How do you run effective and respectful code reviews?

Question

Accepted Answer

Code review is one of a TL's highest-leverage activities: it protects quality *and* teaches. The goal is **better code and a stronger team**, not gatekeeping. Reviews should be fast, kind, and focused on what matters.

## Principles

```text
✓ Review the CODE, never the person ("this function" not "you")
✓ Distinguish must-fix from nice-to-have (label nits explicitly)
✓ Ask questions, don't issue commands ("what about X?" invites discussion)
✓ Praise good work, not just problems
✓ Be fast — a PR blocked for two days kills momentum
✓ Approve when it's good enough, not perfect
```

## A concrete example

Instead of "This is wrong, use a map," write: "nit: a map here would avoid the nested loop, worth it? Not blocking." Same point, but it teaches, leaves room to disagree, and doesn't block the merge.

## Watch the power dynamic

As TL your comments carry extra weight. A casual "I'd do it differently" can feel like an order. Be explicit about what's a real concern versus a preference, and let people push back.

## Why it matters

Reviews set the team's quality bar and its emotional tone.

Harsh reviews make people defensive and slow to ship.

Good reviews catch bugs, spread knowledge, and make engineers better, compounding over time.