Feedback Techniques

Make Hard Time Easier -- Work With a Sponsor

When the company needed to bring in a more experienced CTO, the Product Development team, including the author, had to go through a difficult transition. The author was able to recruit a technical advisor as the new CTO, and through their relationship, the author was able to learn valuable lessons about asking for and listening to feedback, challenging and disagreeing with their manager, and using what they learned to help turn their next manager into a sponsor.

Creating Psychological Safety and Why It Matters

Psychological Safety is a key factor in creating a successful organization, and it is based on trust. At GuideSpark, the engineering environment was low on trust, so the challenge was to transform the organization. To do this, the company had to understand the importance of software development and embrace key pillars such as Iteration, Introspection, and Improvement. To build trust, an Architecture Review Board was created to bring Product and Engineering together in a place where they could openly talk about ideas without blame or fear. This exercise, along with other tactics, helped to build trust and create Psychological Safety, which is the foundation for success.

Four Common Challenges of a First-Time Manager

When the manager of a team left, the most senior person stepped in during the interim period. This person was surprised to find that technical competencies were not enough to be a successful manager, and had to learn soft skills on the fly. They also had to learn how to collaborate with other teams, deliver negative feedback, and keep track of team progress. In the end, they learned the importance of soft skills, the need for timely feedback, and the importance of tracking team progress.

Best Practices for Written Communication in Engineering Leadership

This article discusses best practices for written communication in engineering leadership roles. It emphasizes the importance of providing direct and concise answers to questions, while also considering the audience and avoiding unnecessary details. It suggests addressing conflicts diplomatically through in-person or one-on-one meetings, focusing on shared goals and understanding perspectives. The article also highlights the need for improving technical writing skills by being clear and concise in documentation, seeking feedback, and setting goals for professional growth. Overall, effective written communication is crucial in engineering leadership roles, and tailoring communication to the audience is essential.

Breaking Out of a Feature Factory

A startup team was struggling to acquire multiple customers due to a lack of strategic direction. To overcome this, they identified tangible hypotheses based on market and customer research to help them build features that would serve many customers. To get people on board, they had to create a compelling product story and convince internal stakeholders. They also had to manage emotions and point to solid facts and research to help customers overcome emotional attachment.

Designing a Career Ladder

The author experienced a drop in productivity due to too many meetings and not having a person to delegate duties to. To address this, the team was split into two and three leaders were assigned, one for the full-stack team and two for the product teams. This allowed for more focus time and the feedback has been positive. The author also learned that leading managers is a different sport than leading ICs and involves providing advice on leadership and feedback.