Knowledge shared by our community

How to deal with a team with broken communication

When the author joined a team that had not had a dedicated manager for six months, they noticed that communication between its members was broken. To fix the problem, the author sought to understand the team and each team member's perspective, and used weekly team meetings to educate them on teamwork and how to give effective feedback and have difficult conversations. After a few weeks, the team was able to interact effectively without conflict, and gave each other peer-to-peer recognition. The author was able to work with the team to improve communication and build strong working relationships.

The time I was about to decline an opportunity because I thought it would not make me grow

The narrator was initially hesitant to accept a new position as manager of the Web Services team, as it did not seem to align with their goals of promotion and salary increase. However, they eventually realized that this position would provide them with the opportunity to collaborate with more senior staff and expand their network, and that it was their duty as a manager to help the organization when it needed them. This experience taught them the importance of putting the organization's needs before their own.

The Dismissal of a “Fireman Developer”

A "fireman developer" was laid off two years ago due to his inability to take ownership of projects and other flaws. The decision created a gap between managers and engineers, and a group of developers left the company in response. The lesson learned was that there are two options when dealing with an underperforming employee: keep them as a team binder, or fire them and accept the consequences.

The wrong way to introduce new processes

The speaker was responsible for managing multiple projects with different processes, which was time-consuming and difficult to manage. To simplify the process, they decided to create a single development process for everyone. However, the teams were resistant to the change and the speaker had to use their authority to force everyone to use the new process. In hindsight, they realized that they should have gathered feedback from the teams before implementing the change and presented it as an experiment.

Visualizing where your team stands to tackles the salary raise period

This article discusses a method for approaching salary evaluations at a company. The author suggests benchmarking salaries and plotting them on a graph based on seniority and market value. For those who don't receive a raise, the author suggests providing materials to discuss areas of improvement and a plan to get there. The author also believes engineers are motivated by learning opportunities, having an impact, and recognition, rather than salary. As a result, salary should reflect their long-term value, and bonuses can be used to reward exceptional work.

Build up the best team using the “Boat” metaphor

This article discusses a method for deciding who to keep and who to let go in a workforce review. The author suggests using the "boat" metaphor, where one evaluates their direct reports based on their potential, responsiveness to feedback, and ability to evolve, rather than just their technical expertise. This method can lead to surprising results.

Being fair when identifying weaknesses in a direct report.

This article discusses the experience of a project manager who was put in charge of a team. To evaluate the team fairly, the manager ran short meetings to define the work and measure the quality of the work, and kept a journal of observations about each individual. The manager learned that taking the time to define the work and observe the people allowed them to identify strengths and weaknesses, and gave them the information they needed to give direct feedback.

Do not make compromises when hiring under pressure

The Director of Engineering at Polaris Wireless was under pressure to quickly hire a new mobile engineering team of five iOS and five Android engineers. To mitigate the pressure, the Director hired contractors and reassured stakeholders that the product delivery date would not be affected. After taking the time to find the right people, the Director was able to hire a great team, and some of the contractors were offered full-time work. The lesson learned was to not hire in a hurry, and to make sure to keep standards high.

When NOT to delegate

When starting as a manager, the author struggled with delegating tasks. Initially, they delegated bug management to their team of senior engineers, expecting them to prioritize bugs over features. This did not work, so the author started assigning bugs to specific people. The lesson learned was that a manager should ensure their team is aligned with the organization's priorities and should not delegate the prioritization of bugs vs features.

One of my engineers became toxic for the team

An engineer on the team had been causing problems for two and a half years, including not being reliable, making excuses, and talking behind people's backs. After trying to work with him on prioritization and work organization, it was decided to let him go. It was a difficult decision, but it improved team effectiveness and throughput. The lesson learned was that an employee who is not a good fit is worse than no one.

Becoming the manager of your own team

This is a story of a software developer who was promoted to a manager and was initially scared of not being respected by his team. He tried to gain their respect by going the extra mile and doing everything for them, but this backfired as it stopped any new learning that the team could do. He eventually learned that delegation is the most difficult part of management and that general accomplishments will gain the team's respect, not just technical knowledge.

Coaching Engineers into a Leadership Role

A team member at Netflix wanted to progress to a management role, but the company only promotes based on business needs. The engineer was given opportunities to test out his leadership skills, but the company ultimately decided to look outside the team for the role due to the engineer's lack of selfless goals. Transparency and regular conversations are key to prevent frustration.

I failed to give legitimacy to new hires

A team of 30 engineers underwent a reorganization to improve productivity, but the two new hires put in charge of the process had difficulty gaining the team's trust. After six months of minimal adoption of the automations they had developed, an engineer from the existing team was designated to reboot the approach. The manager realized that he had underestimated the importance of the staffing decision and should have been more explicit with the team about their mission and the need for their buy-in.

The entire team against the new tech lead

A tech lead was hired, but the team did not accept him due to his lack of technical proficiency and other skills. The team and the leader worked together for a few months, but eventually, the leader had to leave the company. The key lesson learned is that when hiring a tech lead, the team should actively interview the leader and ensure they have the necessary skills and patience to be successful.

Keeping a team focused in a time of major changes in leadership

When faced with a leadership change that could lead to layoffs, a manager took action to help their team by encouraging them to learn new technologies and tools. This gave the team a sense of control and increased morale. The team's new skills later proved beneficial when they formed a Mobile Excellence Group and the manager was asked to lead test thought-leadership. This experience taught the manager that in times of uncertainty, the key is to give back control by learning new skills.

Drive ownership from the inception of projects

Driving projects forward can be difficult, but managers can use a technique inspired by the movie "Inception" to ensure team members feel ownership of their tasks. This involves providing direction and a straw-man of the process, but allowing the team to come to their own conclusions. Doing so creates a powerful motivating force and ensures the team puts their full effort into the project.

Identifying personality strengths in my reports

The Engineering Manager at Trello took on two teams of 11 direct reports and needed to get to know them quickly. He took the time to build trust with each of his reports by having one-on-ones and talking about non-work related topics. He then sent an email with prompting questions to discuss career arcs in the following week. Through this process, he was able to identify outstanding people and technical leaders, as well as coasters and social butterflies. He learned that relationships grow over time and by starting with trust and discussing motivators, he was able to come to understand each of his reports on a much deeper level.

Managing the expectations of a role

A senior engineer at Uber had difficulty focusing on engineering tasks and convincing others to go with his ideas. Through one-on-one conversations, feedback from colleagues, and an actionable plan of improvement, the engineer was able to improve his performance and stay with the company for two more quarters. However, he eventually realized that he was not passionate about the work he was doing and found a more research-based position within the company. This experience taught the manager that it is possible to change people and their philosophies about work, but it takes a lot of work and peer feedback.

Successfully taking on a new team

When taking on a new team, the book "The First 90 Days" states that fifty percent of leadership changes struggle due to the inability of the leader to adapt to a new context. To ensure success, the engineer at Box took on the new team with caution and adapted to the new context by becoming an insider with the people, process, and technology. He implemented quick wins, such as addressing the sensitivity around randomly assigned tasks, and set up an advisory council to rapidly brainstorm and address issues. By using this approach, he was able to take on the new team in a sustainable way and empower the team to grow and reach the next level.

How to set up a new engineering team

This article discusses the challenges of building a team when the only engineer on the project is also the manager. It provides advice on how to recruit and onboard new engineers, such as having a plan in place for the first week, month, and three months, having an onboarding buddy, and giving engineers chances to deliver code early on.

How to deal with a team with broken communication

When the author joined a team that had not had a dedicated manager for six months, they noticed that communication between its members was broken. To fix the problem, the author sought to understand the team and each team member's perspective, and used weekly team meetings to educate them on teamwork and how to give effective feedback and have difficult conversations. After a few weeks, the team was able to interact effectively without conflict, and gave each other peer-to-peer recognition. The author was able to work with the team to improve communication and build strong working relationships.

The time I was about to decline an opportunity because I thought it would not make me grow

The narrator was initially hesitant to accept a new position as manager of the Web Services team, as it did not seem to align with their goals of promotion and salary increase. However, they eventually realized that this position would provide them with the opportunity to collaborate with more senior staff and expand their network, and that it was their duty as a manager to help the organization when it needed them. This experience taught them the importance of putting the organization's needs before their own.

The Dismissal of a “Fireman Developer”

A "fireman developer" was laid off two years ago due to his inability to take ownership of projects and other flaws. The decision created a gap between managers and engineers, and a group of developers left the company in response. The lesson learned was that there are two options when dealing with an underperforming employee: keep them as a team binder, or fire them and accept the consequences.

The wrong way to introduce new processes

The speaker was responsible for managing multiple projects with different processes, which was time-consuming and difficult to manage. To simplify the process, they decided to create a single development process for everyone. However, the teams were resistant to the change and the speaker had to use their authority to force everyone to use the new process. In hindsight, they realized that they should have gathered feedback from the teams before implementing the change and presented it as an experiment.

Visualizing where your team stands to tackles the salary raise period

This article discusses a method for approaching salary evaluations at a company. The author suggests benchmarking salaries and plotting them on a graph based on seniority and market value. For those who don't receive a raise, the author suggests providing materials to discuss areas of improvement and a plan to get there. The author also believes engineers are motivated by learning opportunities, having an impact, and recognition, rather than salary. As a result, salary should reflect their long-term value, and bonuses can be used to reward exceptional work.

Build up the best team using the “Boat” metaphor

This article discusses a method for deciding who to keep and who to let go in a workforce review. The author suggests using the "boat" metaphor, where one evaluates their direct reports based on their potential, responsiveness to feedback, and ability to evolve, rather than just their technical expertise. This method can lead to surprising results.

Being fair when identifying weaknesses in a direct report.

This article discusses the experience of a project manager who was put in charge of a team. To evaluate the team fairly, the manager ran short meetings to define the work and measure the quality of the work, and kept a journal of observations about each individual. The manager learned that taking the time to define the work and observe the people allowed them to identify strengths and weaknesses, and gave them the information they needed to give direct feedback.

Do not make compromises when hiring under pressure

The Director of Engineering at Polaris Wireless was under pressure to quickly hire a new mobile engineering team of five iOS and five Android engineers. To mitigate the pressure, the Director hired contractors and reassured stakeholders that the product delivery date would not be affected. After taking the time to find the right people, the Director was able to hire a great team, and some of the contractors were offered full-time work. The lesson learned was to not hire in a hurry, and to make sure to keep standards high.

When NOT to delegate

When starting as a manager, the author struggled with delegating tasks. Initially, they delegated bug management to their team of senior engineers, expecting them to prioritize bugs over features. This did not work, so the author started assigning bugs to specific people. The lesson learned was that a manager should ensure their team is aligned with the organization's priorities and should not delegate the prioritization of bugs vs features.

One of my engineers became toxic for the team

An engineer on the team had been causing problems for two and a half years, including not being reliable, making excuses, and talking behind people's backs. After trying to work with him on prioritization and work organization, it was decided to let him go. It was a difficult decision, but it improved team effectiveness and throughput. The lesson learned was that an employee who is not a good fit is worse than no one.

Becoming the manager of your own team

This is a story of a software developer who was promoted to a manager and was initially scared of not being respected by his team. He tried to gain their respect by going the extra mile and doing everything for them, but this backfired as it stopped any new learning that the team could do. He eventually learned that delegation is the most difficult part of management and that general accomplishments will gain the team's respect, not just technical knowledge.

Coaching Engineers into a Leadership Role

A team member at Netflix wanted to progress to a management role, but the company only promotes based on business needs. The engineer was given opportunities to test out his leadership skills, but the company ultimately decided to look outside the team for the role due to the engineer's lack of selfless goals. Transparency and regular conversations are key to prevent frustration.

I failed to give legitimacy to new hires

A team of 30 engineers underwent a reorganization to improve productivity, but the two new hires put in charge of the process had difficulty gaining the team's trust. After six months of minimal adoption of the automations they had developed, an engineer from the existing team was designated to reboot the approach. The manager realized that he had underestimated the importance of the staffing decision and should have been more explicit with the team about their mission and the need for their buy-in.

The entire team against the new tech lead

A tech lead was hired, but the team did not accept him due to his lack of technical proficiency and other skills. The team and the leader worked together for a few months, but eventually, the leader had to leave the company. The key lesson learned is that when hiring a tech lead, the team should actively interview the leader and ensure they have the necessary skills and patience to be successful.

Keeping a team focused in a time of major changes in leadership

When faced with a leadership change that could lead to layoffs, a manager took action to help their team by encouraging them to learn new technologies and tools. This gave the team a sense of control and increased morale. The team's new skills later proved beneficial when they formed a Mobile Excellence Group and the manager was asked to lead test thought-leadership. This experience taught the manager that in times of uncertainty, the key is to give back control by learning new skills.

Drive ownership from the inception of projects

Driving projects forward can be difficult, but managers can use a technique inspired by the movie "Inception" to ensure team members feel ownership of their tasks. This involves providing direction and a straw-man of the process, but allowing the team to come to their own conclusions. Doing so creates a powerful motivating force and ensures the team puts their full effort into the project.

Identifying personality strengths in my reports

The Engineering Manager at Trello took on two teams of 11 direct reports and needed to get to know them quickly. He took the time to build trust with each of his reports by having one-on-ones and talking about non-work related topics. He then sent an email with prompting questions to discuss career arcs in the following week. Through this process, he was able to identify outstanding people and technical leaders, as well as coasters and social butterflies. He learned that relationships grow over time and by starting with trust and discussing motivators, he was able to come to understand each of his reports on a much deeper level.

Managing the expectations of a role

A senior engineer at Uber had difficulty focusing on engineering tasks and convincing others to go with his ideas. Through one-on-one conversations, feedback from colleagues, and an actionable plan of improvement, the engineer was able to improve his performance and stay with the company for two more quarters. However, he eventually realized that he was not passionate about the work he was doing and found a more research-based position within the company. This experience taught the manager that it is possible to change people and their philosophies about work, but it takes a lot of work and peer feedback.

Successfully taking on a new team

When taking on a new team, the book "The First 90 Days" states that fifty percent of leadership changes struggle due to the inability of the leader to adapt to a new context. To ensure success, the engineer at Box took on the new team with caution and adapted to the new context by becoming an insider with the people, process, and technology. He implemented quick wins, such as addressing the sensitivity around randomly assigned tasks, and set up an advisory council to rapidly brainstorm and address issues. By using this approach, he was able to take on the new team in a sustainable way and empower the team to grow and reach the next level.

How to set up a new engineering team

This article discusses the challenges of building a team when the only engineer on the project is also the manager. It provides advice on how to recruit and onboard new engineers, such as having a plan in place for the first week, month, and three months, having an onboarding buddy, and giving engineers chances to deliver code early on.

How to deal with a team with broken communication

When the author joined a team that had not had a dedicated manager for six months, they noticed that communication between its members was broken. To fix the problem, the author sought to understand the team and each team member's perspective, and used weekly team meetings to educate them on teamwork and how to give effective feedback and have difficult conversations. After a few weeks, the team was able to interact effectively without conflict, and gave each other peer-to-peer recognition. The author was able to work with the team to improve communication and build strong working relationships.

The time I was about to decline an opportunity because I thought it would not make me grow

The narrator was initially hesitant to accept a new position as manager of the Web Services team, as it did not seem to align with their goals of promotion and salary increase. However, they eventually realized that this position would provide them with the opportunity to collaborate with more senior staff and expand their network, and that it was their duty as a manager to help the organization when it needed them. This experience taught them the importance of putting the organization's needs before their own.

The Dismissal of a “Fireman Developer”

A "fireman developer" was laid off two years ago due to his inability to take ownership of projects and other flaws. The decision created a gap between managers and engineers, and a group of developers left the company in response. The lesson learned was that there are two options when dealing with an underperforming employee: keep them as a team binder, or fire them and accept the consequences.

The wrong way to introduce new processes

The speaker was responsible for managing multiple projects with different processes, which was time-consuming and difficult to manage. To simplify the process, they decided to create a single development process for everyone. However, the teams were resistant to the change and the speaker had to use their authority to force everyone to use the new process. In hindsight, they realized that they should have gathered feedback from the teams before implementing the change and presented it as an experiment.

Visualizing where your team stands to tackles the salary raise period

This article discusses a method for approaching salary evaluations at a company. The author suggests benchmarking salaries and plotting them on a graph based on seniority and market value. For those who don't receive a raise, the author suggests providing materials to discuss areas of improvement and a plan to get there. The author also believes engineers are motivated by learning opportunities, having an impact, and recognition, rather than salary. As a result, salary should reflect their long-term value, and bonuses can be used to reward exceptional work.

Build up the best team using the “Boat” metaphor

This article discusses a method for deciding who to keep and who to let go in a workforce review. The author suggests using the "boat" metaphor, where one evaluates their direct reports based on their potential, responsiveness to feedback, and ability to evolve, rather than just their technical expertise. This method can lead to surprising results.

Being fair when identifying weaknesses in a direct report.

This article discusses the experience of a project manager who was put in charge of a team. To evaluate the team fairly, the manager ran short meetings to define the work and measure the quality of the work, and kept a journal of observations about each individual. The manager learned that taking the time to define the work and observe the people allowed them to identify strengths and weaknesses, and gave them the information they needed to give direct feedback.

Do not make compromises when hiring under pressure

The Director of Engineering at Polaris Wireless was under pressure to quickly hire a new mobile engineering team of five iOS and five Android engineers. To mitigate the pressure, the Director hired contractors and reassured stakeholders that the product delivery date would not be affected. After taking the time to find the right people, the Director was able to hire a great team, and some of the contractors were offered full-time work. The lesson learned was to not hire in a hurry, and to make sure to keep standards high.

When NOT to delegate

When starting as a manager, the author struggled with delegating tasks. Initially, they delegated bug management to their team of senior engineers, expecting them to prioritize bugs over features. This did not work, so the author started assigning bugs to specific people. The lesson learned was that a manager should ensure their team is aligned with the organization's priorities and should not delegate the prioritization of bugs vs features.

One of my engineers became toxic for the team

An engineer on the team had been causing problems for two and a half years, including not being reliable, making excuses, and talking behind people's backs. After trying to work with him on prioritization and work organization, it was decided to let him go. It was a difficult decision, but it improved team effectiveness and throughput. The lesson learned was that an employee who is not a good fit is worse than no one.

Becoming the manager of your own team

This is a story of a software developer who was promoted to a manager and was initially scared of not being respected by his team. He tried to gain their respect by going the extra mile and doing everything for them, but this backfired as it stopped any new learning that the team could do. He eventually learned that delegation is the most difficult part of management and that general accomplishments will gain the team's respect, not just technical knowledge.

Coaching Engineers into a Leadership Role

A team member at Netflix wanted to progress to a management role, but the company only promotes based on business needs. The engineer was given opportunities to test out his leadership skills, but the company ultimately decided to look outside the team for the role due to the engineer's lack of selfless goals. Transparency and regular conversations are key to prevent frustration.

I failed to give legitimacy to new hires

A team of 30 engineers underwent a reorganization to improve productivity, but the two new hires put in charge of the process had difficulty gaining the team's trust. After six months of minimal adoption of the automations they had developed, an engineer from the existing team was designated to reboot the approach. The manager realized that he had underestimated the importance of the staffing decision and should have been more explicit with the team about their mission and the need for their buy-in.

The entire team against the new tech lead

A tech lead was hired, but the team did not accept him due to his lack of technical proficiency and other skills. The team and the leader worked together for a few months, but eventually, the leader had to leave the company. The key lesson learned is that when hiring a tech lead, the team should actively interview the leader and ensure they have the necessary skills and patience to be successful.

Keeping a team focused in a time of major changes in leadership

When faced with a leadership change that could lead to layoffs, a manager took action to help their team by encouraging them to learn new technologies and tools. This gave the team a sense of control and increased morale. The team's new skills later proved beneficial when they formed a Mobile Excellence Group and the manager was asked to lead test thought-leadership. This experience taught the manager that in times of uncertainty, the key is to give back control by learning new skills.

Drive ownership from the inception of projects

Driving projects forward can be difficult, but managers can use a technique inspired by the movie "Inception" to ensure team members feel ownership of their tasks. This involves providing direction and a straw-man of the process, but allowing the team to come to their own conclusions. Doing so creates a powerful motivating force and ensures the team puts their full effort into the project.

Identifying personality strengths in my reports

The Engineering Manager at Trello took on two teams of 11 direct reports and needed to get to know them quickly. He took the time to build trust with each of his reports by having one-on-ones and talking about non-work related topics. He then sent an email with prompting questions to discuss career arcs in the following week. Through this process, he was able to identify outstanding people and technical leaders, as well as coasters and social butterflies. He learned that relationships grow over time and by starting with trust and discussing motivators, he was able to come to understand each of his reports on a much deeper level.

Managing the expectations of a role

A senior engineer at Uber had difficulty focusing on engineering tasks and convincing others to go with his ideas. Through one-on-one conversations, feedback from colleagues, and an actionable plan of improvement, the engineer was able to improve his performance and stay with the company for two more quarters. However, he eventually realized that he was not passionate about the work he was doing and found a more research-based position within the company. This experience taught the manager that it is possible to change people and their philosophies about work, but it takes a lot of work and peer feedback.

Successfully taking on a new team

When taking on a new team, the book "The First 90 Days" states that fifty percent of leadership changes struggle due to the inability of the leader to adapt to a new context. To ensure success, the engineer at Box took on the new team with caution and adapted to the new context by becoming an insider with the people, process, and technology. He implemented quick wins, such as addressing the sensitivity around randomly assigned tasks, and set up an advisory council to rapidly brainstorm and address issues. By using this approach, he was able to take on the new team in a sustainable way and empower the team to grow and reach the next level.

How to set up a new engineering team

This article discusses the challenges of building a team when the only engineer on the project is also the manager. It provides advice on how to recruit and onboard new engineers, such as having a plan in place for the first week, month, and three months, having an onboarding buddy, and giving engineers chances to deliver code early on.

How to deal with a team with broken communication

When the author joined a team that had not had a dedicated manager for six months, they noticed that communication between its members was broken. To fix the problem, the author sought to understand the team and each team member's perspective, and used weekly team meetings to educate them on teamwork and how to give effective feedback and have difficult conversations. After a few weeks, the team was able to interact effectively without conflict, and gave each other peer-to-peer recognition. The author was able to work with the team to improve communication and build strong working relationships.

The time I was about to decline an opportunity because I thought it would not make me grow

The narrator was initially hesitant to accept a new position as manager of the Web Services team, as it did not seem to align with their goals of promotion and salary increase. However, they eventually realized that this position would provide them with the opportunity to collaborate with more senior staff and expand their network, and that it was their duty as a manager to help the organization when it needed them. This experience taught them the importance of putting the organization's needs before their own.

The Dismissal of a “Fireman Developer”

A "fireman developer" was laid off two years ago due to his inability to take ownership of projects and other flaws. The decision created a gap between managers and engineers, and a group of developers left the company in response. The lesson learned was that there are two options when dealing with an underperforming employee: keep them as a team binder, or fire them and accept the consequences.

The wrong way to introduce new processes

The speaker was responsible for managing multiple projects with different processes, which was time-consuming and difficult to manage. To simplify the process, they decided to create a single development process for everyone. However, the teams were resistant to the change and the speaker had to use their authority to force everyone to use the new process. In hindsight, they realized that they should have gathered feedback from the teams before implementing the change and presented it as an experiment.

Visualizing where your team stands to tackles the salary raise period

This article discusses a method for approaching salary evaluations at a company. The author suggests benchmarking salaries and plotting them on a graph based on seniority and market value. For those who don't receive a raise, the author suggests providing materials to discuss areas of improvement and a plan to get there. The author also believes engineers are motivated by learning opportunities, having an impact, and recognition, rather than salary. As a result, salary should reflect their long-term value, and bonuses can be used to reward exceptional work.

Build up the best team using the “Boat” metaphor

This article discusses a method for deciding who to keep and who to let go in a workforce review. The author suggests using the "boat" metaphor, where one evaluates their direct reports based on their potential, responsiveness to feedback, and ability to evolve, rather than just their technical expertise. This method can lead to surprising results.

Being fair when identifying weaknesses in a direct report.

This article discusses the experience of a project manager who was put in charge of a team. To evaluate the team fairly, the manager ran short meetings to define the work and measure the quality of the work, and kept a journal of observations about each individual. The manager learned that taking the time to define the work and observe the people allowed them to identify strengths and weaknesses, and gave them the information they needed to give direct feedback.

Do not make compromises when hiring under pressure

The Director of Engineering at Polaris Wireless was under pressure to quickly hire a new mobile engineering team of five iOS and five Android engineers. To mitigate the pressure, the Director hired contractors and reassured stakeholders that the product delivery date would not be affected. After taking the time to find the right people, the Director was able to hire a great team, and some of the contractors were offered full-time work. The lesson learned was to not hire in a hurry, and to make sure to keep standards high.

When NOT to delegate

When starting as a manager, the author struggled with delegating tasks. Initially, they delegated bug management to their team of senior engineers, expecting them to prioritize bugs over features. This did not work, so the author started assigning bugs to specific people. The lesson learned was that a manager should ensure their team is aligned with the organization's priorities and should not delegate the prioritization of bugs vs features.

One of my engineers became toxic for the team

An engineer on the team had been causing problems for two and a half years, including not being reliable, making excuses, and talking behind people's backs. After trying to work with him on prioritization and work organization, it was decided to let him go. It was a difficult decision, but it improved team effectiveness and throughput. The lesson learned was that an employee who is not a good fit is worse than no one.

Becoming the manager of your own team

This is a story of a software developer who was promoted to a manager and was initially scared of not being respected by his team. He tried to gain their respect by going the extra mile and doing everything for them, but this backfired as it stopped any new learning that the team could do. He eventually learned that delegation is the most difficult part of management and that general accomplishments will gain the team's respect, not just technical knowledge.

Coaching Engineers into a Leadership Role

A team member at Netflix wanted to progress to a management role, but the company only promotes based on business needs. The engineer was given opportunities to test out his leadership skills, but the company ultimately decided to look outside the team for the role due to the engineer's lack of selfless goals. Transparency and regular conversations are key to prevent frustration.

I failed to give legitimacy to new hires

A team of 30 engineers underwent a reorganization to improve productivity, but the two new hires put in charge of the process had difficulty gaining the team's trust. After six months of minimal adoption of the automations they had developed, an engineer from the existing team was designated to reboot the approach. The manager realized that he had underestimated the importance of the staffing decision and should have been more explicit with the team about their mission and the need for their buy-in.

The entire team against the new tech lead

A tech lead was hired, but the team did not accept him due to his lack of technical proficiency and other skills. The team and the leader worked together for a few months, but eventually, the leader had to leave the company. The key lesson learned is that when hiring a tech lead, the team should actively interview the leader and ensure they have the necessary skills and patience to be successful.

Keeping a team focused in a time of major changes in leadership

When faced with a leadership change that could lead to layoffs, a manager took action to help their team by encouraging them to learn new technologies and tools. This gave the team a sense of control and increased morale. The team's new skills later proved beneficial when they formed a Mobile Excellence Group and the manager was asked to lead test thought-leadership. This experience taught the manager that in times of uncertainty, the key is to give back control by learning new skills.

Drive ownership from the inception of projects

Driving projects forward can be difficult, but managers can use a technique inspired by the movie "Inception" to ensure team members feel ownership of their tasks. This involves providing direction and a straw-man of the process, but allowing the team to come to their own conclusions. Doing so creates a powerful motivating force and ensures the team puts their full effort into the project.

Identifying personality strengths in my reports

The Engineering Manager at Trello took on two teams of 11 direct reports and needed to get to know them quickly. He took the time to build trust with each of his reports by having one-on-ones and talking about non-work related topics. He then sent an email with prompting questions to discuss career arcs in the following week. Through this process, he was able to identify outstanding people and technical leaders, as well as coasters and social butterflies. He learned that relationships grow over time and by starting with trust and discussing motivators, he was able to come to understand each of his reports on a much deeper level.

Managing the expectations of a role

A senior engineer at Uber had difficulty focusing on engineering tasks and convincing others to go with his ideas. Through one-on-one conversations, feedback from colleagues, and an actionable plan of improvement, the engineer was able to improve his performance and stay with the company for two more quarters. However, he eventually realized that he was not passionate about the work he was doing and found a more research-based position within the company. This experience taught the manager that it is possible to change people and their philosophies about work, but it takes a lot of work and peer feedback.

Successfully taking on a new team

When taking on a new team, the book "The First 90 Days" states that fifty percent of leadership changes struggle due to the inability of the leader to adapt to a new context. To ensure success, the engineer at Box took on the new team with caution and adapted to the new context by becoming an insider with the people, process, and technology. He implemented quick wins, such as addressing the sensitivity around randomly assigned tasks, and set up an advisory council to rapidly brainstorm and address issues. By using this approach, he was able to take on the new team in a sustainable way and empower the team to grow and reach the next level.

How to set up a new engineering team

This article discusses the challenges of building a team when the only engineer on the project is also the manager. It provides advice on how to recruit and onboard new engineers, such as having a plan in place for the first week, month, and three months, having an onboarding buddy, and giving engineers chances to deliver code early on.

How to deal with a team with broken communication

When the author joined a team that had not had a dedicated manager for six months, they noticed that communication between its members was broken. To fix the problem, the author sought to understand the team and each team member's perspective, and used weekly team meetings to educate them on teamwork and how to give effective feedback and have difficult conversations. After a few weeks, the team was able to interact effectively without conflict, and gave each other peer-to-peer recognition. The author was able to work with the team to improve communication and build strong working relationships.

The time I was about to decline an opportunity because I thought it would not make me grow

The narrator was initially hesitant to accept a new position as manager of the Web Services team, as it did not seem to align with their goals of promotion and salary increase. However, they eventually realized that this position would provide them with the opportunity to collaborate with more senior staff and expand their network, and that it was their duty as a manager to help the organization when it needed them. This experience taught them the importance of putting the organization's needs before their own.

The Dismissal of a “Fireman Developer”

A "fireman developer" was laid off two years ago due to his inability to take ownership of projects and other flaws. The decision created a gap between managers and engineers, and a group of developers left the company in response. The lesson learned was that there are two options when dealing with an underperforming employee: keep them as a team binder, or fire them and accept the consequences.

The wrong way to introduce new processes

The speaker was responsible for managing multiple projects with different processes, which was time-consuming and difficult to manage. To simplify the process, they decided to create a single development process for everyone. However, the teams were resistant to the change and the speaker had to use their authority to force everyone to use the new process. In hindsight, they realized that they should have gathered feedback from the teams before implementing the change and presented it as an experiment.

Visualizing where your team stands to tackles the salary raise period

This article discusses a method for approaching salary evaluations at a company. The author suggests benchmarking salaries and plotting them on a graph based on seniority and market value. For those who don't receive a raise, the author suggests providing materials to discuss areas of improvement and a plan to get there. The author also believes engineers are motivated by learning opportunities, having an impact, and recognition, rather than salary. As a result, salary should reflect their long-term value, and bonuses can be used to reward exceptional work.

Build up the best team using the “Boat” metaphor

This article discusses a method for deciding who to keep and who to let go in a workforce review. The author suggests using the "boat" metaphor, where one evaluates their direct reports based on their potential, responsiveness to feedback, and ability to evolve, rather than just their technical expertise. This method can lead to surprising results.

Being fair when identifying weaknesses in a direct report.

This article discusses the experience of a project manager who was put in charge of a team. To evaluate the team fairly, the manager ran short meetings to define the work and measure the quality of the work, and kept a journal of observations about each individual. The manager learned that taking the time to define the work and observe the people allowed them to identify strengths and weaknesses, and gave them the information they needed to give direct feedback.

Do not make compromises when hiring under pressure

The Director of Engineering at Polaris Wireless was under pressure to quickly hire a new mobile engineering team of five iOS and five Android engineers. To mitigate the pressure, the Director hired contractors and reassured stakeholders that the product delivery date would not be affected. After taking the time to find the right people, the Director was able to hire a great team, and some of the contractors were offered full-time work. The lesson learned was to not hire in a hurry, and to make sure to keep standards high.

When NOT to delegate

When starting as a manager, the author struggled with delegating tasks. Initially, they delegated bug management to their team of senior engineers, expecting them to prioritize bugs over features. This did not work, so the author started assigning bugs to specific people. The lesson learned was that a manager should ensure their team is aligned with the organization's priorities and should not delegate the prioritization of bugs vs features.

One of my engineers became toxic for the team

An engineer on the team had been causing problems for two and a half years, including not being reliable, making excuses, and talking behind people's backs. After trying to work with him on prioritization and work organization, it was decided to let him go. It was a difficult decision, but it improved team effectiveness and throughput. The lesson learned was that an employee who is not a good fit is worse than no one.

Becoming the manager of your own team

This is a story of a software developer who was promoted to a manager and was initially scared of not being respected by his team. He tried to gain their respect by going the extra mile and doing everything for them, but this backfired as it stopped any new learning that the team could do. He eventually learned that delegation is the most difficult part of management and that general accomplishments will gain the team's respect, not just technical knowledge.

Coaching Engineers into a Leadership Role

A team member at Netflix wanted to progress to a management role, but the company only promotes based on business needs. The engineer was given opportunities to test out his leadership skills, but the company ultimately decided to look outside the team for the role due to the engineer's lack of selfless goals. Transparency and regular conversations are key to prevent frustration.

I failed to give legitimacy to new hires

A team of 30 engineers underwent a reorganization to improve productivity, but the two new hires put in charge of the process had difficulty gaining the team's trust. After six months of minimal adoption of the automations they had developed, an engineer from the existing team was designated to reboot the approach. The manager realized that he had underestimated the importance of the staffing decision and should have been more explicit with the team about their mission and the need for their buy-in.

The entire team against the new tech lead

A tech lead was hired, but the team did not accept him due to his lack of technical proficiency and other skills. The team and the leader worked together for a few months, but eventually, the leader had to leave the company. The key lesson learned is that when hiring a tech lead, the team should actively interview the leader and ensure they have the necessary skills and patience to be successful.

Keeping a team focused in a time of major changes in leadership

When faced with a leadership change that could lead to layoffs, a manager took action to help their team by encouraging them to learn new technologies and tools. This gave the team a sense of control and increased morale. The team's new skills later proved beneficial when they formed a Mobile Excellence Group and the manager was asked to lead test thought-leadership. This experience taught the manager that in times of uncertainty, the key is to give back control by learning new skills.

Drive ownership from the inception of projects

Driving projects forward can be difficult, but managers can use a technique inspired by the movie "Inception" to ensure team members feel ownership of their tasks. This involves providing direction and a straw-man of the process, but allowing the team to come to their own conclusions. Doing so creates a powerful motivating force and ensures the team puts their full effort into the project.

Identifying personality strengths in my reports

The Engineering Manager at Trello took on two teams of 11 direct reports and needed to get to know them quickly. He took the time to build trust with each of his reports by having one-on-ones and talking about non-work related topics. He then sent an email with prompting questions to discuss career arcs in the following week. Through this process, he was able to identify outstanding people and technical leaders, as well as coasters and social butterflies. He learned that relationships grow over time and by starting with trust and discussing motivators, he was able to come to understand each of his reports on a much deeper level.

Managing the expectations of a role

A senior engineer at Uber had difficulty focusing on engineering tasks and convincing others to go with his ideas. Through one-on-one conversations, feedback from colleagues, and an actionable plan of improvement, the engineer was able to improve his performance and stay with the company for two more quarters. However, he eventually realized that he was not passionate about the work he was doing and found a more research-based position within the company. This experience taught the manager that it is possible to change people and their philosophies about work, but it takes a lot of work and peer feedback.

Successfully taking on a new team

When taking on a new team, the book "The First 90 Days" states that fifty percent of leadership changes struggle due to the inability of the leader to adapt to a new context. To ensure success, the engineer at Box took on the new team with caution and adapted to the new context by becoming an insider with the people, process, and technology. He implemented quick wins, such as addressing the sensitivity around randomly assigned tasks, and set up an advisory council to rapidly brainstorm and address issues. By using this approach, he was able to take on the new team in a sustainable way and empower the team to grow and reach the next level.

How to set up a new engineering team

This article discusses the challenges of building a team when the only engineer on the project is also the manager. It provides advice on how to recruit and onboard new engineers, such as having a plan in place for the first week, month, and three months, having an onboarding buddy, and giving engineers chances to deliver code early on.

How to deal with a team with broken communication

When the author joined a team that had not had a dedicated manager for six months, they noticed that communication between its members was broken. To fix the problem, the author sought to understand the team and each team member's perspective, and used weekly team meetings to educate them on teamwork and how to give effective feedback and have difficult conversations. After a few weeks, the team was able to interact effectively without conflict, and gave each other peer-to-peer recognition. The author was able to work with the team to improve communication and build strong working relationships.

The time I was about to decline an opportunity because I thought it would not make me grow

The narrator was initially hesitant to accept a new position as manager of the Web Services team, as it did not seem to align with their goals of promotion and salary increase. However, they eventually realized that this position would provide them with the opportunity to collaborate with more senior staff and expand their network, and that it was their duty as a manager to help the organization when it needed them. This experience taught them the importance of putting the organization's needs before their own.

The Dismissal of a “Fireman Developer”

A "fireman developer" was laid off two years ago due to his inability to take ownership of projects and other flaws. The decision created a gap between managers and engineers, and a group of developers left the company in response. The lesson learned was that there are two options when dealing with an underperforming employee: keep them as a team binder, or fire them and accept the consequences.

The wrong way to introduce new processes

The speaker was responsible for managing multiple projects with different processes, which was time-consuming and difficult to manage. To simplify the process, they decided to create a single development process for everyone. However, the teams were resistant to the change and the speaker had to use their authority to force everyone to use the new process. In hindsight, they realized that they should have gathered feedback from the teams before implementing the change and presented it as an experiment.

Visualizing where your team stands to tackles the salary raise period

This article discusses a method for approaching salary evaluations at a company. The author suggests benchmarking salaries and plotting them on a graph based on seniority and market value. For those who don't receive a raise, the author suggests providing materials to discuss areas of improvement and a plan to get there. The author also believes engineers are motivated by learning opportunities, having an impact, and recognition, rather than salary. As a result, salary should reflect their long-term value, and bonuses can be used to reward exceptional work.

Build up the best team using the “Boat” metaphor

This article discusses a method for deciding who to keep and who to let go in a workforce review. The author suggests using the "boat" metaphor, where one evaluates their direct reports based on their potential, responsiveness to feedback, and ability to evolve, rather than just their technical expertise. This method can lead to surprising results.

Being fair when identifying weaknesses in a direct report.

This article discusses the experience of a project manager who was put in charge of a team. To evaluate the team fairly, the manager ran short meetings to define the work and measure the quality of the work, and kept a journal of observations about each individual. The manager learned that taking the time to define the work and observe the people allowed them to identify strengths and weaknesses, and gave them the information they needed to give direct feedback.

Do not make compromises when hiring under pressure

The Director of Engineering at Polaris Wireless was under pressure to quickly hire a new mobile engineering team of five iOS and five Android engineers. To mitigate the pressure, the Director hired contractors and reassured stakeholders that the product delivery date would not be affected. After taking the time to find the right people, the Director was able to hire a great team, and some of the contractors were offered full-time work. The lesson learned was to not hire in a hurry, and to make sure to keep standards high.

When NOT to delegate

When starting as a manager, the author struggled with delegating tasks. Initially, they delegated bug management to their team of senior engineers, expecting them to prioritize bugs over features. This did not work, so the author started assigning bugs to specific people. The lesson learned was that a manager should ensure their team is aligned with the organization's priorities and should not delegate the prioritization of bugs vs features.

One of my engineers became toxic for the team

An engineer on the team had been causing problems for two and a half years, including not being reliable, making excuses, and talking behind people's backs. After trying to work with him on prioritization and work organization, it was decided to let him go. It was a difficult decision, but it improved team effectiveness and throughput. The lesson learned was that an employee who is not a good fit is worse than no one.

Becoming the manager of your own team

This is a story of a software developer who was promoted to a manager and was initially scared of not being respected by his team. He tried to gain their respect by going the extra mile and doing everything for them, but this backfired as it stopped any new learning that the team could do. He eventually learned that delegation is the most difficult part of management and that general accomplishments will gain the team's respect, not just technical knowledge.

Coaching Engineers into a Leadership Role

A team member at Netflix wanted to progress to a management role, but the company only promotes based on business needs. The engineer was given opportunities to test out his leadership skills, but the company ultimately decided to look outside the team for the role due to the engineer's lack of selfless goals. Transparency and regular conversations are key to prevent frustration.

I failed to give legitimacy to new hires

A team of 30 engineers underwent a reorganization to improve productivity, but the two new hires put in charge of the process had difficulty gaining the team's trust. After six months of minimal adoption of the automations they had developed, an engineer from the existing team was designated to reboot the approach. The manager realized that he had underestimated the importance of the staffing decision and should have been more explicit with the team about their mission and the need for their buy-in.

The entire team against the new tech lead

A tech lead was hired, but the team did not accept him due to his lack of technical proficiency and other skills. The team and the leader worked together for a few months, but eventually, the leader had to leave the company. The key lesson learned is that when hiring a tech lead, the team should actively interview the leader and ensure they have the necessary skills and patience to be successful.

Keeping a team focused in a time of major changes in leadership

When faced with a leadership change that could lead to layoffs, a manager took action to help their team by encouraging them to learn new technologies and tools. This gave the team a sense of control and increased morale. The team's new skills later proved beneficial when they formed a Mobile Excellence Group and the manager was asked to lead test thought-leadership. This experience taught the manager that in times of uncertainty, the key is to give back control by learning new skills.

Drive ownership from the inception of projects

Driving projects forward can be difficult, but managers can use a technique inspired by the movie "Inception" to ensure team members feel ownership of their tasks. This involves providing direction and a straw-man of the process, but allowing the team to come to their own conclusions. Doing so creates a powerful motivating force and ensures the team puts their full effort into the project.

Identifying personality strengths in my reports

The Engineering Manager at Trello took on two teams of 11 direct reports and needed to get to know them quickly. He took the time to build trust with each of his reports by having one-on-ones and talking about non-work related topics. He then sent an email with prompting questions to discuss career arcs in the following week. Through this process, he was able to identify outstanding people and technical leaders, as well as coasters and social butterflies. He learned that relationships grow over time and by starting with trust and discussing motivators, he was able to come to understand each of his reports on a much deeper level.

Managing the expectations of a role

A senior engineer at Uber had difficulty focusing on engineering tasks and convincing others to go with his ideas. Through one-on-one conversations, feedback from colleagues, and an actionable plan of improvement, the engineer was able to improve his performance and stay with the company for two more quarters. However, he eventually realized that he was not passionate about the work he was doing and found a more research-based position within the company. This experience taught the manager that it is possible to change people and their philosophies about work, but it takes a lot of work and peer feedback.

Successfully taking on a new team

When taking on a new team, the book "The First 90 Days" states that fifty percent of leadership changes struggle due to the inability of the leader to adapt to a new context. To ensure success, the engineer at Box took on the new team with caution and adapted to the new context by becoming an insider with the people, process, and technology. He implemented quick wins, such as addressing the sensitivity around randomly assigned tasks, and set up an advisory council to rapidly brainstorm and address issues. By using this approach, he was able to take on the new team in a sustainable way and empower the team to grow and reach the next level.

How to set up a new engineering team

This article discusses the challenges of building a team when the only engineer on the project is also the manager. It provides advice on how to recruit and onboard new engineers, such as having a plan in place for the first week, month, and three months, having an onboarding buddy, and giving engineers chances to deliver code early on.