Code Review Workshops

Code Reviews provide many benefits. Not only do code reviews increase the quality, readability, and maintainability or a codebase, but they also foster collaboration, increase knowledge sharing, mentoring and learning. But, they can also drastically reduce the productivity of a team, while yielding to questionable of mediocre code improvements at best.

I have worked with many teams and I’ve seen it over and over again. Engineers spend a significant amount of time doing code reviews, while experiencing pitfalls such as large reviews, long review times, insecurities on review approaches, and a varying quality of code review feedback. 

But, it does not have to be this way. In my code review workshops, engineers learn about high-impact code review strategies, and proven code review best practices. After the workshop, it is crystal clear how to effectively increase code review turn-around times while also ensuring high quality review feedback.

Learn from extensive research done by Microsoft, Google, and Facebook. This workshops gives a rock solid foundation on how to implement code reviews to ensure high productivity and high agility for your company.

Code Reviews - Bottleneck or Superpower

Make Code Reviews your Superpower through Company Training with Code Review Expert Dr. Michaela Greiler

In this highly interactive code review workshop, I show teams how to get to fast, yet effective code reviews. I reveal actionable strategies to overcome major pain points such as slow review turn-around times and low feedback quality.

I run the workshop currently only as a remote company training. It’s a great way to strengthen team collaboration and helps with team building. In times like these, my remote workshops lighten the mood of engineers and give a sense of belonging. I work closely with the organization to ensure the code review workshop is fully tailored to the company’s needs.

A Typical Workshop Schedule

Here is a typical schedule for one full-day workshop:

First Day

10:00
Welcome and introduction
10:30
Getting to fast, yet effective code reviews
  • - Understanding pitfalls and painpoints
  • - Science behind fast, impactful reviews
  • - Exercise: Breaking up large code reviews
Break - 30 mins
12:00
The effective code review process
  • - Reducing the reviewer's burden
  • - The impact of the tactic knowledge
  • - Exercise: Improving code review description
Workshop ends at 13:30

Second Day

10:00
How to boost code review feedback value
  • - Working with Code Review checklists
  • - What issues to look for in code reviews
  • - How to improve a team's feedback culture
  • - Exercise: Phrasing code review feedback
Break - 30 mins
12:00
Collaboration and mentoring in code reviews
  • - Responding to feedback
  • - Handling conflict and toxic behavior
  • - The secrets behind high performing teams
  • - Exercise: Team Building
13:30
Wrap-up and Reflection
Workshop ends at 13:30

Dr. Michaela Greiler is a leading expert on code reviews.

Over the last 10 years, she extensively researched and developed test, build, and code review techniques and tools that boost the effectiveness and efficiency of engineering teams. She worked with all major product teams at Microsoft, such as Office, Windows, and Visual Studio to overcome pitfalls during code reviews.

Since 2018, she also helps companies outside of Microsoft boost their code review practices. To her most recent clients belongs Blip, a company from the the leading entertainment provider Flutter.

She has a Ph.D. from Delft University of Technology in Software Engineering, 15 years of experience analyzing and improving software engineering processes and tools, and runs the Software Engineering Unlocked podcast. Her research is published in several high-ranked scientific journals and she won the Google Techmaker Award in 2012.

Let's make your code reviews rock.

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What you need to know

What happens during a Code Review Workshop?​

The code review workshop is highly interactive, and contains several hands-on exercises.

In addition, participants get equipped with the latest research on and the best practices for code reviews. During discussions and brainstorm sessions participants identify bottlenecks in their own code review processes. They also learn about techniques to assess and measure code review performance. Finally, they actively work on solutions to improvement their own, as well as their team’s code review practices. 

Why are Code Review Workshops Needed?

Code Reviews can be a company’s superpower, or an expensive bottleneck. 

Teams that already practice code reviews know of the many benefits of code reviews. 

Still, code reviews also have their expensive drawbacks. In the worst case, code reviews drastically reduce the productivity of an engineering team, while yielding to questionable or mediocre code improvements at best.

Teams and engineers need training and information to overcome common code review pitfalls.

What is the Outcome of the Code Review Training?​

After this code review training, your engineers know how to implement a high-impact code review strategy.

It will be crystal clear to them how to effectively increase turn-around times while also ensuring high-quality review feedback. They will know about proven code review best practices, have solutions to their own code review pain points and know strategies and techniques for better collaboration, mentoring and knowledge sharing. Most importantly, after this code review workshop, they will know how to get from slow, low quality code reviews to fast and spot on code review feedback.

Who Benefits from this Code Review Training?​

This code review workshop is for teams that want to improve their code review experience.

This training is designed for teams that experience code review pitfalls such as slow code review turn-around times, low feedback quality, unclear review guidelines. In addition, this code review training is super helpful for teams who already successfully practice code reviews and want to make them their superpower. Finally, a variation of this code review workshop is a super preparation for teams haven’t started with code reviews yet, but want to learn how to best make use of this practice.

What is the Price for a Code Review Workshop?

An in-house code review workshop is more budget-friendly than sending your team to a decent conference.

The price is affected by availability, coordination with existing travel commitments and potential customization requirements of the organizations. As a rule of thumb, running an in-house workshop is more budget-friendly than sending the team to a decent conference. If you want to run several workshops on consecutive days, I offer the additional workshops at a discounted rate. Participants get access to all the materials used in the workshop. Organizations are welcome to repeat the exercises internally.

What is the Right Audience Size and Who Should attend?

The workshop is designed for engineering folks and works best with 15-20 participants. 

The majority of the workshop participants are software developers. But also others people, like testers, Q&A folks, User Interface designers or accessibility or security experts highly benefits from the code review training. An optimal number of participants is between 15-20 people. This means that the group is large enough to allow for interesting discussions, whilst being small enough that I can ensure I can support on an individual basis.

Dr. Greiler worked with

Read Dr. Greiler's article about Code Reviews

Code Reviews At Microsoft

Learn from one of the largest software companies how to use code reviews to drive software quality. Read more.

Code Reviews at Google

Learn how Google reviews code much faster than other companies by enforcing company-wide policies. Read more.

How to Give Great Code Review Feedback

The benefits of code reviews rise and fall with the review feedback. Learn what developers consider valuable feedback. Read more.

Proven Code Review Best Practices

Learn about best practices to overcome bottlenecks, friction and other pitfalls that slow your team down. Read more.

Code Review Pitfalls

Learn about code review pitfalls and understand what you can do to avoid them. Read more.

How to Decide on a Coding Standard

Learn how to make effective and efficient group-decisions with the DACI decision-making framework. Read more. 

Developing Conflict Competence

Learn how to boost your conflict competence in order to increase your teamwork, collaboration and the effectiveness of your code reviews. Read more.

Fast and Effective Code Reviews

We all strive for fast and effective code reviews, but can both goals be achieved at the same time? Read more. 

Don’t Teach during Code Reviews

Actively teaching during code reviews is a common pitfall. This is surprising to you, right? Read more.

Don’t criticize my code!

Learn how to better handle and tolerate critique from others by understanding your body’s natural reactions. Read more. 

A Code Review Checklist

Know which issues to look for during code reviews with this code review checklist. Read more.

Interview on SE Radio

In this SE Radio interview, I talk about the importance of code reviews, and how to get better at them. Read more. 

What others have to say

Michaela has a sharp intellect and is thorough in her work. What makes her stand out though is her ability to combine this with a can-do attitude that lets her come up with creative solutions to real problems. She can explain highly technical concepts in a way that a business audience will also understand and value. Her talks are insightful and engaging. If you have the opportunity to work with her — don't miss it! It will benefit you tremendously.
Dr. Leif Singer​
Software Engineer, Automatic​
Michaela is a great example to show how beneficial innovation can be for software companies. Her ability to apply research findings to industry settings is impressive. I follow her work at Microsoft and her research with joy now for several years. Her research is innovative and solid. And she sure knows how to present research findings and complex concepts in a digestible way.​
Dr. Ana Paiva​
Assistant Professor at the Engineering Faculty of the University of Porto​
I had the great pleasure of working with Michaela when she conducted her PhD research under my supervision at Delft University of Technology. In her PhD she demonstrated strong skills at both the technical level and at the social science level. Her many presentations and lectures were well prepared, delivered, and in all cases very well received. Michaela is determined, knows what she wants, is very well organized, and does what needs to be done to succeed. She is a great team player, who can bring a whole team to the next level.
Dr. Arie van Deursen​
Head of the Department of Software Technology at Delft University of Technology​

Superpower or Expensive Bottlenecks. You Decide!

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Updated on February 15th, 2023