You Need Brave Feedback; Not Gentle Coddling

You Need Brave Feedback; Not Gentle Coddling

From Build Your Brave Career for Women in Tech by Nicole Trick Steinbach, Certified Coach for Women in Tech, Former Global Director, & Organizational Change Management Consultant

March 6, 2026 · 27 min · Season 5 · Episode 202

About this episode

This episode discusses the importance of brave feedback for women in tech and how it can fuel career growth.

Listen, this episode might sting a little—and that's exactly the point. If you're a woman in tech who treats feedback like a personal attack instead of career fuel, I'm talking directly to you. I've watched with horror as more women have become timid about giving feedback and defensive about receiving it. This pattern is quietly cutting your career growth at the knees while multiplying your stress. Here's what I know: You wouldn't coddle your code, your product, or your project when it needs iteration. So why are you being so precious about feedback on your own performance? In this episode, I'm drawing a hard line between toxic workplace BS (which is NOT what we're discussing) and the constructive, developmental, growth-oriented feedback that is actual career generosity. The kind you need to actively seek out, receive with curiosity, and use strategically. Here's what I cover: Why feedback is the accelerated growth engine in tech—and why your career needs the same iterative approach as your code The brutal truth about how women are held to higher performance standards (backed by research since the 1970s) Why your defensiveness is far more damaging than the original feedback ever…

People in this episode

Host: Nicole Trick Steinbach

Topics covered

  • feedback
  • career growth
  • women in tech
  • constructive criticism
  • performance standards
  • mindset shift

Keywords

  • feedback
  • career
  • women in tech
  • performance
  • defensiveness
  • growth
  • clarity
  • effectiveness

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