away with new language and tools to immediately have more impactful conversations.

Thursday, January 30, 2025

Bring it all together with tools to handle reactions and even more practice and discussion to enable you to graduate as a Fearless Deliverer of Feedback.

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

You are a manager within a start-up &amp; pace of business can feel impossible to give real time feedback to both direct &amp; indirect reports.

You're a leader who finds yourself putting off feedback conversations out of dread, fear, or lack of confidence.

You are a manager wanting to elevate your career by distinguishing yourself as a developer of great talent.

Who will thrive in this courses:

What you can expect from this course:

You will practice addressing the hardest feedback conversations: giving feedback on defensiveness, lack of strategic thinking, a need for greater flexibility, and more. We're not practicing the easy conversations, we're focusing on the conversations we avoid most.

Practice the most difficult types of feedback conversations

Beyond the live sessions, you will walk away with an invaluable resource, the Deliver Fearless Feedback learning guide. Filled with the HOA framework, HEAR model for handling reactions, and 6 examples of sample feedback.

27-page learning guide packed with frameworks and sample langauge

You will adopt the Fearless Feedback Model and learn to operate at the intersection of Mindset, Relationship, and Delivery. These combined enable a manager and leader to say what needs to be said to help someone achieve their highest impact.

Begin delivering difficult feedback fearlessly

You'll learn to streamline your feedback using the Headline, Observation, Ask model. Each step will empower you to strategically engineer a more positive and productive reception, and perception, of your feedback.

Deconstruct the core elements of successful feedback conversations

When someone provides excuses, cries, or gets defensive, you will be equipped with the HEAR model. You will learn to stay true to your north star and not get sucked into tennis match type conversations.

Develop your ability to successfully handle reactions to feedback

You will create a new internal narrative on what it means to deliver tough feedback. You will feel empowered to engage, discuss, and share feedback that will help your people be their best, and help you drive a culture you're proud of.

Increase your confidence & competence

You will elevate to your next level of management and leadership by distinguishing yourself as someone who fearlessly develops your people to reach their best version of themselves.

Distinguish yourself as a developer of people

Transform your management by driving stronger performance through direct and actionable feedback.

Katie Ceccarini

October 2024

January 2025

Tech leaders are remembered not just for their technical prowess, but for the lasting impact they have on their team's careers and success. This course equips both new and experienced software engineering managers with the essential skills to amplify their influence and drive team performance. Over 100 software engineers and engineering managers have already enhanced their leadership capabilities through this course. Join them and transform your approach to tech leadership. --- This interactive course will teach you how to solve 3 key problems faced by senior engineers and engineering leaders: • Identifying opportunities for growth within your team and working with your team to fill these missing gaps • Effective communication with your direct reports, peers, and upper management • Asking for and delivering constructive, actionable feedback For the duration of this course you'll receive: • 4 hours of engaging content over Zoom across two Saturdays, with interactive lessons and breakout sessions • Hands-on learning by walking through case studies and real life examples with your cohort • Templates you can immediately start using on the job • In-depth live Q&amp;A session to get immediate answers to your on-the-job questions • Recording and slides for future reference and review NEW: All current and past students will receive lifetime access to a private Discord community for tech leaders to keep the conversation going.

What makes a great engineering leader?

You'll learn how to identify growth opportunities for each team member and work one-on-one with them both on a long-term quarterly basis and during regular check-ins to ensure your team members are continuing to grow as engineers.

Developing your engineering team

You'll learn how to build influence through facing challenging conversations head-on with your engineering team, peers, and upper management.

Conflict resolution across an organization

You'll learn how to give effective feedback to your engineering team and peers to build a more effective work culture.

Giving and receiving constructive feedback

Saturday Morning

Saturday Afternoon

Choose the morning or afternoon session to fit your schedule

New and experienced engineering managers looking to build the interpersonal skills required to succeed as a leader

Technical engineering managers who want to develop their team and build influence across their company

Aspiring engineering managers looking to lay the groundwork to create an impact as an IC and future leader

Who this course is for:

After taking this course, you'll be able to:

Your success as an leader is measured by your team's execution, and to have great execution, you need a great team. We'll talk through how to identify and leverage technical and interpersonal strengths of your current team and empower your team to grow professionally.

Build and scale a high performing team

1:1s and performance reviews don't have to be stressful–my own team can back me up! I'll teach you how to keep the feedback loop active by applying my framework to conduct meaningful 1:1s and provide tactical, actionable feedback to your team on a regular cadence.

Conduct impactful 1:1s and development check-ins

Learn how to give constructive feedback from a trained therapist! I'll teach you effective communication strategies for conflict resolution within your team and building influence within your organization.

Navigate challenging conversations with peers and direct reports

Learn the 3 key skills you need to be an impactful technical leader with this interactive workshop

Kelly Vaughn

Cohort 4

Cohort 5

Work more effectively with people who have different communication styles and priorities. Make a plan for tough conversations, even if you're conflict avoidant and worry about making people feel bad. Use time better in your 1:1s and team meetings. Speak up with confidence to lay the foundation for your continued advancement and career growth. Feel more capable in how you face challenges -- and say yes to opportunities -- every day.

Improve communication and work better, together.

Provide a brief description for each module as a way to sell the value of what students will be learning throughout the course.

First Module

Second Module

Third Module

Live teaching sessions with Kim each week.

Weekly:  Class on Tuesday

Four live Office Hours sessions with Kim for open Q&amp;A and coaching.

Optional:  Office Hours on Thursday

New managers who want to learn foundational skills and be more effective, authentic, and calm every day.

Experienced managers who want a fresh perspective and practical tools to make tough situations easier.

Aspiring managers who want a head start on learning the skills and strategies that will help them manage up and advance in their career.

What you’ll get out of this course

Define success and clarify your goals, so you focus on what matters. Reduce self-doubt and overwhelm. Grow your confidence.

Clarity on what makes a good manager, and a great leader.

Take a step back, get a fresh perspective, and make a plan. Become more intentional, and less reactive.

Time for strategic thinking.

Be ready to advocate for yourself, set boundaries, and give tough feedback. Feel empowered to say the hard thing in a direct, clear, kind way.

Prepare for tough conversations.

Feel less anxious when you speak up. Know how to adapt to your audience, and communicate in a way that connects.

Speak up with more confidence.

Feel confident working with your manager and skip levels. Lay the groundwork for your career advancement and continued professional development.

Lightning Lessons

How to give and receive feedback