In this post, I continue discussing effective feedback strategies following my previous post on mentoring to give feedback.

Clarify Your Role, Then Deliver the Feedback

Step	What to Do	Why It Matters
Identify your stake	You’re the one who’s blocked, so you’re entitled to raise the issue.	Ownership drives action.
Seek a mediator if needed	Ask a project lead or team lead to help you frame the conversation.	Removes personal bias and ensures the talk stays productive.
Stick to the facts	“The review cycle is X hours long. I need it to be Y hours for timely delivery.”	Keeps it objective and measurable.
Offer solutions	“Could we add a quick 15‑min sync, or use an ‘urgent’ flag on Slack?”	Shows you’re part of the fix, not just pointing out a problem.

If you’re uncertain about your authority, you can always ask a senior team member for guidance. They’ll typically appreciate the attempt to resolve friction before it escalates.

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How to formalise this into a sustainable process?

“you will hear his side of the story. and then you both come to negotiations… agree on a time to catch up, end‑of‑day async updates…”

Build Lightweight, Transparent Working Agreements

1. Regular Check‑Ins
   • Daily stand‑up (5 min) – quick status sync.
   • Optional 15‑min sync – when a blocker arises.
2. Asynchronous Updates
   • Slack “Daily Digest” channel where each teammate posts:
     • What was completed today.
     • What is pending/rolling over.
   • No‑push policy after 6 PM to respect work-life boundaries.
3. Response Time Goals
   • Slack – “Urgent” messages: < 30 min.
   • PR Reviews – “Urgent” reviews: < 2 h.
   • Normal – < 6 h.
4. Transparency About Availability
   • If working off‑site or on errands, send a quick Slack “Out‑of‑office” note.
5. Blocking & Support
   • Ask each other: “Is there anything that’s blocking you right now? How can I help?”
   • Keep a lightweight “Blocker Log” that anyone can add to.
6. Review & Iterate
   • At the end of each sprint, spend 10 min revisiting the process.
   • Adjust response time targets or sync frequency based on actual data.

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📌 Final Thoughts

When one teammate’s responsiveness drags a whole project, the quickest antidote is to bring the issue into an open conversation and then codify a simple, transparent routine that keeps everyone on the same page. The key ingredients are:

• Honesty & specificity – state the problem, give concrete examples, explain the impact.
• Collaboration – invite the other side to share their constraints and co‑create solutions.
• Process anchors – lightweight syncs, clear response windows, and daily async updates.
• Follow‑through – let the team owner (or you, if you’re a team lead) discuss the outcomes in the next 1:1 or stand‑up.

By doing so, you’ll not only eliminate the current delay, but you’ll also strengthen the team’s communication culture, ensuring future projects stay on track—even when life throws a few unexpected delays their way.

In the next post, I will discuss communication strategies for remote teams.