Diversity & Inclusion

How to Improve Team Communication

When inheriting an enterprise-level program in a medical devices company, I took action to identify the eight workstreams and their activities, as well as the external high-level stakeholders who were not satisfied. To address this, I established a program structure, a roadmap for the senior leadership, and a cadence on reporting. I also identified a point person to play a leadership role and set expectations with respect to cultural issues. Through this process, I learned the importance of research, interviews, and observation, as well as the need to meet and get to know teams, develop a roadmap, identify motivations, and find a middle ground between parties.

Managing a Report With Communication Issues

This article discusses the experience of managing a stellar engineer who needed help with communication skills. The manager used a coaching model to help the engineer, focusing on asking questions and guiding them towards self-transformation. Over time, the engineer became more responsive and trusting, and eventually began to value the relationship. The article concludes with the lessons learned, including the importance of being open and vulnerable when mentoring someone.

Resolving Workplace Conflict

This article discusses the importance of conflict resolution, both within a team and between a manager and their team. It outlines the steps taken to resolve a conflict between two senior engineers of different cultural backgrounds, and how the manager was able to get them to work together. It also discusses the manager's own experience with a peer who was pushing back on her ideas, and how she was able to overcome this by documenting her ideas and presenting them to her colleague before meetings. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding the other person's perspective and picking one's battles.

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.

How Work Visa Uncertainty Made Me More Successful at Work

This article is about the challenges of working on a work visa in the US and UK for eight years. It discusses how the author used the uncertainty of their situation to their advantage, pushing themselves to work harder and reinvent themselves every year. It also discusses how the author had to build relationships in a new environment and culture, and learn a different language. The article concludes with the lessons the author learned, such as going out of their comfort zone, taking risks, and being confident and assertive.

Resolving Conflicts in a Non-Work Setting

A manager stepped in to diffuse a conflict between a team lead and junior IC at a happy hour. The manager took the junior IC aside and suggested they take the weekend to cool off and come back on Monday to discuss solutions. The manager also called their own manager and the junior IC to ensure the situation was handled properly. The manager learned that it is important to address individual concerns early and to step in to prevent conflict from escalating. Celebrating in moderation is also important.