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Activity

Code review coaching session

Transform code reviews into learning opportunities for your team

Learn to conduct code reviews that not only improve code quality but also develop team members' skills. This activity focuses on providing constructive feedback and fostering a growth mindset.

45 minutes
collaboration

Overview

Learn to conduct code reviews that not only improve code quality but also develop team members' skills. This activity focuses on providing constructive feedback and fostering a growth mindset.

Learning objectives

  • Provide constructive technical feedback
  • Balance code quality with developer growth
  • Create psychological safety in reviews

Instructions

Conduct a coaching-focused code review:

1. Select a recent pull request from your team 2. Review the code with a learning lens 3. Identify teaching opportunities 4. Write feedback that educates, not just corrects 5. Schedule a discussion with the developer

Steps

1

Code analysis

20 minutes

Review code for patterns and learning opportunities

2

Write feedback

15 minutes

Craft educational and constructive comments

3

Discussion

10 minutes

Meet with developer to discuss and learn together

Pro tips

  • Ask questions instead of making statements
  • Explain the "why" behind suggestions
  • Acknowledge good patterns you see

Example outcome

A completed review with 3-5 learning points discussed and developer feeling supported and educated

Explore more resources

Check out the full stdlib collection for more frameworks, templates, and guides to accelerate your technical leadership journey.