Knowledge shared by our community

Fostering a Healthy One-on-One Mentorship

This article discusses the importance of establishing a one-on-one relationship with employees in order to increase interconnectivity between departments and provide immediate access to advice, direction, and support. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding the individual needs of employees and providing them with the tools they need to succeed. Finally, it suggests pairing employees with mentors who have already found success in their desired area of specialization.

When Delegation Means Growth

Many first-time managers struggle with delegating and letting things go, which can impede the growth of their reports. To create an environment for people to be autonomous, managers should act as coaches and mentors, guiding their team, having them make decisions, and letting them fail if needed. Managers should also assess if a problem is within the capacities of a person who raised it and ask them about the actions they would take to solve it. Delegation is about responsibility, trust, and accountability, and there are five levels of delegation depending on the seniority and competencies of each individual. Managers need to change their mindset from being problem-solvers to being coaches.

Creating Greater Alignment Among Managers

In order to create alignment among first-line managers, it is necessary to instill in them a sense of belonging to a team of their fellow managers. To do this, the leader created a buddy system, paired people up to work on joint projects, and did full transparent 360 feedback. This allowed the managers to get to know each other better and to ensure that the whole team was working in the same direction. Ultimately, this alignment is necessary to maximize the impact of the organization.

How to Communicate With Former Peers

After being promoted to Director of Engineering, the author found it difficult to maintain relationships with former peers due to the change in perception of their words. They learned to adjust their communication style to be more roundabout and open-ended, and to offer help before asking questions. They also learned that when climbing the ladder, people will perceive them differently and the purpose of their interactions will change. Lastly, they realized that perception shapes how we communicate more than anything else.

Making the Connection Between Developing a Product and the Real-World Consequences of Failure

An Engineering leader faced the challenge of figuring out and picking the OKRs to rally the team. At one of his previous companies, they were in the process of a massive transformation and timely delivery was essential. However, they faced the harsh lesson of the importance of resilience in design from the perspective of technology. To address the problem, they pivoted the framing in terms of investment portfolio allocation, strengthened communication between Engineering and Operations, and measured and understood metrics to give insight to the connections and investments they needed to make. This experience taught the leader the importance of taking accountability, hiring rank-and-file Engineers, and understanding the R&D investment portfolio.

Finding a Higher Calling as a Professional

This article discusses the importance of understanding why we do the work that we do in order to contribute to the world and find our higher purpose. It also emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence and mentorship in order to define success and happiness. The author shares their journey of adapting to a new career and learning to grow in a foreign environment. They also discuss the importance of advocating for others and investing time and effort in understanding the people you mentor.

Paving the Way for the Women of Tomorrow

This is a story of a woman in the technology field who has experienced the lack of female representation and has taken it upon herself to do something about it. She has learned the importance of leaning in with a diversity initiative, and has taken steps to become an example for young women to follow. She has also learned the importance of mentoring and teaching skills to others, and is now focused on leaving a legacy behind. She is thankful for all the help she has received along the way.

Seeing Past the “Dark Side” of Management

The speaker initially found pride in writing good code and solving problems, but was uninterested in the managerial role. After gaining experience, they learned that being a manager involves more than just watching over people and dealing with underperformers. They sought mentors and learned to be transparent about their vulnerabilities, reserve judgement, and cultivate a feeling of positivity. With more to learn, they continue on their journey.

Insights on Diversity and Inclusion

This article discusses the need for diversity and inclusion in the workplace and the practical steps that can be taken to achieve this. The author outlines their goals to improve diversity and inclusion, such as balancing the recruitment funnel, creating special experiences for diversity candidates, and fostering a culture of inclusion and respect. They also discuss the importance of measuring the impact of their efforts and the lessons they have learned.

Building a Structure for Scaling Teamwork

This article discusses the challenges of restructuring and reorganizing a team, and the actions taken to address them. Hiring was expedited by focusing on diversity and inclusion, and by hiring leaders of the future. The team was aligned through a shared vision and by introducing initiatives to align on engineering principles. Communication was kept open, honest, and transparent. The lessons learned were to align between squads, find suitable tools for communication, and keep communication open and transparent.

Leading a Team: A Short Introduction to Chaos

When joining a small Big Data Engineering team in chaos, the leader had to figure out how to set a vision and roadmap for the team. Through meaningful exercises, the team was able to build a shared vision and mission statement, and set objectives to achieve their goals. The team was able to turn around and hire new talent, and the team still exists today. The key lessons learned were to build a shared vision, put the team through meaningful exercises, and communicate the vision to the rest of the organization.

Achieving High Performance From a Cross-Functional Team

This article discusses how to encourage cross-functional teams to work better together. It is important to focus on building trust between team members, as this is the foundation of a high-performing team. Metrics are important, but they should not be the only measure of team performance. Leaders should step in sooner rather than later to coach teams that are not moving towards high performance, and should focus on healthy team behaviors such as problem solving, retrospectives, and productive conflict.

Empowering Product and Engineering Leaders to Achieve the Best Business Results

In order to set up a team to deliver the best results, it is important to provide them with the proper context and business goals. The product manager should be responsible for aligning teams cross-functionally, gathering ideas, and prioritizing work. It is important to understand the team's strategy for achieving the desired result and to check in on their progress. Additionally, it is important to encourage the team to adapt their plans to incorporate learning.

Creating a Useful Product Vision

A product vision is an important part of a company strategy that serves as a North Star for the product organization, motivating them to create a compelling product that solves customer problems. It should not be confused with the company mission or product roadmap. It is important to create a product vision when teams need to be aligned in a common direction. It is worth the investment to create a product vision that is short and straightforward, and everyone should understand the purpose behind it.

How to Work Mindfully Without Overstressing

This article discusses the challenges faced by the author when transitioning from a Head of Product role to an IC in a larger company. The author had to adjust to a heavier workload, more cognitive initiatives, and multiple stakeholders across multiple time zones. To combat this, the author took feedback from colleagues and managers, structured their workflow to prioritize deep work, and better structured their meeting times. The article also highlights the importance of taking feedback, not underestimating deep work, and not being too harsh on oneself.

Employee Empowerment and Team Building

This article discusses the challenge of transitioning from an individual contributor to a manager, and how to empower a team while still engaging and energizing them. It outlines the steps taken to overcome this challenge, such as getting out of the comfort zone, speaking to a mentor, taking leadership courses, and assessing team members based on their strengths. It also highlights the importance of being honest with oneself, taking personal development seriously, and understanding that the output of a team should be exponential.

Developing Leaders: What to Do When Your Team Starts to Grow

This article discusses the problem of managing a team of five people, which was previously just a team of interns. The output of the team was lower than expected, and the manager realized that the problem was how he was managing the team. He identified the strengths and weaknesses of each team member and assigned tasks accordingly, and sought help from experienced managers and mentors. He learned that it is important to manage people the way they want to be managed, to be accountable for any team problems, and to ask for help when needed.

Building Communities of Practice

This article discusses the problem of communication breakdown as a company grows, and the actions taken to address it. A Community of Practice was created to connect people working on similar problems, and Confluence was used as a tool to enhance collaboration. The concept spread to other departments, and people grouped around different niches in the software development department. The article also highlights the importance of having a community lead to fuel enthusiasm, and the need to create a safe environment for people to share their presentations.

Creating a Career Development System

This article details the process of creating a career development system for a multinational company's branch in Romania. The process involved creating a steering team with leaders from each department, studying a dozen examples of career paths and performance management systems, and receiving feedback from various people across the organization. The resulting system included a dual career track, smaller autonomous teams, and formalized ladders to encourage growth. It also included frequent one-on-ones, defined OKRs, and 360 feedback. The process took a year and the results have been successful, with the engineers' growth being incredible. The article also highlights the importance of involving people in the process, finding a mentor, and understanding the challenges of a larger team.

Leveling Yourself Up: Keeping Up the Pace of a Rapidly Growing Company

When the author joined their current company five years ago, the engineering team was small. As the company grew, the author had to adapt to the changes and develop new skills in order to stay relevant. They learned to think six months ahead and had inspiring conversations with mentors to understand the changes. The author is the only original manager who stayed with the company and has been able to keep up with the rapid growth. They have also been helping others level up by creating opportunities for them to learn by doing. The author believes that people grow by experiencing emotions and understanding the underlying causes that drive actions.

Fostering a Healthy One-on-One Mentorship

This article discusses the importance of establishing a one-on-one relationship with employees in order to increase interconnectivity between departments and provide immediate access to advice, direction, and support. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding the individual needs of employees and providing them with the tools they need to succeed. Finally, it suggests pairing employees with mentors who have already found success in their desired area of specialization.

When Delegation Means Growth

Many first-time managers struggle with delegating and letting things go, which can impede the growth of their reports. To create an environment for people to be autonomous, managers should act as coaches and mentors, guiding their team, having them make decisions, and letting them fail if needed. Managers should also assess if a problem is within the capacities of a person who raised it and ask them about the actions they would take to solve it. Delegation is about responsibility, trust, and accountability, and there are five levels of delegation depending on the seniority and competencies of each individual. Managers need to change their mindset from being problem-solvers to being coaches.

Creating Greater Alignment Among Managers

In order to create alignment among first-line managers, it is necessary to instill in them a sense of belonging to a team of their fellow managers. To do this, the leader created a buddy system, paired people up to work on joint projects, and did full transparent 360 feedback. This allowed the managers to get to know each other better and to ensure that the whole team was working in the same direction. Ultimately, this alignment is necessary to maximize the impact of the organization.

How to Communicate With Former Peers

After being promoted to Director of Engineering, the author found it difficult to maintain relationships with former peers due to the change in perception of their words. They learned to adjust their communication style to be more roundabout and open-ended, and to offer help before asking questions. They also learned that when climbing the ladder, people will perceive them differently and the purpose of their interactions will change. Lastly, they realized that perception shapes how we communicate more than anything else.

Making the Connection Between Developing a Product and the Real-World Consequences of Failure

An Engineering leader faced the challenge of figuring out and picking the OKRs to rally the team. At one of his previous companies, they were in the process of a massive transformation and timely delivery was essential. However, they faced the harsh lesson of the importance of resilience in design from the perspective of technology. To address the problem, they pivoted the framing in terms of investment portfolio allocation, strengthened communication between Engineering and Operations, and measured and understood metrics to give insight to the connections and investments they needed to make. This experience taught the leader the importance of taking accountability, hiring rank-and-file Engineers, and understanding the R&D investment portfolio.

Finding a Higher Calling as a Professional

This article discusses the importance of understanding why we do the work that we do in order to contribute to the world and find our higher purpose. It also emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence and mentorship in order to define success and happiness. The author shares their journey of adapting to a new career and learning to grow in a foreign environment. They also discuss the importance of advocating for others and investing time and effort in understanding the people you mentor.

Paving the Way for the Women of Tomorrow

This is a story of a woman in the technology field who has experienced the lack of female representation and has taken it upon herself to do something about it. She has learned the importance of leaning in with a diversity initiative, and has taken steps to become an example for young women to follow. She has also learned the importance of mentoring and teaching skills to others, and is now focused on leaving a legacy behind. She is thankful for all the help she has received along the way.

Seeing Past the “Dark Side” of Management

The speaker initially found pride in writing good code and solving problems, but was uninterested in the managerial role. After gaining experience, they learned that being a manager involves more than just watching over people and dealing with underperformers. They sought mentors and learned to be transparent about their vulnerabilities, reserve judgement, and cultivate a feeling of positivity. With more to learn, they continue on their journey.

Insights on Diversity and Inclusion

This article discusses the need for diversity and inclusion in the workplace and the practical steps that can be taken to achieve this. The author outlines their goals to improve diversity and inclusion, such as balancing the recruitment funnel, creating special experiences for diversity candidates, and fostering a culture of inclusion and respect. They also discuss the importance of measuring the impact of their efforts and the lessons they have learned.

Building a Structure for Scaling Teamwork

This article discusses the challenges of restructuring and reorganizing a team, and the actions taken to address them. Hiring was expedited by focusing on diversity and inclusion, and by hiring leaders of the future. The team was aligned through a shared vision and by introducing initiatives to align on engineering principles. Communication was kept open, honest, and transparent. The lessons learned were to align between squads, find suitable tools for communication, and keep communication open and transparent.

Leading a Team: A Short Introduction to Chaos

When joining a small Big Data Engineering team in chaos, the leader had to figure out how to set a vision and roadmap for the team. Through meaningful exercises, the team was able to build a shared vision and mission statement, and set objectives to achieve their goals. The team was able to turn around and hire new talent, and the team still exists today. The key lessons learned were to build a shared vision, put the team through meaningful exercises, and communicate the vision to the rest of the organization.

Achieving High Performance From a Cross-Functional Team

This article discusses how to encourage cross-functional teams to work better together. It is important to focus on building trust between team members, as this is the foundation of a high-performing team. Metrics are important, but they should not be the only measure of team performance. Leaders should step in sooner rather than later to coach teams that are not moving towards high performance, and should focus on healthy team behaviors such as problem solving, retrospectives, and productive conflict.

Empowering Product and Engineering Leaders to Achieve the Best Business Results

In order to set up a team to deliver the best results, it is important to provide them with the proper context and business goals. The product manager should be responsible for aligning teams cross-functionally, gathering ideas, and prioritizing work. It is important to understand the team's strategy for achieving the desired result and to check in on their progress. Additionally, it is important to encourage the team to adapt their plans to incorporate learning.

Creating a Useful Product Vision

A product vision is an important part of a company strategy that serves as a North Star for the product organization, motivating them to create a compelling product that solves customer problems. It should not be confused with the company mission or product roadmap. It is important to create a product vision when teams need to be aligned in a common direction. It is worth the investment to create a product vision that is short and straightforward, and everyone should understand the purpose behind it.

How to Work Mindfully Without Overstressing

This article discusses the challenges faced by the author when transitioning from a Head of Product role to an IC in a larger company. The author had to adjust to a heavier workload, more cognitive initiatives, and multiple stakeholders across multiple time zones. To combat this, the author took feedback from colleagues and managers, structured their workflow to prioritize deep work, and better structured their meeting times. The article also highlights the importance of taking feedback, not underestimating deep work, and not being too harsh on oneself.

Employee Empowerment and Team Building

This article discusses the challenge of transitioning from an individual contributor to a manager, and how to empower a team while still engaging and energizing them. It outlines the steps taken to overcome this challenge, such as getting out of the comfort zone, speaking to a mentor, taking leadership courses, and assessing team members based on their strengths. It also highlights the importance of being honest with oneself, taking personal development seriously, and understanding that the output of a team should be exponential.

Developing Leaders: What to Do When Your Team Starts to Grow

This article discusses the problem of managing a team of five people, which was previously just a team of interns. The output of the team was lower than expected, and the manager realized that the problem was how he was managing the team. He identified the strengths and weaknesses of each team member and assigned tasks accordingly, and sought help from experienced managers and mentors. He learned that it is important to manage people the way they want to be managed, to be accountable for any team problems, and to ask for help when needed.

Building Communities of Practice

This article discusses the problem of communication breakdown as a company grows, and the actions taken to address it. A Community of Practice was created to connect people working on similar problems, and Confluence was used as a tool to enhance collaboration. The concept spread to other departments, and people grouped around different niches in the software development department. The article also highlights the importance of having a community lead to fuel enthusiasm, and the need to create a safe environment for people to share their presentations.

Creating a Career Development System

This article details the process of creating a career development system for a multinational company's branch in Romania. The process involved creating a steering team with leaders from each department, studying a dozen examples of career paths and performance management systems, and receiving feedback from various people across the organization. The resulting system included a dual career track, smaller autonomous teams, and formalized ladders to encourage growth. It also included frequent one-on-ones, defined OKRs, and 360 feedback. The process took a year and the results have been successful, with the engineers' growth being incredible. The article also highlights the importance of involving people in the process, finding a mentor, and understanding the challenges of a larger team.

Leveling Yourself Up: Keeping Up the Pace of a Rapidly Growing Company

When the author joined their current company five years ago, the engineering team was small. As the company grew, the author had to adapt to the changes and develop new skills in order to stay relevant. They learned to think six months ahead and had inspiring conversations with mentors to understand the changes. The author is the only original manager who stayed with the company and has been able to keep up with the rapid growth. They have also been helping others level up by creating opportunities for them to learn by doing. The author believes that people grow by experiencing emotions and understanding the underlying causes that drive actions.

Fostering a Healthy One-on-One Mentorship

This article discusses the importance of establishing a one-on-one relationship with employees in order to increase interconnectivity between departments and provide immediate access to advice, direction, and support. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding the individual needs of employees and providing them with the tools they need to succeed. Finally, it suggests pairing employees with mentors who have already found success in their desired area of specialization.

When Delegation Means Growth

Many first-time managers struggle with delegating and letting things go, which can impede the growth of their reports. To create an environment for people to be autonomous, managers should act as coaches and mentors, guiding their team, having them make decisions, and letting them fail if needed. Managers should also assess if a problem is within the capacities of a person who raised it and ask them about the actions they would take to solve it. Delegation is about responsibility, trust, and accountability, and there are five levels of delegation depending on the seniority and competencies of each individual. Managers need to change their mindset from being problem-solvers to being coaches.

Creating Greater Alignment Among Managers

In order to create alignment among first-line managers, it is necessary to instill in them a sense of belonging to a team of their fellow managers. To do this, the leader created a buddy system, paired people up to work on joint projects, and did full transparent 360 feedback. This allowed the managers to get to know each other better and to ensure that the whole team was working in the same direction. Ultimately, this alignment is necessary to maximize the impact of the organization.

How to Communicate With Former Peers

After being promoted to Director of Engineering, the author found it difficult to maintain relationships with former peers due to the change in perception of their words. They learned to adjust their communication style to be more roundabout and open-ended, and to offer help before asking questions. They also learned that when climbing the ladder, people will perceive them differently and the purpose of their interactions will change. Lastly, they realized that perception shapes how we communicate more than anything else.

Making the Connection Between Developing a Product and the Real-World Consequences of Failure

An Engineering leader faced the challenge of figuring out and picking the OKRs to rally the team. At one of his previous companies, they were in the process of a massive transformation and timely delivery was essential. However, they faced the harsh lesson of the importance of resilience in design from the perspective of technology. To address the problem, they pivoted the framing in terms of investment portfolio allocation, strengthened communication between Engineering and Operations, and measured and understood metrics to give insight to the connections and investments they needed to make. This experience taught the leader the importance of taking accountability, hiring rank-and-file Engineers, and understanding the R&D investment portfolio.

Finding a Higher Calling as a Professional

This article discusses the importance of understanding why we do the work that we do in order to contribute to the world and find our higher purpose. It also emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence and mentorship in order to define success and happiness. The author shares their journey of adapting to a new career and learning to grow in a foreign environment. They also discuss the importance of advocating for others and investing time and effort in understanding the people you mentor.

Paving the Way for the Women of Tomorrow

This is a story of a woman in the technology field who has experienced the lack of female representation and has taken it upon herself to do something about it. She has learned the importance of leaning in with a diversity initiative, and has taken steps to become an example for young women to follow. She has also learned the importance of mentoring and teaching skills to others, and is now focused on leaving a legacy behind. She is thankful for all the help she has received along the way.

Seeing Past the “Dark Side” of Management

The speaker initially found pride in writing good code and solving problems, but was uninterested in the managerial role. After gaining experience, they learned that being a manager involves more than just watching over people and dealing with underperformers. They sought mentors and learned to be transparent about their vulnerabilities, reserve judgement, and cultivate a feeling of positivity. With more to learn, they continue on their journey.

Insights on Diversity and Inclusion

This article discusses the need for diversity and inclusion in the workplace and the practical steps that can be taken to achieve this. The author outlines their goals to improve diversity and inclusion, such as balancing the recruitment funnel, creating special experiences for diversity candidates, and fostering a culture of inclusion and respect. They also discuss the importance of measuring the impact of their efforts and the lessons they have learned.

Building a Structure for Scaling Teamwork

This article discusses the challenges of restructuring and reorganizing a team, and the actions taken to address them. Hiring was expedited by focusing on diversity and inclusion, and by hiring leaders of the future. The team was aligned through a shared vision and by introducing initiatives to align on engineering principles. Communication was kept open, honest, and transparent. The lessons learned were to align between squads, find suitable tools for communication, and keep communication open and transparent.

Leading a Team: A Short Introduction to Chaos

When joining a small Big Data Engineering team in chaos, the leader had to figure out how to set a vision and roadmap for the team. Through meaningful exercises, the team was able to build a shared vision and mission statement, and set objectives to achieve their goals. The team was able to turn around and hire new talent, and the team still exists today. The key lessons learned were to build a shared vision, put the team through meaningful exercises, and communicate the vision to the rest of the organization.

Achieving High Performance From a Cross-Functional Team

This article discusses how to encourage cross-functional teams to work better together. It is important to focus on building trust between team members, as this is the foundation of a high-performing team. Metrics are important, but they should not be the only measure of team performance. Leaders should step in sooner rather than later to coach teams that are not moving towards high performance, and should focus on healthy team behaviors such as problem solving, retrospectives, and productive conflict.

Empowering Product and Engineering Leaders to Achieve the Best Business Results

In order to set up a team to deliver the best results, it is important to provide them with the proper context and business goals. The product manager should be responsible for aligning teams cross-functionally, gathering ideas, and prioritizing work. It is important to understand the team's strategy for achieving the desired result and to check in on their progress. Additionally, it is important to encourage the team to adapt their plans to incorporate learning.

Creating a Useful Product Vision

A product vision is an important part of a company strategy that serves as a North Star for the product organization, motivating them to create a compelling product that solves customer problems. It should not be confused with the company mission or product roadmap. It is important to create a product vision when teams need to be aligned in a common direction. It is worth the investment to create a product vision that is short and straightforward, and everyone should understand the purpose behind it.

How to Work Mindfully Without Overstressing

This article discusses the challenges faced by the author when transitioning from a Head of Product role to an IC in a larger company. The author had to adjust to a heavier workload, more cognitive initiatives, and multiple stakeholders across multiple time zones. To combat this, the author took feedback from colleagues and managers, structured their workflow to prioritize deep work, and better structured their meeting times. The article also highlights the importance of taking feedback, not underestimating deep work, and not being too harsh on oneself.

Employee Empowerment and Team Building

This article discusses the challenge of transitioning from an individual contributor to a manager, and how to empower a team while still engaging and energizing them. It outlines the steps taken to overcome this challenge, such as getting out of the comfort zone, speaking to a mentor, taking leadership courses, and assessing team members based on their strengths. It also highlights the importance of being honest with oneself, taking personal development seriously, and understanding that the output of a team should be exponential.

Developing Leaders: What to Do When Your Team Starts to Grow

This article discusses the problem of managing a team of five people, which was previously just a team of interns. The output of the team was lower than expected, and the manager realized that the problem was how he was managing the team. He identified the strengths and weaknesses of each team member and assigned tasks accordingly, and sought help from experienced managers and mentors. He learned that it is important to manage people the way they want to be managed, to be accountable for any team problems, and to ask for help when needed.

Building Communities of Practice

This article discusses the problem of communication breakdown as a company grows, and the actions taken to address it. A Community of Practice was created to connect people working on similar problems, and Confluence was used as a tool to enhance collaboration. The concept spread to other departments, and people grouped around different niches in the software development department. The article also highlights the importance of having a community lead to fuel enthusiasm, and the need to create a safe environment for people to share their presentations.

Creating a Career Development System

This article details the process of creating a career development system for a multinational company's branch in Romania. The process involved creating a steering team with leaders from each department, studying a dozen examples of career paths and performance management systems, and receiving feedback from various people across the organization. The resulting system included a dual career track, smaller autonomous teams, and formalized ladders to encourage growth. It also included frequent one-on-ones, defined OKRs, and 360 feedback. The process took a year and the results have been successful, with the engineers' growth being incredible. The article also highlights the importance of involving people in the process, finding a mentor, and understanding the challenges of a larger team.

Leveling Yourself Up: Keeping Up the Pace of a Rapidly Growing Company

When the author joined their current company five years ago, the engineering team was small. As the company grew, the author had to adapt to the changes and develop new skills in order to stay relevant. They learned to think six months ahead and had inspiring conversations with mentors to understand the changes. The author is the only original manager who stayed with the company and has been able to keep up with the rapid growth. They have also been helping others level up by creating opportunities for them to learn by doing. The author believes that people grow by experiencing emotions and understanding the underlying causes that drive actions.

Fostering a Healthy One-on-One Mentorship

This article discusses the importance of establishing a one-on-one relationship with employees in order to increase interconnectivity between departments and provide immediate access to advice, direction, and support. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding the individual needs of employees and providing them with the tools they need to succeed. Finally, it suggests pairing employees with mentors who have already found success in their desired area of specialization.

When Delegation Means Growth

Many first-time managers struggle with delegating and letting things go, which can impede the growth of their reports. To create an environment for people to be autonomous, managers should act as coaches and mentors, guiding their team, having them make decisions, and letting them fail if needed. Managers should also assess if a problem is within the capacities of a person who raised it and ask them about the actions they would take to solve it. Delegation is about responsibility, trust, and accountability, and there are five levels of delegation depending on the seniority and competencies of each individual. Managers need to change their mindset from being problem-solvers to being coaches.

Creating Greater Alignment Among Managers

In order to create alignment among first-line managers, it is necessary to instill in them a sense of belonging to a team of their fellow managers. To do this, the leader created a buddy system, paired people up to work on joint projects, and did full transparent 360 feedback. This allowed the managers to get to know each other better and to ensure that the whole team was working in the same direction. Ultimately, this alignment is necessary to maximize the impact of the organization.

How to Communicate With Former Peers

After being promoted to Director of Engineering, the author found it difficult to maintain relationships with former peers due to the change in perception of their words. They learned to adjust their communication style to be more roundabout and open-ended, and to offer help before asking questions. They also learned that when climbing the ladder, people will perceive them differently and the purpose of their interactions will change. Lastly, they realized that perception shapes how we communicate more than anything else.

Making the Connection Between Developing a Product and the Real-World Consequences of Failure

An Engineering leader faced the challenge of figuring out and picking the OKRs to rally the team. At one of his previous companies, they were in the process of a massive transformation and timely delivery was essential. However, they faced the harsh lesson of the importance of resilience in design from the perspective of technology. To address the problem, they pivoted the framing in terms of investment portfolio allocation, strengthened communication between Engineering and Operations, and measured and understood metrics to give insight to the connections and investments they needed to make. This experience taught the leader the importance of taking accountability, hiring rank-and-file Engineers, and understanding the R&D investment portfolio.

Finding a Higher Calling as a Professional

This article discusses the importance of understanding why we do the work that we do in order to contribute to the world and find our higher purpose. It also emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence and mentorship in order to define success and happiness. The author shares their journey of adapting to a new career and learning to grow in a foreign environment. They also discuss the importance of advocating for others and investing time and effort in understanding the people you mentor.

Paving the Way for the Women of Tomorrow

This is a story of a woman in the technology field who has experienced the lack of female representation and has taken it upon herself to do something about it. She has learned the importance of leaning in with a diversity initiative, and has taken steps to become an example for young women to follow. She has also learned the importance of mentoring and teaching skills to others, and is now focused on leaving a legacy behind. She is thankful for all the help she has received along the way.

Seeing Past the “Dark Side” of Management

The speaker initially found pride in writing good code and solving problems, but was uninterested in the managerial role. After gaining experience, they learned that being a manager involves more than just watching over people and dealing with underperformers. They sought mentors and learned to be transparent about their vulnerabilities, reserve judgement, and cultivate a feeling of positivity. With more to learn, they continue on their journey.

Insights on Diversity and Inclusion

This article discusses the need for diversity and inclusion in the workplace and the practical steps that can be taken to achieve this. The author outlines their goals to improve diversity and inclusion, such as balancing the recruitment funnel, creating special experiences for diversity candidates, and fostering a culture of inclusion and respect. They also discuss the importance of measuring the impact of their efforts and the lessons they have learned.

Building a Structure for Scaling Teamwork

This article discusses the challenges of restructuring and reorganizing a team, and the actions taken to address them. Hiring was expedited by focusing on diversity and inclusion, and by hiring leaders of the future. The team was aligned through a shared vision and by introducing initiatives to align on engineering principles. Communication was kept open, honest, and transparent. The lessons learned were to align between squads, find suitable tools for communication, and keep communication open and transparent.

Leading a Team: A Short Introduction to Chaos

When joining a small Big Data Engineering team in chaos, the leader had to figure out how to set a vision and roadmap for the team. Through meaningful exercises, the team was able to build a shared vision and mission statement, and set objectives to achieve their goals. The team was able to turn around and hire new talent, and the team still exists today. The key lessons learned were to build a shared vision, put the team through meaningful exercises, and communicate the vision to the rest of the organization.

Achieving High Performance From a Cross-Functional Team

This article discusses how to encourage cross-functional teams to work better together. It is important to focus on building trust between team members, as this is the foundation of a high-performing team. Metrics are important, but they should not be the only measure of team performance. Leaders should step in sooner rather than later to coach teams that are not moving towards high performance, and should focus on healthy team behaviors such as problem solving, retrospectives, and productive conflict.

Empowering Product and Engineering Leaders to Achieve the Best Business Results

In order to set up a team to deliver the best results, it is important to provide them with the proper context and business goals. The product manager should be responsible for aligning teams cross-functionally, gathering ideas, and prioritizing work. It is important to understand the team's strategy for achieving the desired result and to check in on their progress. Additionally, it is important to encourage the team to adapt their plans to incorporate learning.

Creating a Useful Product Vision

A product vision is an important part of a company strategy that serves as a North Star for the product organization, motivating them to create a compelling product that solves customer problems. It should not be confused with the company mission or product roadmap. It is important to create a product vision when teams need to be aligned in a common direction. It is worth the investment to create a product vision that is short and straightforward, and everyone should understand the purpose behind it.

How to Work Mindfully Without Overstressing

This article discusses the challenges faced by the author when transitioning from a Head of Product role to an IC in a larger company. The author had to adjust to a heavier workload, more cognitive initiatives, and multiple stakeholders across multiple time zones. To combat this, the author took feedback from colleagues and managers, structured their workflow to prioritize deep work, and better structured their meeting times. The article also highlights the importance of taking feedback, not underestimating deep work, and not being too harsh on oneself.

Employee Empowerment and Team Building

This article discusses the challenge of transitioning from an individual contributor to a manager, and how to empower a team while still engaging and energizing them. It outlines the steps taken to overcome this challenge, such as getting out of the comfort zone, speaking to a mentor, taking leadership courses, and assessing team members based on their strengths. It also highlights the importance of being honest with oneself, taking personal development seriously, and understanding that the output of a team should be exponential.

Developing Leaders: What to Do When Your Team Starts to Grow

This article discusses the problem of managing a team of five people, which was previously just a team of interns. The output of the team was lower than expected, and the manager realized that the problem was how he was managing the team. He identified the strengths and weaknesses of each team member and assigned tasks accordingly, and sought help from experienced managers and mentors. He learned that it is important to manage people the way they want to be managed, to be accountable for any team problems, and to ask for help when needed.

Building Communities of Practice

This article discusses the problem of communication breakdown as a company grows, and the actions taken to address it. A Community of Practice was created to connect people working on similar problems, and Confluence was used as a tool to enhance collaboration. The concept spread to other departments, and people grouped around different niches in the software development department. The article also highlights the importance of having a community lead to fuel enthusiasm, and the need to create a safe environment for people to share their presentations.

Creating a Career Development System

This article details the process of creating a career development system for a multinational company's branch in Romania. The process involved creating a steering team with leaders from each department, studying a dozen examples of career paths and performance management systems, and receiving feedback from various people across the organization. The resulting system included a dual career track, smaller autonomous teams, and formalized ladders to encourage growth. It also included frequent one-on-ones, defined OKRs, and 360 feedback. The process took a year and the results have been successful, with the engineers' growth being incredible. The article also highlights the importance of involving people in the process, finding a mentor, and understanding the challenges of a larger team.

Leveling Yourself Up: Keeping Up the Pace of a Rapidly Growing Company

When the author joined their current company five years ago, the engineering team was small. As the company grew, the author had to adapt to the changes and develop new skills in order to stay relevant. They learned to think six months ahead and had inspiring conversations with mentors to understand the changes. The author is the only original manager who stayed with the company and has been able to keep up with the rapid growth. They have also been helping others level up by creating opportunities for them to learn by doing. The author believes that people grow by experiencing emotions and understanding the underlying causes that drive actions.

Fostering a Healthy One-on-One Mentorship

This article discusses the importance of establishing a one-on-one relationship with employees in order to increase interconnectivity between departments and provide immediate access to advice, direction, and support. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding the individual needs of employees and providing them with the tools they need to succeed. Finally, it suggests pairing employees with mentors who have already found success in their desired area of specialization.

When Delegation Means Growth

Many first-time managers struggle with delegating and letting things go, which can impede the growth of their reports. To create an environment for people to be autonomous, managers should act as coaches and mentors, guiding their team, having them make decisions, and letting them fail if needed. Managers should also assess if a problem is within the capacities of a person who raised it and ask them about the actions they would take to solve it. Delegation is about responsibility, trust, and accountability, and there are five levels of delegation depending on the seniority and competencies of each individual. Managers need to change their mindset from being problem-solvers to being coaches.

Creating Greater Alignment Among Managers

In order to create alignment among first-line managers, it is necessary to instill in them a sense of belonging to a team of their fellow managers. To do this, the leader created a buddy system, paired people up to work on joint projects, and did full transparent 360 feedback. This allowed the managers to get to know each other better and to ensure that the whole team was working in the same direction. Ultimately, this alignment is necessary to maximize the impact of the organization.

How to Communicate With Former Peers

After being promoted to Director of Engineering, the author found it difficult to maintain relationships with former peers due to the change in perception of their words. They learned to adjust their communication style to be more roundabout and open-ended, and to offer help before asking questions. They also learned that when climbing the ladder, people will perceive them differently and the purpose of their interactions will change. Lastly, they realized that perception shapes how we communicate more than anything else.

Making the Connection Between Developing a Product and the Real-World Consequences of Failure

An Engineering leader faced the challenge of figuring out and picking the OKRs to rally the team. At one of his previous companies, they were in the process of a massive transformation and timely delivery was essential. However, they faced the harsh lesson of the importance of resilience in design from the perspective of technology. To address the problem, they pivoted the framing in terms of investment portfolio allocation, strengthened communication between Engineering and Operations, and measured and understood metrics to give insight to the connections and investments they needed to make. This experience taught the leader the importance of taking accountability, hiring rank-and-file Engineers, and understanding the R&D investment portfolio.

Finding a Higher Calling as a Professional

This article discusses the importance of understanding why we do the work that we do in order to contribute to the world and find our higher purpose. It also emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence and mentorship in order to define success and happiness. The author shares their journey of adapting to a new career and learning to grow in a foreign environment. They also discuss the importance of advocating for others and investing time and effort in understanding the people you mentor.

Paving the Way for the Women of Tomorrow

This is a story of a woman in the technology field who has experienced the lack of female representation and has taken it upon herself to do something about it. She has learned the importance of leaning in with a diversity initiative, and has taken steps to become an example for young women to follow. She has also learned the importance of mentoring and teaching skills to others, and is now focused on leaving a legacy behind. She is thankful for all the help she has received along the way.

Seeing Past the “Dark Side” of Management

The speaker initially found pride in writing good code and solving problems, but was uninterested in the managerial role. After gaining experience, they learned that being a manager involves more than just watching over people and dealing with underperformers. They sought mentors and learned to be transparent about their vulnerabilities, reserve judgement, and cultivate a feeling of positivity. With more to learn, they continue on their journey.

Insights on Diversity and Inclusion

This article discusses the need for diversity and inclusion in the workplace and the practical steps that can be taken to achieve this. The author outlines their goals to improve diversity and inclusion, such as balancing the recruitment funnel, creating special experiences for diversity candidates, and fostering a culture of inclusion and respect. They also discuss the importance of measuring the impact of their efforts and the lessons they have learned.

Building a Structure for Scaling Teamwork

This article discusses the challenges of restructuring and reorganizing a team, and the actions taken to address them. Hiring was expedited by focusing on diversity and inclusion, and by hiring leaders of the future. The team was aligned through a shared vision and by introducing initiatives to align on engineering principles. Communication was kept open, honest, and transparent. The lessons learned were to align between squads, find suitable tools for communication, and keep communication open and transparent.

Leading a Team: A Short Introduction to Chaos

When joining a small Big Data Engineering team in chaos, the leader had to figure out how to set a vision and roadmap for the team. Through meaningful exercises, the team was able to build a shared vision and mission statement, and set objectives to achieve their goals. The team was able to turn around and hire new talent, and the team still exists today. The key lessons learned were to build a shared vision, put the team through meaningful exercises, and communicate the vision to the rest of the organization.

Achieving High Performance From a Cross-Functional Team

This article discusses how to encourage cross-functional teams to work better together. It is important to focus on building trust between team members, as this is the foundation of a high-performing team. Metrics are important, but they should not be the only measure of team performance. Leaders should step in sooner rather than later to coach teams that are not moving towards high performance, and should focus on healthy team behaviors such as problem solving, retrospectives, and productive conflict.

Empowering Product and Engineering Leaders to Achieve the Best Business Results

In order to set up a team to deliver the best results, it is important to provide them with the proper context and business goals. The product manager should be responsible for aligning teams cross-functionally, gathering ideas, and prioritizing work. It is important to understand the team's strategy for achieving the desired result and to check in on their progress. Additionally, it is important to encourage the team to adapt their plans to incorporate learning.

Creating a Useful Product Vision

A product vision is an important part of a company strategy that serves as a North Star for the product organization, motivating them to create a compelling product that solves customer problems. It should not be confused with the company mission or product roadmap. It is important to create a product vision when teams need to be aligned in a common direction. It is worth the investment to create a product vision that is short and straightforward, and everyone should understand the purpose behind it.

How to Work Mindfully Without Overstressing

This article discusses the challenges faced by the author when transitioning from a Head of Product role to an IC in a larger company. The author had to adjust to a heavier workload, more cognitive initiatives, and multiple stakeholders across multiple time zones. To combat this, the author took feedback from colleagues and managers, structured their workflow to prioritize deep work, and better structured their meeting times. The article also highlights the importance of taking feedback, not underestimating deep work, and not being too harsh on oneself.

Employee Empowerment and Team Building

This article discusses the challenge of transitioning from an individual contributor to a manager, and how to empower a team while still engaging and energizing them. It outlines the steps taken to overcome this challenge, such as getting out of the comfort zone, speaking to a mentor, taking leadership courses, and assessing team members based on their strengths. It also highlights the importance of being honest with oneself, taking personal development seriously, and understanding that the output of a team should be exponential.

Developing Leaders: What to Do When Your Team Starts to Grow

This article discusses the problem of managing a team of five people, which was previously just a team of interns. The output of the team was lower than expected, and the manager realized that the problem was how he was managing the team. He identified the strengths and weaknesses of each team member and assigned tasks accordingly, and sought help from experienced managers and mentors. He learned that it is important to manage people the way they want to be managed, to be accountable for any team problems, and to ask for help when needed.

Building Communities of Practice

This article discusses the problem of communication breakdown as a company grows, and the actions taken to address it. A Community of Practice was created to connect people working on similar problems, and Confluence was used as a tool to enhance collaboration. The concept spread to other departments, and people grouped around different niches in the software development department. The article also highlights the importance of having a community lead to fuel enthusiasm, and the need to create a safe environment for people to share their presentations.

Creating a Career Development System

This article details the process of creating a career development system for a multinational company's branch in Romania. The process involved creating a steering team with leaders from each department, studying a dozen examples of career paths and performance management systems, and receiving feedback from various people across the organization. The resulting system included a dual career track, smaller autonomous teams, and formalized ladders to encourage growth. It also included frequent one-on-ones, defined OKRs, and 360 feedback. The process took a year and the results have been successful, with the engineers' growth being incredible. The article also highlights the importance of involving people in the process, finding a mentor, and understanding the challenges of a larger team.

Leveling Yourself Up: Keeping Up the Pace of a Rapidly Growing Company

When the author joined their current company five years ago, the engineering team was small. As the company grew, the author had to adapt to the changes and develop new skills in order to stay relevant. They learned to think six months ahead and had inspiring conversations with mentors to understand the changes. The author is the only original manager who stayed with the company and has been able to keep up with the rapid growth. They have also been helping others level up by creating opportunities for them to learn by doing. The author believes that people grow by experiencing emotions and understanding the underlying causes that drive actions.

Fostering a Healthy One-on-One Mentorship

This article discusses the importance of establishing a one-on-one relationship with employees in order to increase interconnectivity between departments and provide immediate access to advice, direction, and support. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding the individual needs of employees and providing them with the tools they need to succeed. Finally, it suggests pairing employees with mentors who have already found success in their desired area of specialization.

When Delegation Means Growth

Many first-time managers struggle with delegating and letting things go, which can impede the growth of their reports. To create an environment for people to be autonomous, managers should act as coaches and mentors, guiding their team, having them make decisions, and letting them fail if needed. Managers should also assess if a problem is within the capacities of a person who raised it and ask them about the actions they would take to solve it. Delegation is about responsibility, trust, and accountability, and there are five levels of delegation depending on the seniority and competencies of each individual. Managers need to change their mindset from being problem-solvers to being coaches.

Creating Greater Alignment Among Managers

In order to create alignment among first-line managers, it is necessary to instill in them a sense of belonging to a team of their fellow managers. To do this, the leader created a buddy system, paired people up to work on joint projects, and did full transparent 360 feedback. This allowed the managers to get to know each other better and to ensure that the whole team was working in the same direction. Ultimately, this alignment is necessary to maximize the impact of the organization.

How to Communicate With Former Peers

After being promoted to Director of Engineering, the author found it difficult to maintain relationships with former peers due to the change in perception of their words. They learned to adjust their communication style to be more roundabout and open-ended, and to offer help before asking questions. They also learned that when climbing the ladder, people will perceive them differently and the purpose of their interactions will change. Lastly, they realized that perception shapes how we communicate more than anything else.

Making the Connection Between Developing a Product and the Real-World Consequences of Failure

An Engineering leader faced the challenge of figuring out and picking the OKRs to rally the team. At one of his previous companies, they were in the process of a massive transformation and timely delivery was essential. However, they faced the harsh lesson of the importance of resilience in design from the perspective of technology. To address the problem, they pivoted the framing in terms of investment portfolio allocation, strengthened communication between Engineering and Operations, and measured and understood metrics to give insight to the connections and investments they needed to make. This experience taught the leader the importance of taking accountability, hiring rank-and-file Engineers, and understanding the R&D investment portfolio.

Finding a Higher Calling as a Professional

This article discusses the importance of understanding why we do the work that we do in order to contribute to the world and find our higher purpose. It also emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence and mentorship in order to define success and happiness. The author shares their journey of adapting to a new career and learning to grow in a foreign environment. They also discuss the importance of advocating for others and investing time and effort in understanding the people you mentor.

Paving the Way for the Women of Tomorrow

This is a story of a woman in the technology field who has experienced the lack of female representation and has taken it upon herself to do something about it. She has learned the importance of leaning in with a diversity initiative, and has taken steps to become an example for young women to follow. She has also learned the importance of mentoring and teaching skills to others, and is now focused on leaving a legacy behind. She is thankful for all the help she has received along the way.

Seeing Past the “Dark Side” of Management

The speaker initially found pride in writing good code and solving problems, but was uninterested in the managerial role. After gaining experience, they learned that being a manager involves more than just watching over people and dealing with underperformers. They sought mentors and learned to be transparent about their vulnerabilities, reserve judgement, and cultivate a feeling of positivity. With more to learn, they continue on their journey.

Insights on Diversity and Inclusion

This article discusses the need for diversity and inclusion in the workplace and the practical steps that can be taken to achieve this. The author outlines their goals to improve diversity and inclusion, such as balancing the recruitment funnel, creating special experiences for diversity candidates, and fostering a culture of inclusion and respect. They also discuss the importance of measuring the impact of their efforts and the lessons they have learned.

Building a Structure for Scaling Teamwork

This article discusses the challenges of restructuring and reorganizing a team, and the actions taken to address them. Hiring was expedited by focusing on diversity and inclusion, and by hiring leaders of the future. The team was aligned through a shared vision and by introducing initiatives to align on engineering principles. Communication was kept open, honest, and transparent. The lessons learned were to align between squads, find suitable tools for communication, and keep communication open and transparent.

Leading a Team: A Short Introduction to Chaos

When joining a small Big Data Engineering team in chaos, the leader had to figure out how to set a vision and roadmap for the team. Through meaningful exercises, the team was able to build a shared vision and mission statement, and set objectives to achieve their goals. The team was able to turn around and hire new talent, and the team still exists today. The key lessons learned were to build a shared vision, put the team through meaningful exercises, and communicate the vision to the rest of the organization.

Achieving High Performance From a Cross-Functional Team

This article discusses how to encourage cross-functional teams to work better together. It is important to focus on building trust between team members, as this is the foundation of a high-performing team. Metrics are important, but they should not be the only measure of team performance. Leaders should step in sooner rather than later to coach teams that are not moving towards high performance, and should focus on healthy team behaviors such as problem solving, retrospectives, and productive conflict.

Empowering Product and Engineering Leaders to Achieve the Best Business Results

In order to set up a team to deliver the best results, it is important to provide them with the proper context and business goals. The product manager should be responsible for aligning teams cross-functionally, gathering ideas, and prioritizing work. It is important to understand the team's strategy for achieving the desired result and to check in on their progress. Additionally, it is important to encourage the team to adapt their plans to incorporate learning.

Creating a Useful Product Vision

A product vision is an important part of a company strategy that serves as a North Star for the product organization, motivating them to create a compelling product that solves customer problems. It should not be confused with the company mission or product roadmap. It is important to create a product vision when teams need to be aligned in a common direction. It is worth the investment to create a product vision that is short and straightforward, and everyone should understand the purpose behind it.

How to Work Mindfully Without Overstressing

This article discusses the challenges faced by the author when transitioning from a Head of Product role to an IC in a larger company. The author had to adjust to a heavier workload, more cognitive initiatives, and multiple stakeholders across multiple time zones. To combat this, the author took feedback from colleagues and managers, structured their workflow to prioritize deep work, and better structured their meeting times. The article also highlights the importance of taking feedback, not underestimating deep work, and not being too harsh on oneself.

Employee Empowerment and Team Building

This article discusses the challenge of transitioning from an individual contributor to a manager, and how to empower a team while still engaging and energizing them. It outlines the steps taken to overcome this challenge, such as getting out of the comfort zone, speaking to a mentor, taking leadership courses, and assessing team members based on their strengths. It also highlights the importance of being honest with oneself, taking personal development seriously, and understanding that the output of a team should be exponential.

Developing Leaders: What to Do When Your Team Starts to Grow

This article discusses the problem of managing a team of five people, which was previously just a team of interns. The output of the team was lower than expected, and the manager realized that the problem was how he was managing the team. He identified the strengths and weaknesses of each team member and assigned tasks accordingly, and sought help from experienced managers and mentors. He learned that it is important to manage people the way they want to be managed, to be accountable for any team problems, and to ask for help when needed.

Building Communities of Practice

This article discusses the problem of communication breakdown as a company grows, and the actions taken to address it. A Community of Practice was created to connect people working on similar problems, and Confluence was used as a tool to enhance collaboration. The concept spread to other departments, and people grouped around different niches in the software development department. The article also highlights the importance of having a community lead to fuel enthusiasm, and the need to create a safe environment for people to share their presentations.

Creating a Career Development System

This article details the process of creating a career development system for a multinational company's branch in Romania. The process involved creating a steering team with leaders from each department, studying a dozen examples of career paths and performance management systems, and receiving feedback from various people across the organization. The resulting system included a dual career track, smaller autonomous teams, and formalized ladders to encourage growth. It also included frequent one-on-ones, defined OKRs, and 360 feedback. The process took a year and the results have been successful, with the engineers' growth being incredible. The article also highlights the importance of involving people in the process, finding a mentor, and understanding the challenges of a larger team.

Leveling Yourself Up: Keeping Up the Pace of a Rapidly Growing Company

When the author joined their current company five years ago, the engineering team was small. As the company grew, the author had to adapt to the changes and develop new skills in order to stay relevant. They learned to think six months ahead and had inspiring conversations with mentors to understand the changes. The author is the only original manager who stayed with the company and has been able to keep up with the rapid growth. They have also been helping others level up by creating opportunities for them to learn by doing. The author believes that people grow by experiencing emotions and understanding the underlying causes that drive actions.