Feedback & Reviews

Overcoming Late Culture

This article discusses a problem of people not showing up on time and the actions taken to address it. The solution was to implement a money jar where those who were late had to pay a dollar. This was successful in reducing late arrivals, and people even got creative and put in more than a dollar or gift cards. The article also discusses the importance of company culture in making sure the solution is successful.

Don’t Underestimate the Importance of a First 1:1

This article discusses the importance of the first 1:1 meeting between a manager and their team members. It provides a list of questions to ask during the meeting and lessons learned from mistakes made in the past. The main takeaways are to be prepared, focus on the people, be on time, avoid too frequent meetings, keep a 30 minute meeting in the calendar, and don't wait to give critical feedback. Being engaged, genuine, and authentic are key.

Proposing Solutions, Not Problems

When working with multiple teams across various countries, it can be difficult for upper management to understand the pain points. As a manager, it is important to bridge the gap by providing useful information and solutions to make the best decisions. Create a concise document with the situation, why it is a problem, and the best solutions. Send the proposal to your boss ahead of time and keep it short and to the point.

Managing Squads Effectively

This team restructured to create separate squads with dedicated spaces and individual stand-ups, Slack channels, and Google groups. They also implemented KPIs for each group and encouraged individuals to develop their own. This allowed for deeper communication, more clarity for product managers, and a clearer vision for the team. Social events, hackathons, and a dedicated stand-up every Monday were also implemented to keep team members connected.

Building Trust With a New Team

This article discusses the challenges of building trust with a new team in a remote context. The author outlines several actions they took to build trust, such as arranging regular one-on-ones, creating a supportive environment, recognizing team members' efforts, and shielding the team from external requests. The article also highlights the importance of investing in relationships and understanding how team members prefer to receive recognition.

Destressing the Software Delivery Cycle

When joining a project with a customer who was unhappy and software being rushed to release, the team was under high-stress. To destress the team, a project manager documented what the customer expected and prioritized tasks. The team then set a steady release date to improve the customer experience and reduce the number of bugs. After a month, the team regained the trust of the customer due to the high-quality software delivered in a predictable manner. The learnings from this cycle were that it is difficult to break the stressful cycle when in the middle of chaos and that it is important to understand team dynamics to create a customized solution.