This article discusses the concept of "enemies of growth" which can impede a company's efforts to expand its team and product scope. It identifies four enemies of growth, such as underdeveloped leaders, lack of a solid onboarding process, complex processes, and getting the best from people. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding the root causes of these enemies and pursuing growth without haste or shortcuts.

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Brad Pflum

Senior Director, Data Science & Analytics at Course Hero

Managing Mediocrity

Managing mediocrity is one of the most difficult challenges a manager can face. To tackle this, managers need to challenge top performers, train low performers, and ensure that everyone is in the right role. To help with this, managers should provide their team with productivity tools and the right work habits. This will help them to move from mediocrity to high performance.

Plato

Cristian Brotto

Senior Director, Engineering at Snapdocs

Engaging Contractors: A Framework to Minimize the Risks and Maximize the Outcome

When considering hiring contractors, it is important to approach the engagement in a structured, documented, and shared way. This includes outlining the problem, assessing risk factors, defining success metrics, and outlining a plan B. Additionally, it is important to get buy-in from the team and manager, and to remember that the manager is still responsible for the deliverables and their quality.

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Shelly Bezanson

Director of Release at ThoughtExchange

Delivering Negative Feedback Effectively

As a leader, delivering negative feedback can be difficult and uncomfortable. However, it is important to provide constructive criticism and help people improve their performance or behavior. To do this, it is important to approach the situation with curiosity and compassion and to focus on the business side of the problem. It is also important to provide clear expectations and ensure accountability. With this approach, it is possible to navigate uncomfortable situations and help people become successful.

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Suresh Marur

ex VP of Engineering at Smarsh Inc

The Parking Lot Method of Team Development

Managers need to constantly reinvent their teams in order to keep up with the changing industry. The Parking Lot Technique is a method to understand the team and make them a living, dynamic organism. It involves removing biases, visualizing the roles and responsibilities needed in the future, and placing people in positions where they have something to aspire to. Doing this frequently will bring clarity to the manager and help them make decisions free of bias. It also allows them to convert attrition into a moment of opportunity.

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Vladimir Baranov

CIO/COO at SCOUT Space Inc

From Chaos to Structure on the Operations Team

At my previous job, I was assigned a team that was not functioning well and had a poor reputation. I took a number of actions to improve their operations, such as using a single ticketing system, providing training and cross-functional competencies, setting up rotations for the support team, creating runbooks, and setting up standard SLAs. I also established healthy hours for operations and communicated to external stakeholders. Through this process, I learned to take time to assess the situation, spend time with each team member, communicate change to the outside world, and align team celebrations with meaningful milestone deliveries.

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Frances Li

Principal Product Manager at Adobe

Managing Cross-Team Dependencies

The problem was that two teams, one agile and one project-by-project, had conflicting approaches to dependencies. To solve this, biweekly meetings were set up to sync up and a product management framework was used for prioritization. Ultimately, the lesson learned was to identify and call out dependencies to stakeholders, users, and the dependent team to ensure a clear understanding of what the team is blocked on.

Plato

Amitav Chakravartty

Ex CTO/co-founder at Vaycayhero

Two Key Elements of a New Manager’s Mindset

A new manager must break away from an IC mindset and develop a go-ahead approach, while also taking the time to reflect and prioritize. Keeping a brag document and delegating tasks to team members can help a manager become successful in their new role. Additionally, it is important to identify the most important problems and make them a priority.

Plato

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Hakim Hanif

Sr Software Engineer at Amazon Web Services

Top 7 software bloggers to follow

This blog highlights the top 7 bloggers in the field of software engineering and product development. These bloggers provide valuable insights and ideas on software design, processes, and methodologies. The list includes Martin Fowler, known for his expertise in software patterns; Kent Beck, the creator of Extreme Programming and Test Driven Development; Paul Graham, co-founder of Y Combinator and an expert on startups and entrepreneurship; Jeff Atwood, co-founder of Stack Overflow; Andy Hunt, founder of the Pragmatic Programmer series; Joel Spolsky, a blogger who offers both sensible and surprising perspectives; and Steve Yegge, known for his entertaining content. Following these bloggers can help software engineers improve their skills and gain knowledge from the best in the field.

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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.

Plato

Jose Ciccio

ex-Senior Engineering Manager at SchoolMint

Maximizing Your Growth: A Guide to Getting the Best from Platohq Mentorship

Plato platform's mentorship program is designed to empower individuals on their journey towards success. By setting clear objectives, establishing a strong relationship with your mentor, actively engaging and participating, seeking feedback and implementing suggestions, continuously learning and growing, and reflecting on the experience, you can maximize the benefits of the mentorship program. Mentorship is a continuous journey of learning and growth, and by embracing the opportunity, you can unlock your full potential in pursuit of your professional aspirations.

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