Roleplay Scenario
Scenario Overview
Your team is reviewing a recent pull request (PR) from a junior engineer. The code does what it’s supposed to but could be clearer and easier to maintain. As a senior engineer, your job is to give feedback that helps the junior engineer improve without knocking their confidence.
Roles & Setup
Role A – Senior Engineer (You)
You’re checking out the PR and spot some areas for improvement.
Your goal: Offer feedback that’s helpful and encouraging.
Role B – Junior Engineer
You submitted the PR and want to keep getting better.
Your goal: Take the feedback on board and ask questions if you’re unsure.
Suggested Openers
Senior Engineer:
- “Hey, nice job on getting the feature working! Can we chat about a few tweaks to make the code even better?”
- “I went through your PR, and there’s some solid work in there. Let’s talk about a couple of things that might help clarify the code.”
Junior Engineer:
- “Sure, I’m keen to hear your thoughts.”
- “Thanks! I’m open to any feedback you have.”
Sample Roleplay in Action
Senior Engineer:
“Hey! First off, great job on getting this feature up and running. I noticed a few spots where we could make the code a bit clearer. Do you have a few minutes to go over it?”
Junior Engineer:
“Absolutely, I’d love to hear your suggestions.”
Senior Engineer:
“Awesome. One thing I noticed is the variable names. More descriptive names could help everyone understand the code faster. For example, instead of tempVar, something like userCount might be clearer. What do you think?”
Junior Engineer:
“That makes sense. I’ll update those. Anything else you spotted?”
Senior Engineer:
“Yeah, I’d also suggest breaking down the big function into smaller ones. It’ll make the code easier to test and manage. I’m happy to help you with the first part if you want.”
Junior Engineer:
“That would be great. I’m still figuring out the best way to structure bigger functions.”
Senior Engineer:
“Perfect, let’s set up a time to work on it together. Overall, you’re doing great, and these tweaks will make a big difference.”
Junior Engineer:
“Thanks for the guidance—I’m looking forward to working on it!”
Post-Scenario Tools
Curveball Mode (Optional)
Throw in one of these mid-roleplay to keep things interesting:
- Junior engineer feels a bit defensive about the feedback.
- Senior engineer gets called away to handle something urgent.
- Junior engineer suggests a different approach that might not work.
Reflection Checklist
As the Senior Engineer:
- Did you give clear, actionable feedback?
- Did you mention positives as well as areas to improve?
- Did you offer to help and encourage questions?
As the Junior Engineer:
- Did you keep an open mind when receiving feedback?
- Did you ask questions if you needed clarification?
- Did you show a willingness to learn and improve?
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Only pointing out what’s wrong without any positives.
- Giving feedback that’s too vague to be useful.
- Letting the conversation become one-sided.
Pro Tip
Think of feedback as a team effort. Approach it as a chance to learn together, and keep the conversation open and collaborative.