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Research critique

Goals of research critique sessions

  • Improve our research skills and outputs. Both feedback givers and receivers should learn from critique.
  • Practice and model professional feedback giving. We have to give feedback to other product team members often. Critique provides a structured opportunity to practice that skill.

Critique session agenda

Critique group agendas vary. One common approach:

Break the hour into two, half hour sessions. Focus each half hour on a different person’s work. It could be a research plan, session materials, analysis or deliverable.

During each half hour:

  • The recipient introduces their research plan, session materials, analysis or deliverable. The researcher should provide enough context that other participants can provide useful feedback. Walk through:
    • the goals of the product
    • the research questions of your current research
    • particular goals of your plan, materials, analysis or deliverables
    • any limitations recipients should keep in mind
  • The recipient poses the question they want to guide a critique. That question could be something like:
    • “How can I accomplish my goal better?”
    • “How can I get over this particular problem?”
    • “What might the risks be of this approach?”
    • “Is my team’s concern with this method justified?”
  • The givers ask clarifying questions. Before givers start advising, they ask questions to test their assumptions.
  • The givers, humbly, offer potential answers to the recipient’s guiding question. Phrase your answers as questions, like “Would it be helpful to…” or “Have you tried?”
  • The recipient sums up what they’ve heard. And offers thanks for the feedback.

Ground rules

  • Recipients and givers should be humble, respectful and kind. Critique isn’t the time to flaunt your knowledge, push a personal agenda or be crabby. We set our team’s feedback culture during critique. I expect you to be at your most thoughtful.
  • For givers:
    • Do ask questions. Lots of questions. Try to understand what people have done before, why and how. Try to understand why your suggestion isn’t a good idea.
    • Don’t make edicts. You might have a better idea, but you shouldn’t issue orders to other people.
  • For recipients:
    • Do keep an open mind. Believe others might have a better idea than you do.
    • Don’t be defensive. Your goal is to learn from others, not to defend your existing decisions.
  • Watch your body language.
    • Receiving critique makes most people feel vulnerable. Givers should be encouraging and warm.
    • On the flip side, it’s hard to give honest feedback. Recipients should also encourage and thank givers.
  • Don’t say who said what in critique group. When sharing feedback to your team from critique group, say “my critique group said.” not “[person] said.” Likewise, don’t expect external credit for what you suggest in a group. Ideas flow freely.