This technique of hyper-learning allows individuals to rapidly research and apply what they have learned to their job. This technique involves researching resources, scanning content, and going deep into books to pull out frameworks for application. It also involves creating a teachable point of view and teaching it to others. This technique has been the key to the success of the individual, allowing them to make more effective decisions and be seen as a leader in the room. It can be applied quickly and will result in dramatic and positive changes.

Plato

Radha Shenoy

VP of Engineering at Puzzle

Engaged in a face to face discussion to rebuild a key business partner relationship

A company was facing a difficult decision regarding a business partner that was critical to their revenue. Rather than replace them, the new manager decided to reach out and talk directly to the partner. Through open dialogue and understanding the real issues, the manager was able to salvage the partnership and learn valuable lessons about communication and problem solving.

Plato

Vijai Viswanathan

VP Engineering at rewardStyle

From Waterfall To Agile

This article discusses the process of transitioning from a Waterfall to an Agile software development life cycle. It explains the actions taken by two different companies, Inuit and LexisNexis, to make the transition successful. The article also highlights the lessons learned from the process, such as starting with both the product and engineering teams, and not relying on external consultants.

Plato

Lucas Smolic

CEO, CTO at Gan Bei Group

Value Propositions For Employees Seeking A Raise

An engineer who had been working with the company for 18 months asked for a raise. After questioning him, it became clear that he had not achieved the criteria for success and was not meeting his goals. The employer explained that in order to receive a raise, the engineer needed to prove that the investment would have a good return. After this discussion, the engineer quadrupled his output and was given the raise. The employer learned that it is important to be honest with employees and to make sure to verify with HR before promising money.

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John Sposato

Director of Engineering, Cloud Development Services at Mobiquity

Introducing a New Project Management Methodology

A software development team at the University of Florida was having difficulty delivering features and software on time and within budget, so the Manager researched and implemented Agile Scrum methodology. They used paper for their first two projects, and then found software to match their process. After three months, they settled on Jira, which was flexible and had other products they needed. The Manager learned to do research before changing methodologies, and to be patient when implementing the new process.

Plato

Ben Ritchie

CPO at Cognism

Strategizing Arguments Using Scoring Grids

Product leaders must find a way to come to a consensus on initiatives while taking into account the company strategy. To do this, scoring grids can be used to remove opinion and create data to make sense of. This helps to remove emotion and opinion from arguments and allows for a set of strategic priorities to be established. Additionally, engineers can provide scores for the level of complexity involved in building things and the CEO can be given a column to score initiatives, allowing them to justify their dreams in the context of the scores.

Plato

Bryan Minihan

Chief Technology Officer at Autoshop Solutions

Asked To Fire A Technically Competent Manager

A network engineering manager was asked to fire the manager of the DC office, but instead of doing so, he took the time to understand the situation and offered the other manager advice on how to improve his communication skills. After a year and a half, the other manager was promoted to the position and kept it for seven more years. The lesson learned was to question more before making a final decision and to not take HR direction from seniors at face value.

Plato

Han Rusman

Head of Product at Sensorfact

Hiring For Soft Skills

This article outlines the experience of a person who had to rapidly hire a team of 25-30 people in one year. The author learned that it is important to focus on both technical and soft skills when hiring, and to have a clear onboarding process to ensure new hires feel comfortable and can hit the ground running. The author also learned that it is difficult to change people's soft skills, and it is easier to grow people's technical skills.

Plato

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Christophe Broult

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Tech leader empowering women. Ex-Director of Engineering. Mentors & runs workshops on leadership.Hosts podcast.

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Bertrand Deriot

ex VP of Engineering & VP Products at Veepee

Building High-Performing Engineering Teams: Lessons from a Manager

This article discusses the insights and lessons learned from a top-tier engineer on building and leading successful engineering teams. It emphasizes the importance of team dynamics, workload management, performance evaluation, minimizing context switching, and leveraging diverse expertise. By prioritizing these factors, managers can create an environment that fosters collaboration, productivity, and success, ultimately leading to exceptional results.

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David García

Head of Engineering at Cense AG

Challenges Faced by Engineering Leaders in Scaling Teams

Engineering leaders face several challenges when scaling their teams. One key area of focus is providing effective feedback and recognition to team members, which fosters growth and improvement. Building strong relationships and collaboration between engineering and product teams is also crucial. Remote work presents unique challenges, such as lack of trust and engagement, which can be addressed through proactive communication and trust-building. Hiring qualified senior engineers is another challenge, but implementing a rigorous hiring process can help overcome this. By addressing these challenges, engineering leaders can create successful and high-performing teams and a positive work environment.

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David García

Head of Engineering at Cense AG

Effective Strategies for Providing Feedback to Managers

This article discusses effective strategies for providing feedback to managers in the engineering field. It emphasizes the importance of constructive feedback for personal and professional growth. The article provides insights from top-tier engineers, including tips on framing feedback objectively and addressing the manager's impact. It also highlights the significance of promoting junior team members and offers strategies for providing feedback, such as asking for permission and being solution-oriented. Overall, the article emphasizes the value of effective feedback in fostering a positive and productive work environment.

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Deekshita Amaravadi

Engineering Leader at Justworks

Transitioning from Technical Roles to Leadership

Transitioning from a technical role to a leadership position requires embracing change, seeking mentorship, and taking initiative. Engineers must let go of old identities and adapt to new opportunities. Overcoming fear and communicating openly with managers about career goals and aspirations is crucial. By doing so, engineers can navigate this transition successfully and continue to grow in their careers.

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Pratibha Shambhangoudar

Engineering leader at Target

Navigating the Challenges of changing priorities and deadlines of AI projects

The text discusses the challenges of remote collaboration for engineering leaders and provides strategies and best practices to effectively navigate these challenges. The key insights from the discussion include balancing technical expertise and leadership responsibilities, navigating organizational priorities and planning, seeking clarity on organizational goals, probing for information and building trust, and overcoming frustration and influencing change. The text emphasizes the importance of understanding the "why" behind changing priorities, effective communication, and building trust in order to successfully manage teams in a remote collaboration setting.

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