Diversity & Inclusion

Beware the Empathy Trap

Empathy in leadership is gaining attention due to its connection to employee engagement and well-being. However, it can be ineffective and even harmful if used incorrectly. It is important to understand the potential downside of empathy and find the right balance of support for team members. Pity, sympathy, and compassion are other emotions that can help empower team members without draining the leader's energy.

Relationships, like products, need to be designed.

Relationships are essential to great design work, and as SVP of Platform User Experience at Salesforce, the author has learned that design leaders are the designers of the relationships on their teams, with executives, and across their organization. To cultivate relationships to design better products, the author suggests prioritizing differences when building teams, extending the hand of collaboration across the organization, and advocating for the value of design with executives. These steps involve looking for hires with “less” experience, creating space for healthy discord, and telling stories that unlock the value of design for non-designers.

V2 infrastructure project

Multi-year infrastructure overhaul (V2) projects are complex and require a clear business driver and customer-facing value. The engineering leader needs to work closely with business leaders and stakeholders to ensure there is consensus on making the long-term investment. The team needs to go through a prototyping phase to identify components that need refactoring/re-architecting, risks associated with the proposed architecture, and the resources/time required to deliver the project. The engineering leader must also decide how to organize the team for success, either by embedding the V2 team in the V1 team or by spinning up a new V2 team. The project plan should include deliverables, budget, resources, and time, and the team should identify risks early and have mitigation plans. The team should also set KPIs and OKRs and celebrate small victories and demos to stakeholders.

Starting a Ph.D. level career in AI/ML

This article provides advice for a successful career in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Data Science. It covers topics such as preparing a history of impact for job interviews, building relationships, staying up to date with the latest technologies and trends, and developing a strong technical foundation. It also discusses the importance of having a broad skillset and passion, finding a mentor, taking risks, and reinventing oneself every 3-4 years. Finally, it emphasizes the need to have a supportive and talented community.

Mindsets of High Performance team

High performing teams prioritize team interest over self interest, hold each other accountable for behaviors and delivery commitments, and acquire and use the right set of skills. They are open to different viewpoints, accountable for results and behaviors, and don't triangulate or accuse. They depersonalize feedback, structure decision making, and are on time. These eleven behavioral attributes create a culture of accountability and team first mentality that leads to success.