For the JavaLand x Women in Tech series, Ixchel Ruiz has interviewed female speakers of the upcoming JavaLand 2026 at Europa-Park. These speaker spotlights give you the opportunity to get to know the speaker better and get their valuable input and insight on current topics. You can find more background information regarding the Women in Tech movement as well as Ixchel's motivation behind it in our previous article.
Session Title: Hilfe, ich soll Feedback geben! Mit diesen Tipps & Tricks klappt’s
Time: Wednesday, 11.03.2026 | 17:00 – 17:40
Room: Bellevue
Language: German
Focus: Communication, Team Culture, Soft Skills
A Question Many Developers Rarely Stop to Ask
“That’s not how I would have done it.”
“Next time you really need to work on this.”
These might sound like honest thoughts, but presented that way they rarely help anyone improve. Feedback is meant to support growth, yet all too often it feels like criticism. Or it is sugar-coated so much that the real message gets lost.
This session begins from that everyday frustration and asks a practical question: what does good feedback actually look like?
Meet the Speaker: Julia Pedak
Julia Pedak is a systemic and psychological coach, author, and communication expert. She specialises in helping individuals and teams navigate challenges around work–life balance, communication, conflict resolution, and leadership.
Julia holds degrees in Germanistics and cultural science and brings experience from both corporate communications roles in the IT industry and her work as a professional coach. She supports clients through individual coaching, team sessions, and workshops, with a strong focus on developing healthy communication and feedback cultures.’
Her coaching work emphasises clarity, mutual respect and the provision of practical tools that people can use immediately, rather than abstract theories that remain on the page.
The One Idea She Wants You to Take Home
Good feedback takes time and intention.
Before offering feedback, it is helpful to clarify what you want to achieve. It is also important to give the other person time to process what you have said. Remember that feedback is an offer: the recipient may accept it, reflect on it, or choose not to act on it.
The moment feedback stops being an offer and instead becomes a demand, it stops being feedback and becomes an instruction. Keeping this distinction in mind can transform how we communicate with others and how others respond to us.
Her Perspective: Advice from a Woman in Tech
Julia’s advice for people building careers in tech is both bold and empowering: don’t let someone else define your path. Explore, experiment, and choose directions that matter to you. At the same time, recognise that support — both giving and receiving it — matters more than we often admit.
She highlights an effective, simple question to help challenge bias:
“Would you have judged me the same way if I were a man?”
Being willing to ask that question can shift dynamics and surface unconscious assumptions in ways that open up more honest dialogue.
This perspective reflects both the core topic of the session and Julia’s broader coaching philosophy: communication and collaboration thrive when authenticity, respect, and self-belief are part of the conversation.
Join the Conversation
This session invites you to rethink how you give and receive feedback — in code reviews, in team meetings, and in everyday interactions.
If you want practical tips for honest and respectful communication, tools you can use right away, and a chance to reflect on how feedback shapes your work life, this talk will equip you with both insights and action steps.
Bring your questions, your experiences, and your curiosity to JavaLand 2026 and be part of the conversation.
Why This Conversation Was Brought to JavaLand
In many technical teams, soft skills are assumed rather than taught. Effective communication becomes even more important as teams grow, technologies evolve, and feedback moves beyond code reviews into everyday interactions.
This session was designed to address a very human problem: feedback is essential, yet many people struggle to give it constructively or accept it without defensiveness. Good feedback shouldn’t feel like judgment, and lasting improvement doesn’t come from blame or vague praise.
Julia uses practical frameworks, such as Nonviolent Communication and the Four Ears Model, and real-life examples to demonstrate how feedback can have a genuine impact rather than just stirring up emotion.
Why JavaLand Is the Right Place for This Talk
JavaLand brings together a diverse range of people who care about not just how software works, but how we work with each other. The speaker is looking forward to networking with attendees and fellow speakers, learning from a wide range of experiences, and sharing inspiration from other sessions.
Those hallway conversations are often just as valuable as the sessions themselves, particularly when the topic is as relevant to everyone as feedback, communication and collaboration.
