Knowledge shared by our community

Handling Difficult Peers

A manager was having difficulty getting along with a Product Manager who wanted to be in all of their meetings. After the Product Manager complained to their boss three times, the manager talked to their own boss and was advised to picture the Product Manager as someone they liked and to invite her to meetings. This worked and the manager also tried to apologize for their behavior, but the Product Manager brushed them off. The manager learned that when dealing with difficult people, they should put a smile on their face and respond in a positive way, even if they can't control the situation.

The Importance Of Listening in One-on-ones

When first starting out as a manager, the author was unsure of how to structure one-on-one meetings with their direct reports. After taking different approaches with each person, the author was able to help an employee who was overburdened with helping others by listening to them and providing a plan to help them finish their project. The lesson learned was that people just want to be heard, and as a manager, it is important to listen and lead them in the direction they need to go.

Creating a virtuous cycle of communication and motivation with your reports

The leader of a growing organization was having difficulty staying informed of what was happening across their team. To solve this, they asked team leads to send weekly updates and synthesized highlights for the exec team. However, this was not successful due to lack of motivation and reward. To fix this, they shifted to a two-week cycle and sent a report to the whole company, which was successful in motivating teams and providing recognition for their work. The lesson learned is that when trying to create new habits, think through motivations and rewards to ensure quality work.

Fixing Personality Conflicts

Managers often face the challenge of resolving conflicts between team members, particularly when they have different personalities. To address this, managers should try to identify the root cause of the conflict and then talk to the conflicting parties to get them to see things from another point of view. Ultimately, the goal should be to help the company, and both parties should be reminded of this.

Solving Technical Conflicts Within A Team

Managers often face the challenge of resolving conflicts between team members, such as disagreements over technology approaches. To address this, managers should create an environment where engineers can express their opinions productively, and should facilitate a discussion to compare and contrast the two approaches. This helps to find a middle ground and prevent more serious conflicts.

Using Your Engineering Team To Define Your Roadmap

This article outlines a successful approach to developing an engineering and product roadmap. It involves gathering ideas from engineers, holding brainstorming sessions, and then having the engineering team vote on the top ideas. This approach allows engineers to feel like they have a say in the roadmap and is an effective way to create a roadmap.

The Importance Of Correct Problem-Framing

The engineering department began a project to reduce the load on one of their systems, but they set their expectations incorrectly and the project ran for too long. The team was bought into the incorrect messages and the project manager gave them too much leeway. In the end, the project was successful but it took much longer than it should have due to the incorrect messaging and the project manager not making the hard decision to refocus on the real goal sooner. This experience taught the project manager to not let projects drag on and to trust their gut instincts.

From Peer To Manager

When given a promotion, the author had to reset expectations with their peer, who was potentially interested in the role, and provide the new hire with enough room to become the manager of the people they used to manage. Through open communication and being upfront, the author was able to break through the tension and have a successful conversation. For the new hire, the author gave them space to get to know their team and build relationships, which helped to avoid conflict. This situation taught the author the importance of open communication and giving the new hire space to get to know their team.

When Your Senior Dev Doesn’t Meet Expectations

A new manager had certain expectations of their Senior Developer that weren't being met. Through learning from a management course, the manager realized that not everyone is the same and had to adjust their expectations. After having a heart-to-heart, the manager apologized for their behavior and reset their expectations. This led to a good relationship and the developer has been with the company for five years. The manager learned that different people require different management techniques and that everyone deserves to be treated with respect.

Getting The Best Out Of One-on-ones

Regular one-on-one meetings are an important part of effective people management. They provide a space for managers to give and receive feedback, celebrate wins, and coach and mentor their direct reports. By consistently engaging in one-on-ones, managers can build a strong rapport with their team and ensure that everyone is learning and growing together.

Ensuring Smooth Onboarding

RedOwl Analytics implemented an onboarding process to ensure new hires had a consistent experience and knew what was expected of them. This included assigning a buddy to each new hire, setting up onboarding plans with goals for the first week, month, and 90 days, and ensuring the new hire had all the access they needed from the start. The goal was to ensure new hires hit the ground running and felt like a part of the company from the start.

Setting Up A New Remote Team

This article discusses the challenges of setting up an offshore development center in Taiwan for a Singapore-based company. The company took steps to ensure their remote team worked well, such as sending people from Taiwan to Singapore and vice versa, and stationing senior staff in Taiwan for a few weeks. This allowed them to observe and report back on any issues the remote team was facing.

A New Manager In Singapore

After being inspired by a story about Jessica McKellar, the author decided to become a manager at their company. However, due to cultural differences and a lack of mentors, they struggled to find the right resources and approaches to management. To overcome this, they reached out to mentors in Singapore and joined tech leadership communities to learn from other managers. Ultimately, the author learned that transitioning to a management role requires brushing up on business and management skills and that the effects of changes may not be seen for some time.

Rapidly Scaling Your Engineering Department

The company experienced a rapid growth in its engineering department, from 20 to 120 people, and had to find ways to manage the influx of new hires. The manager took it upon himself to spend time speaking with each team, setting up new processes and communication expectations to shape the culture in an effective way. The lesson learned was that when entering such situations, a hiring plan should be accompanied by a culture plan to ensure new hires are integrated into the team and can work productively while meeting all of the team's expectations. Performance management also became more important.

Setting Up A Remote-First Company

This article discusses the experience of a Lead Developer at a start-up who chose to optimize their internal communication channels to make location irrelevant. They built their company in a remote-first manner, with daily video calls and company-wide offsite meetings. In one case, two employees had a conflict that was solved within five minutes when they called one another. The article concludes that working remotely can be beneficial and it is important to be aware of what can be lost in communication.

The Pitfalls Of Outsourcing

In 2013, a company based in Israel outsourced development to a company in Belarus. The outsourced team was not productive, so the company assigned their own team lead to figure out why. It turned out the outsourcing company was only having the team work part-time and on other projects, so the company decided to open their own branch in Ukraine and hire their own team. The lesson learned was that it is better to build your own team than to outsource, as it is more loyal and incentivizable.

Protecting My Team From Overtime

A team leader was asked by senior management to have his team work during the holidays on a project that ended up not being as urgent as they had said. He decided to confront the CEO and stand up for his team, which resulted in him being given a management position. This story serves as an example of how standing up for yourself and your team can result in positive outcomes.

Company Culture Abroad

When expanding to Bulgaria, the company found that the management style there was different from that of San Francisco. To bridge the gap, they hired from their internal candidate pool and sent people from America to Bulgaria and vice versa, to show the importance of autonomy and ownership. This helped shift the mindset of the Bulgarians and taught the lesson that cultural alignment should be included in the hiring process to ensure everyone understands what they are getting into.

Scaling - Slow And Steady

This article discusses the issue of scaling out an engineering team too quickly, resulting in an over-stretched budget and lack of structure. It emphasizes the importance of slowing down and considering why and how to hire people more tactfully. Ultimately, the company was able to become profitable, but the process was more difficult than necessary. The lesson learned is to stay closer to the middle of spending all the money you want and spending no money at all until you make more money.

Ensuring A Consistent Onboarding Experience

This case study outlines the steps taken to improve the onboarding process for a company. After receiving feedback from employees that their onboarding experience had worsened, a coach was leveraged to create actionable items for the Executive Management team. A squad was created to tackle the problem and the onboarding process was completely revamped and presented to the entire company. The result was new employees coming in with a much more meaningful sense of what they could deliver and ship from day one. The lesson learned was that if expectations are not set and communicated well, onboarding will suffer.

Handling Difficult Peers

A manager was having difficulty getting along with a Product Manager who wanted to be in all of their meetings. After the Product Manager complained to their boss three times, the manager talked to their own boss and was advised to picture the Product Manager as someone they liked and to invite her to meetings. This worked and the manager also tried to apologize for their behavior, but the Product Manager brushed them off. The manager learned that when dealing with difficult people, they should put a smile on their face and respond in a positive way, even if they can't control the situation.

The Importance Of Listening in One-on-ones

When first starting out as a manager, the author was unsure of how to structure one-on-one meetings with their direct reports. After taking different approaches with each person, the author was able to help an employee who was overburdened with helping others by listening to them and providing a plan to help them finish their project. The lesson learned was that people just want to be heard, and as a manager, it is important to listen and lead them in the direction they need to go.

Creating a virtuous cycle of communication and motivation with your reports

The leader of a growing organization was having difficulty staying informed of what was happening across their team. To solve this, they asked team leads to send weekly updates and synthesized highlights for the exec team. However, this was not successful due to lack of motivation and reward. To fix this, they shifted to a two-week cycle and sent a report to the whole company, which was successful in motivating teams and providing recognition for their work. The lesson learned is that when trying to create new habits, think through motivations and rewards to ensure quality work.

Fixing Personality Conflicts

Managers often face the challenge of resolving conflicts between team members, particularly when they have different personalities. To address this, managers should try to identify the root cause of the conflict and then talk to the conflicting parties to get them to see things from another point of view. Ultimately, the goal should be to help the company, and both parties should be reminded of this.

Solving Technical Conflicts Within A Team

Managers often face the challenge of resolving conflicts between team members, such as disagreements over technology approaches. To address this, managers should create an environment where engineers can express their opinions productively, and should facilitate a discussion to compare and contrast the two approaches. This helps to find a middle ground and prevent more serious conflicts.

Using Your Engineering Team To Define Your Roadmap

This article outlines a successful approach to developing an engineering and product roadmap. It involves gathering ideas from engineers, holding brainstorming sessions, and then having the engineering team vote on the top ideas. This approach allows engineers to feel like they have a say in the roadmap and is an effective way to create a roadmap.

The Importance Of Correct Problem-Framing

The engineering department began a project to reduce the load on one of their systems, but they set their expectations incorrectly and the project ran for too long. The team was bought into the incorrect messages and the project manager gave them too much leeway. In the end, the project was successful but it took much longer than it should have due to the incorrect messaging and the project manager not making the hard decision to refocus on the real goal sooner. This experience taught the project manager to not let projects drag on and to trust their gut instincts.

From Peer To Manager

When given a promotion, the author had to reset expectations with their peer, who was potentially interested in the role, and provide the new hire with enough room to become the manager of the people they used to manage. Through open communication and being upfront, the author was able to break through the tension and have a successful conversation. For the new hire, the author gave them space to get to know their team and build relationships, which helped to avoid conflict. This situation taught the author the importance of open communication and giving the new hire space to get to know their team.

When Your Senior Dev Doesn’t Meet Expectations

A new manager had certain expectations of their Senior Developer that weren't being met. Through learning from a management course, the manager realized that not everyone is the same and had to adjust their expectations. After having a heart-to-heart, the manager apologized for their behavior and reset their expectations. This led to a good relationship and the developer has been with the company for five years. The manager learned that different people require different management techniques and that everyone deserves to be treated with respect.

Getting The Best Out Of One-on-ones

Regular one-on-one meetings are an important part of effective people management. They provide a space for managers to give and receive feedback, celebrate wins, and coach and mentor their direct reports. By consistently engaging in one-on-ones, managers can build a strong rapport with their team and ensure that everyone is learning and growing together.

Ensuring Smooth Onboarding

RedOwl Analytics implemented an onboarding process to ensure new hires had a consistent experience and knew what was expected of them. This included assigning a buddy to each new hire, setting up onboarding plans with goals for the first week, month, and 90 days, and ensuring the new hire had all the access they needed from the start. The goal was to ensure new hires hit the ground running and felt like a part of the company from the start.

Setting Up A New Remote Team

This article discusses the challenges of setting up an offshore development center in Taiwan for a Singapore-based company. The company took steps to ensure their remote team worked well, such as sending people from Taiwan to Singapore and vice versa, and stationing senior staff in Taiwan for a few weeks. This allowed them to observe and report back on any issues the remote team was facing.

A New Manager In Singapore

After being inspired by a story about Jessica McKellar, the author decided to become a manager at their company. However, due to cultural differences and a lack of mentors, they struggled to find the right resources and approaches to management. To overcome this, they reached out to mentors in Singapore and joined tech leadership communities to learn from other managers. Ultimately, the author learned that transitioning to a management role requires brushing up on business and management skills and that the effects of changes may not be seen for some time.

Rapidly Scaling Your Engineering Department

The company experienced a rapid growth in its engineering department, from 20 to 120 people, and had to find ways to manage the influx of new hires. The manager took it upon himself to spend time speaking with each team, setting up new processes and communication expectations to shape the culture in an effective way. The lesson learned was that when entering such situations, a hiring plan should be accompanied by a culture plan to ensure new hires are integrated into the team and can work productively while meeting all of the team's expectations. Performance management also became more important.

Setting Up A Remote-First Company

This article discusses the experience of a Lead Developer at a start-up who chose to optimize their internal communication channels to make location irrelevant. They built their company in a remote-first manner, with daily video calls and company-wide offsite meetings. In one case, two employees had a conflict that was solved within five minutes when they called one another. The article concludes that working remotely can be beneficial and it is important to be aware of what can be lost in communication.

The Pitfalls Of Outsourcing

In 2013, a company based in Israel outsourced development to a company in Belarus. The outsourced team was not productive, so the company assigned their own team lead to figure out why. It turned out the outsourcing company was only having the team work part-time and on other projects, so the company decided to open their own branch in Ukraine and hire their own team. The lesson learned was that it is better to build your own team than to outsource, as it is more loyal and incentivizable.

Protecting My Team From Overtime

A team leader was asked by senior management to have his team work during the holidays on a project that ended up not being as urgent as they had said. He decided to confront the CEO and stand up for his team, which resulted in him being given a management position. This story serves as an example of how standing up for yourself and your team can result in positive outcomes.

Company Culture Abroad

When expanding to Bulgaria, the company found that the management style there was different from that of San Francisco. To bridge the gap, they hired from their internal candidate pool and sent people from America to Bulgaria and vice versa, to show the importance of autonomy and ownership. This helped shift the mindset of the Bulgarians and taught the lesson that cultural alignment should be included in the hiring process to ensure everyone understands what they are getting into.

Scaling - Slow And Steady

This article discusses the issue of scaling out an engineering team too quickly, resulting in an over-stretched budget and lack of structure. It emphasizes the importance of slowing down and considering why and how to hire people more tactfully. Ultimately, the company was able to become profitable, but the process was more difficult than necessary. The lesson learned is to stay closer to the middle of spending all the money you want and spending no money at all until you make more money.

Ensuring A Consistent Onboarding Experience

This case study outlines the steps taken to improve the onboarding process for a company. After receiving feedback from employees that their onboarding experience had worsened, a coach was leveraged to create actionable items for the Executive Management team. A squad was created to tackle the problem and the onboarding process was completely revamped and presented to the entire company. The result was new employees coming in with a much more meaningful sense of what they could deliver and ship from day one. The lesson learned was that if expectations are not set and communicated well, onboarding will suffer.

Handling Difficult Peers

A manager was having difficulty getting along with a Product Manager who wanted to be in all of their meetings. After the Product Manager complained to their boss three times, the manager talked to their own boss and was advised to picture the Product Manager as someone they liked and to invite her to meetings. This worked and the manager also tried to apologize for their behavior, but the Product Manager brushed them off. The manager learned that when dealing with difficult people, they should put a smile on their face and respond in a positive way, even if they can't control the situation.

The Importance Of Listening in One-on-ones

When first starting out as a manager, the author was unsure of how to structure one-on-one meetings with their direct reports. After taking different approaches with each person, the author was able to help an employee who was overburdened with helping others by listening to them and providing a plan to help them finish their project. The lesson learned was that people just want to be heard, and as a manager, it is important to listen and lead them in the direction they need to go.

Creating a virtuous cycle of communication and motivation with your reports

The leader of a growing organization was having difficulty staying informed of what was happening across their team. To solve this, they asked team leads to send weekly updates and synthesized highlights for the exec team. However, this was not successful due to lack of motivation and reward. To fix this, they shifted to a two-week cycle and sent a report to the whole company, which was successful in motivating teams and providing recognition for their work. The lesson learned is that when trying to create new habits, think through motivations and rewards to ensure quality work.

Fixing Personality Conflicts

Managers often face the challenge of resolving conflicts between team members, particularly when they have different personalities. To address this, managers should try to identify the root cause of the conflict and then talk to the conflicting parties to get them to see things from another point of view. Ultimately, the goal should be to help the company, and both parties should be reminded of this.

Solving Technical Conflicts Within A Team

Managers often face the challenge of resolving conflicts between team members, such as disagreements over technology approaches. To address this, managers should create an environment where engineers can express their opinions productively, and should facilitate a discussion to compare and contrast the two approaches. This helps to find a middle ground and prevent more serious conflicts.

Using Your Engineering Team To Define Your Roadmap

This article outlines a successful approach to developing an engineering and product roadmap. It involves gathering ideas from engineers, holding brainstorming sessions, and then having the engineering team vote on the top ideas. This approach allows engineers to feel like they have a say in the roadmap and is an effective way to create a roadmap.

The Importance Of Correct Problem-Framing

The engineering department began a project to reduce the load on one of their systems, but they set their expectations incorrectly and the project ran for too long. The team was bought into the incorrect messages and the project manager gave them too much leeway. In the end, the project was successful but it took much longer than it should have due to the incorrect messaging and the project manager not making the hard decision to refocus on the real goal sooner. This experience taught the project manager to not let projects drag on and to trust their gut instincts.

From Peer To Manager

When given a promotion, the author had to reset expectations with their peer, who was potentially interested in the role, and provide the new hire with enough room to become the manager of the people they used to manage. Through open communication and being upfront, the author was able to break through the tension and have a successful conversation. For the new hire, the author gave them space to get to know their team and build relationships, which helped to avoid conflict. This situation taught the author the importance of open communication and giving the new hire space to get to know their team.

When Your Senior Dev Doesn’t Meet Expectations

A new manager had certain expectations of their Senior Developer that weren't being met. Through learning from a management course, the manager realized that not everyone is the same and had to adjust their expectations. After having a heart-to-heart, the manager apologized for their behavior and reset their expectations. This led to a good relationship and the developer has been with the company for five years. The manager learned that different people require different management techniques and that everyone deserves to be treated with respect.

Getting The Best Out Of One-on-ones

Regular one-on-one meetings are an important part of effective people management. They provide a space for managers to give and receive feedback, celebrate wins, and coach and mentor their direct reports. By consistently engaging in one-on-ones, managers can build a strong rapport with their team and ensure that everyone is learning and growing together.

Ensuring Smooth Onboarding

RedOwl Analytics implemented an onboarding process to ensure new hires had a consistent experience and knew what was expected of them. This included assigning a buddy to each new hire, setting up onboarding plans with goals for the first week, month, and 90 days, and ensuring the new hire had all the access they needed from the start. The goal was to ensure new hires hit the ground running and felt like a part of the company from the start.

Setting Up A New Remote Team

This article discusses the challenges of setting up an offshore development center in Taiwan for a Singapore-based company. The company took steps to ensure their remote team worked well, such as sending people from Taiwan to Singapore and vice versa, and stationing senior staff in Taiwan for a few weeks. This allowed them to observe and report back on any issues the remote team was facing.

A New Manager In Singapore

After being inspired by a story about Jessica McKellar, the author decided to become a manager at their company. However, due to cultural differences and a lack of mentors, they struggled to find the right resources and approaches to management. To overcome this, they reached out to mentors in Singapore and joined tech leadership communities to learn from other managers. Ultimately, the author learned that transitioning to a management role requires brushing up on business and management skills and that the effects of changes may not be seen for some time.

Rapidly Scaling Your Engineering Department

The company experienced a rapid growth in its engineering department, from 20 to 120 people, and had to find ways to manage the influx of new hires. The manager took it upon himself to spend time speaking with each team, setting up new processes and communication expectations to shape the culture in an effective way. The lesson learned was that when entering such situations, a hiring plan should be accompanied by a culture plan to ensure new hires are integrated into the team and can work productively while meeting all of the team's expectations. Performance management also became more important.

Setting Up A Remote-First Company

This article discusses the experience of a Lead Developer at a start-up who chose to optimize their internal communication channels to make location irrelevant. They built their company in a remote-first manner, with daily video calls and company-wide offsite meetings. In one case, two employees had a conflict that was solved within five minutes when they called one another. The article concludes that working remotely can be beneficial and it is important to be aware of what can be lost in communication.

The Pitfalls Of Outsourcing

In 2013, a company based in Israel outsourced development to a company in Belarus. The outsourced team was not productive, so the company assigned their own team lead to figure out why. It turned out the outsourcing company was only having the team work part-time and on other projects, so the company decided to open their own branch in Ukraine and hire their own team. The lesson learned was that it is better to build your own team than to outsource, as it is more loyal and incentivizable.

Protecting My Team From Overtime

A team leader was asked by senior management to have his team work during the holidays on a project that ended up not being as urgent as they had said. He decided to confront the CEO and stand up for his team, which resulted in him being given a management position. This story serves as an example of how standing up for yourself and your team can result in positive outcomes.

Company Culture Abroad

When expanding to Bulgaria, the company found that the management style there was different from that of San Francisco. To bridge the gap, they hired from their internal candidate pool and sent people from America to Bulgaria and vice versa, to show the importance of autonomy and ownership. This helped shift the mindset of the Bulgarians and taught the lesson that cultural alignment should be included in the hiring process to ensure everyone understands what they are getting into.

Scaling - Slow And Steady

This article discusses the issue of scaling out an engineering team too quickly, resulting in an over-stretched budget and lack of structure. It emphasizes the importance of slowing down and considering why and how to hire people more tactfully. Ultimately, the company was able to become profitable, but the process was more difficult than necessary. The lesson learned is to stay closer to the middle of spending all the money you want and spending no money at all until you make more money.

Ensuring A Consistent Onboarding Experience

This case study outlines the steps taken to improve the onboarding process for a company. After receiving feedback from employees that their onboarding experience had worsened, a coach was leveraged to create actionable items for the Executive Management team. A squad was created to tackle the problem and the onboarding process was completely revamped and presented to the entire company. The result was new employees coming in with a much more meaningful sense of what they could deliver and ship from day one. The lesson learned was that if expectations are not set and communicated well, onboarding will suffer.

Handling Difficult Peers

A manager was having difficulty getting along with a Product Manager who wanted to be in all of their meetings. After the Product Manager complained to their boss three times, the manager talked to their own boss and was advised to picture the Product Manager as someone they liked and to invite her to meetings. This worked and the manager also tried to apologize for their behavior, but the Product Manager brushed them off. The manager learned that when dealing with difficult people, they should put a smile on their face and respond in a positive way, even if they can't control the situation.

The Importance Of Listening in One-on-ones

When first starting out as a manager, the author was unsure of how to structure one-on-one meetings with their direct reports. After taking different approaches with each person, the author was able to help an employee who was overburdened with helping others by listening to them and providing a plan to help them finish their project. The lesson learned was that people just want to be heard, and as a manager, it is important to listen and lead them in the direction they need to go.

Creating a virtuous cycle of communication and motivation with your reports

The leader of a growing organization was having difficulty staying informed of what was happening across their team. To solve this, they asked team leads to send weekly updates and synthesized highlights for the exec team. However, this was not successful due to lack of motivation and reward. To fix this, they shifted to a two-week cycle and sent a report to the whole company, which was successful in motivating teams and providing recognition for their work. The lesson learned is that when trying to create new habits, think through motivations and rewards to ensure quality work.

Fixing Personality Conflicts

Managers often face the challenge of resolving conflicts between team members, particularly when they have different personalities. To address this, managers should try to identify the root cause of the conflict and then talk to the conflicting parties to get them to see things from another point of view. Ultimately, the goal should be to help the company, and both parties should be reminded of this.

Solving Technical Conflicts Within A Team

Managers often face the challenge of resolving conflicts between team members, such as disagreements over technology approaches. To address this, managers should create an environment where engineers can express their opinions productively, and should facilitate a discussion to compare and contrast the two approaches. This helps to find a middle ground and prevent more serious conflicts.

Using Your Engineering Team To Define Your Roadmap

This article outlines a successful approach to developing an engineering and product roadmap. It involves gathering ideas from engineers, holding brainstorming sessions, and then having the engineering team vote on the top ideas. This approach allows engineers to feel like they have a say in the roadmap and is an effective way to create a roadmap.

The Importance Of Correct Problem-Framing

The engineering department began a project to reduce the load on one of their systems, but they set their expectations incorrectly and the project ran for too long. The team was bought into the incorrect messages and the project manager gave them too much leeway. In the end, the project was successful but it took much longer than it should have due to the incorrect messaging and the project manager not making the hard decision to refocus on the real goal sooner. This experience taught the project manager to not let projects drag on and to trust their gut instincts.

From Peer To Manager

When given a promotion, the author had to reset expectations with their peer, who was potentially interested in the role, and provide the new hire with enough room to become the manager of the people they used to manage. Through open communication and being upfront, the author was able to break through the tension and have a successful conversation. For the new hire, the author gave them space to get to know their team and build relationships, which helped to avoid conflict. This situation taught the author the importance of open communication and giving the new hire space to get to know their team.

When Your Senior Dev Doesn’t Meet Expectations

A new manager had certain expectations of their Senior Developer that weren't being met. Through learning from a management course, the manager realized that not everyone is the same and had to adjust their expectations. After having a heart-to-heart, the manager apologized for their behavior and reset their expectations. This led to a good relationship and the developer has been with the company for five years. The manager learned that different people require different management techniques and that everyone deserves to be treated with respect.

Getting The Best Out Of One-on-ones

Regular one-on-one meetings are an important part of effective people management. They provide a space for managers to give and receive feedback, celebrate wins, and coach and mentor their direct reports. By consistently engaging in one-on-ones, managers can build a strong rapport with their team and ensure that everyone is learning and growing together.

Ensuring Smooth Onboarding

RedOwl Analytics implemented an onboarding process to ensure new hires had a consistent experience and knew what was expected of them. This included assigning a buddy to each new hire, setting up onboarding plans with goals for the first week, month, and 90 days, and ensuring the new hire had all the access they needed from the start. The goal was to ensure new hires hit the ground running and felt like a part of the company from the start.

Setting Up A New Remote Team

This article discusses the challenges of setting up an offshore development center in Taiwan for a Singapore-based company. The company took steps to ensure their remote team worked well, such as sending people from Taiwan to Singapore and vice versa, and stationing senior staff in Taiwan for a few weeks. This allowed them to observe and report back on any issues the remote team was facing.

A New Manager In Singapore

After being inspired by a story about Jessica McKellar, the author decided to become a manager at their company. However, due to cultural differences and a lack of mentors, they struggled to find the right resources and approaches to management. To overcome this, they reached out to mentors in Singapore and joined tech leadership communities to learn from other managers. Ultimately, the author learned that transitioning to a management role requires brushing up on business and management skills and that the effects of changes may not be seen for some time.

Rapidly Scaling Your Engineering Department

The company experienced a rapid growth in its engineering department, from 20 to 120 people, and had to find ways to manage the influx of new hires. The manager took it upon himself to spend time speaking with each team, setting up new processes and communication expectations to shape the culture in an effective way. The lesson learned was that when entering such situations, a hiring plan should be accompanied by a culture plan to ensure new hires are integrated into the team and can work productively while meeting all of the team's expectations. Performance management also became more important.

Setting Up A Remote-First Company

This article discusses the experience of a Lead Developer at a start-up who chose to optimize their internal communication channels to make location irrelevant. They built their company in a remote-first manner, with daily video calls and company-wide offsite meetings. In one case, two employees had a conflict that was solved within five minutes when they called one another. The article concludes that working remotely can be beneficial and it is important to be aware of what can be lost in communication.

The Pitfalls Of Outsourcing

In 2013, a company based in Israel outsourced development to a company in Belarus. The outsourced team was not productive, so the company assigned their own team lead to figure out why. It turned out the outsourcing company was only having the team work part-time and on other projects, so the company decided to open their own branch in Ukraine and hire their own team. The lesson learned was that it is better to build your own team than to outsource, as it is more loyal and incentivizable.

Protecting My Team From Overtime

A team leader was asked by senior management to have his team work during the holidays on a project that ended up not being as urgent as they had said. He decided to confront the CEO and stand up for his team, which resulted in him being given a management position. This story serves as an example of how standing up for yourself and your team can result in positive outcomes.

Company Culture Abroad

When expanding to Bulgaria, the company found that the management style there was different from that of San Francisco. To bridge the gap, they hired from their internal candidate pool and sent people from America to Bulgaria and vice versa, to show the importance of autonomy and ownership. This helped shift the mindset of the Bulgarians and taught the lesson that cultural alignment should be included in the hiring process to ensure everyone understands what they are getting into.

Scaling - Slow And Steady

This article discusses the issue of scaling out an engineering team too quickly, resulting in an over-stretched budget and lack of structure. It emphasizes the importance of slowing down and considering why and how to hire people more tactfully. Ultimately, the company was able to become profitable, but the process was more difficult than necessary. The lesson learned is to stay closer to the middle of spending all the money you want and spending no money at all until you make more money.

Ensuring A Consistent Onboarding Experience

This case study outlines the steps taken to improve the onboarding process for a company. After receiving feedback from employees that their onboarding experience had worsened, a coach was leveraged to create actionable items for the Executive Management team. A squad was created to tackle the problem and the onboarding process was completely revamped and presented to the entire company. The result was new employees coming in with a much more meaningful sense of what they could deliver and ship from day one. The lesson learned was that if expectations are not set and communicated well, onboarding will suffer.

Handling Difficult Peers

A manager was having difficulty getting along with a Product Manager who wanted to be in all of their meetings. After the Product Manager complained to their boss three times, the manager talked to their own boss and was advised to picture the Product Manager as someone they liked and to invite her to meetings. This worked and the manager also tried to apologize for their behavior, but the Product Manager brushed them off. The manager learned that when dealing with difficult people, they should put a smile on their face and respond in a positive way, even if they can't control the situation.

The Importance Of Listening in One-on-ones

When first starting out as a manager, the author was unsure of how to structure one-on-one meetings with their direct reports. After taking different approaches with each person, the author was able to help an employee who was overburdened with helping others by listening to them and providing a plan to help them finish their project. The lesson learned was that people just want to be heard, and as a manager, it is important to listen and lead them in the direction they need to go.

Creating a virtuous cycle of communication and motivation with your reports

The leader of a growing organization was having difficulty staying informed of what was happening across their team. To solve this, they asked team leads to send weekly updates and synthesized highlights for the exec team. However, this was not successful due to lack of motivation and reward. To fix this, they shifted to a two-week cycle and sent a report to the whole company, which was successful in motivating teams and providing recognition for their work. The lesson learned is that when trying to create new habits, think through motivations and rewards to ensure quality work.

Fixing Personality Conflicts

Managers often face the challenge of resolving conflicts between team members, particularly when they have different personalities. To address this, managers should try to identify the root cause of the conflict and then talk to the conflicting parties to get them to see things from another point of view. Ultimately, the goal should be to help the company, and both parties should be reminded of this.

Solving Technical Conflicts Within A Team

Managers often face the challenge of resolving conflicts between team members, such as disagreements over technology approaches. To address this, managers should create an environment where engineers can express their opinions productively, and should facilitate a discussion to compare and contrast the two approaches. This helps to find a middle ground and prevent more serious conflicts.

Using Your Engineering Team To Define Your Roadmap

This article outlines a successful approach to developing an engineering and product roadmap. It involves gathering ideas from engineers, holding brainstorming sessions, and then having the engineering team vote on the top ideas. This approach allows engineers to feel like they have a say in the roadmap and is an effective way to create a roadmap.

The Importance Of Correct Problem-Framing

The engineering department began a project to reduce the load on one of their systems, but they set their expectations incorrectly and the project ran for too long. The team was bought into the incorrect messages and the project manager gave them too much leeway. In the end, the project was successful but it took much longer than it should have due to the incorrect messaging and the project manager not making the hard decision to refocus on the real goal sooner. This experience taught the project manager to not let projects drag on and to trust their gut instincts.

From Peer To Manager

When given a promotion, the author had to reset expectations with their peer, who was potentially interested in the role, and provide the new hire with enough room to become the manager of the people they used to manage. Through open communication and being upfront, the author was able to break through the tension and have a successful conversation. For the new hire, the author gave them space to get to know their team and build relationships, which helped to avoid conflict. This situation taught the author the importance of open communication and giving the new hire space to get to know their team.

When Your Senior Dev Doesn’t Meet Expectations

A new manager had certain expectations of their Senior Developer that weren't being met. Through learning from a management course, the manager realized that not everyone is the same and had to adjust their expectations. After having a heart-to-heart, the manager apologized for their behavior and reset their expectations. This led to a good relationship and the developer has been with the company for five years. The manager learned that different people require different management techniques and that everyone deserves to be treated with respect.

Getting The Best Out Of One-on-ones

Regular one-on-one meetings are an important part of effective people management. They provide a space for managers to give and receive feedback, celebrate wins, and coach and mentor their direct reports. By consistently engaging in one-on-ones, managers can build a strong rapport with their team and ensure that everyone is learning and growing together.

Ensuring Smooth Onboarding

RedOwl Analytics implemented an onboarding process to ensure new hires had a consistent experience and knew what was expected of them. This included assigning a buddy to each new hire, setting up onboarding plans with goals for the first week, month, and 90 days, and ensuring the new hire had all the access they needed from the start. The goal was to ensure new hires hit the ground running and felt like a part of the company from the start.

Setting Up A New Remote Team

This article discusses the challenges of setting up an offshore development center in Taiwan for a Singapore-based company. The company took steps to ensure their remote team worked well, such as sending people from Taiwan to Singapore and vice versa, and stationing senior staff in Taiwan for a few weeks. This allowed them to observe and report back on any issues the remote team was facing.

A New Manager In Singapore

After being inspired by a story about Jessica McKellar, the author decided to become a manager at their company. However, due to cultural differences and a lack of mentors, they struggled to find the right resources and approaches to management. To overcome this, they reached out to mentors in Singapore and joined tech leadership communities to learn from other managers. Ultimately, the author learned that transitioning to a management role requires brushing up on business and management skills and that the effects of changes may not be seen for some time.

Rapidly Scaling Your Engineering Department

The company experienced a rapid growth in its engineering department, from 20 to 120 people, and had to find ways to manage the influx of new hires. The manager took it upon himself to spend time speaking with each team, setting up new processes and communication expectations to shape the culture in an effective way. The lesson learned was that when entering such situations, a hiring plan should be accompanied by a culture plan to ensure new hires are integrated into the team and can work productively while meeting all of the team's expectations. Performance management also became more important.

Setting Up A Remote-First Company

This article discusses the experience of a Lead Developer at a start-up who chose to optimize their internal communication channels to make location irrelevant. They built their company in a remote-first manner, with daily video calls and company-wide offsite meetings. In one case, two employees had a conflict that was solved within five minutes when they called one another. The article concludes that working remotely can be beneficial and it is important to be aware of what can be lost in communication.

The Pitfalls Of Outsourcing

In 2013, a company based in Israel outsourced development to a company in Belarus. The outsourced team was not productive, so the company assigned their own team lead to figure out why. It turned out the outsourcing company was only having the team work part-time and on other projects, so the company decided to open their own branch in Ukraine and hire their own team. The lesson learned was that it is better to build your own team than to outsource, as it is more loyal and incentivizable.

Protecting My Team From Overtime

A team leader was asked by senior management to have his team work during the holidays on a project that ended up not being as urgent as they had said. He decided to confront the CEO and stand up for his team, which resulted in him being given a management position. This story serves as an example of how standing up for yourself and your team can result in positive outcomes.

Company Culture Abroad

When expanding to Bulgaria, the company found that the management style there was different from that of San Francisco. To bridge the gap, they hired from their internal candidate pool and sent people from America to Bulgaria and vice versa, to show the importance of autonomy and ownership. This helped shift the mindset of the Bulgarians and taught the lesson that cultural alignment should be included in the hiring process to ensure everyone understands what they are getting into.

Scaling - Slow And Steady

This article discusses the issue of scaling out an engineering team too quickly, resulting in an over-stretched budget and lack of structure. It emphasizes the importance of slowing down and considering why and how to hire people more tactfully. Ultimately, the company was able to become profitable, but the process was more difficult than necessary. The lesson learned is to stay closer to the middle of spending all the money you want and spending no money at all until you make more money.

Ensuring A Consistent Onboarding Experience

This case study outlines the steps taken to improve the onboarding process for a company. After receiving feedback from employees that their onboarding experience had worsened, a coach was leveraged to create actionable items for the Executive Management team. A squad was created to tackle the problem and the onboarding process was completely revamped and presented to the entire company. The result was new employees coming in with a much more meaningful sense of what they could deliver and ship from day one. The lesson learned was that if expectations are not set and communicated well, onboarding will suffer.

Handling Difficult Peers

A manager was having difficulty getting along with a Product Manager who wanted to be in all of their meetings. After the Product Manager complained to their boss three times, the manager talked to their own boss and was advised to picture the Product Manager as someone they liked and to invite her to meetings. This worked and the manager also tried to apologize for their behavior, but the Product Manager brushed them off. The manager learned that when dealing with difficult people, they should put a smile on their face and respond in a positive way, even if they can't control the situation.

The Importance Of Listening in One-on-ones

When first starting out as a manager, the author was unsure of how to structure one-on-one meetings with their direct reports. After taking different approaches with each person, the author was able to help an employee who was overburdened with helping others by listening to them and providing a plan to help them finish their project. The lesson learned was that people just want to be heard, and as a manager, it is important to listen and lead them in the direction they need to go.

Creating a virtuous cycle of communication and motivation with your reports

The leader of a growing organization was having difficulty staying informed of what was happening across their team. To solve this, they asked team leads to send weekly updates and synthesized highlights for the exec team. However, this was not successful due to lack of motivation and reward. To fix this, they shifted to a two-week cycle and sent a report to the whole company, which was successful in motivating teams and providing recognition for their work. The lesson learned is that when trying to create new habits, think through motivations and rewards to ensure quality work.

Fixing Personality Conflicts

Managers often face the challenge of resolving conflicts between team members, particularly when they have different personalities. To address this, managers should try to identify the root cause of the conflict and then talk to the conflicting parties to get them to see things from another point of view. Ultimately, the goal should be to help the company, and both parties should be reminded of this.

Solving Technical Conflicts Within A Team

Managers often face the challenge of resolving conflicts between team members, such as disagreements over technology approaches. To address this, managers should create an environment where engineers can express their opinions productively, and should facilitate a discussion to compare and contrast the two approaches. This helps to find a middle ground and prevent more serious conflicts.

Using Your Engineering Team To Define Your Roadmap

This article outlines a successful approach to developing an engineering and product roadmap. It involves gathering ideas from engineers, holding brainstorming sessions, and then having the engineering team vote on the top ideas. This approach allows engineers to feel like they have a say in the roadmap and is an effective way to create a roadmap.

The Importance Of Correct Problem-Framing

The engineering department began a project to reduce the load on one of their systems, but they set their expectations incorrectly and the project ran for too long. The team was bought into the incorrect messages and the project manager gave them too much leeway. In the end, the project was successful but it took much longer than it should have due to the incorrect messaging and the project manager not making the hard decision to refocus on the real goal sooner. This experience taught the project manager to not let projects drag on and to trust their gut instincts.

From Peer To Manager

When given a promotion, the author had to reset expectations with their peer, who was potentially interested in the role, and provide the new hire with enough room to become the manager of the people they used to manage. Through open communication and being upfront, the author was able to break through the tension and have a successful conversation. For the new hire, the author gave them space to get to know their team and build relationships, which helped to avoid conflict. This situation taught the author the importance of open communication and giving the new hire space to get to know their team.

When Your Senior Dev Doesn’t Meet Expectations

A new manager had certain expectations of their Senior Developer that weren't being met. Through learning from a management course, the manager realized that not everyone is the same and had to adjust their expectations. After having a heart-to-heart, the manager apologized for their behavior and reset their expectations. This led to a good relationship and the developer has been with the company for five years. The manager learned that different people require different management techniques and that everyone deserves to be treated with respect.

Getting The Best Out Of One-on-ones

Regular one-on-one meetings are an important part of effective people management. They provide a space for managers to give and receive feedback, celebrate wins, and coach and mentor their direct reports. By consistently engaging in one-on-ones, managers can build a strong rapport with their team and ensure that everyone is learning and growing together.

Ensuring Smooth Onboarding

RedOwl Analytics implemented an onboarding process to ensure new hires had a consistent experience and knew what was expected of them. This included assigning a buddy to each new hire, setting up onboarding plans with goals for the first week, month, and 90 days, and ensuring the new hire had all the access they needed from the start. The goal was to ensure new hires hit the ground running and felt like a part of the company from the start.

Setting Up A New Remote Team

This article discusses the challenges of setting up an offshore development center in Taiwan for a Singapore-based company. The company took steps to ensure their remote team worked well, such as sending people from Taiwan to Singapore and vice versa, and stationing senior staff in Taiwan for a few weeks. This allowed them to observe and report back on any issues the remote team was facing.

A New Manager In Singapore

After being inspired by a story about Jessica McKellar, the author decided to become a manager at their company. However, due to cultural differences and a lack of mentors, they struggled to find the right resources and approaches to management. To overcome this, they reached out to mentors in Singapore and joined tech leadership communities to learn from other managers. Ultimately, the author learned that transitioning to a management role requires brushing up on business and management skills and that the effects of changes may not be seen for some time.

Rapidly Scaling Your Engineering Department

The company experienced a rapid growth in its engineering department, from 20 to 120 people, and had to find ways to manage the influx of new hires. The manager took it upon himself to spend time speaking with each team, setting up new processes and communication expectations to shape the culture in an effective way. The lesson learned was that when entering such situations, a hiring plan should be accompanied by a culture plan to ensure new hires are integrated into the team and can work productively while meeting all of the team's expectations. Performance management also became more important.

Setting Up A Remote-First Company

This article discusses the experience of a Lead Developer at a start-up who chose to optimize their internal communication channels to make location irrelevant. They built their company in a remote-first manner, with daily video calls and company-wide offsite meetings. In one case, two employees had a conflict that was solved within five minutes when they called one another. The article concludes that working remotely can be beneficial and it is important to be aware of what can be lost in communication.

The Pitfalls Of Outsourcing

In 2013, a company based in Israel outsourced development to a company in Belarus. The outsourced team was not productive, so the company assigned their own team lead to figure out why. It turned out the outsourcing company was only having the team work part-time and on other projects, so the company decided to open their own branch in Ukraine and hire their own team. The lesson learned was that it is better to build your own team than to outsource, as it is more loyal and incentivizable.

Protecting My Team From Overtime

A team leader was asked by senior management to have his team work during the holidays on a project that ended up not being as urgent as they had said. He decided to confront the CEO and stand up for his team, which resulted in him being given a management position. This story serves as an example of how standing up for yourself and your team can result in positive outcomes.

Company Culture Abroad

When expanding to Bulgaria, the company found that the management style there was different from that of San Francisco. To bridge the gap, they hired from their internal candidate pool and sent people from America to Bulgaria and vice versa, to show the importance of autonomy and ownership. This helped shift the mindset of the Bulgarians and taught the lesson that cultural alignment should be included in the hiring process to ensure everyone understands what they are getting into.

Scaling - Slow And Steady

This article discusses the issue of scaling out an engineering team too quickly, resulting in an over-stretched budget and lack of structure. It emphasizes the importance of slowing down and considering why and how to hire people more tactfully. Ultimately, the company was able to become profitable, but the process was more difficult than necessary. The lesson learned is to stay closer to the middle of spending all the money you want and spending no money at all until you make more money.

Ensuring A Consistent Onboarding Experience

This case study outlines the steps taken to improve the onboarding process for a company. After receiving feedback from employees that their onboarding experience had worsened, a coach was leveraged to create actionable items for the Executive Management team. A squad was created to tackle the problem and the onboarding process was completely revamped and presented to the entire company. The result was new employees coming in with a much more meaningful sense of what they could deliver and ship from day one. The lesson learned was that if expectations are not set and communicated well, onboarding will suffer.