Leadership Development

How to Communicate with a Team Based in a Different Location

June implemented a work from home policy but many of the team was still working in the office. To stay in contact with product and engineering leaders and keep direct reports connected, the manager got buy-in from everyone at the company, traveled to the office every quarter, over-communicated, and uncomplicated video calls. Lessons learned included starting the conversation early, disseminating decisions quickly, meeting in person every 6-8 weeks, and replacing in-person conversations with asynchronous updates. Standups were ditched and video calls were simplified to eliminate technology problems.

API Migration: A Story of Confidence, Clear Goal, and Focus

This project was a migration from Google App Engine to Kubernetes, which was taking over two years and facing multiple delays and setbacks. The leadership was considering canceling the project, but the author stepped in and made himself personally accountable. He set clear and precise milestones, took risks, cleaned up the backlog, and tracked progress with a progress bar. He also communicated progress and results to the rest of the company, and inspired the team to work hard. Through this, he was able to successfully complete the project and save the company over $1M in infrastructure costs. The lessons learned from this project include rebuilding confidence and morale, taking accountability, breaking down large projects into smaller parts, having a proof of concept, and having a clear measure of value.

How to Ensure a Successful Paternity Leave

This article discusses the challenges of managing a team during a long leave of absence, such as paternity leave. It outlines the steps that should be taken to ensure a successful transition, such as creating a centralized document detailing responsibilities and delegating tasks to senior engineers. It also highlights the difficulty of coming back to the office after an absence, as it can be difficult to provide feedback on the work completed while away. Finally, it notes that it takes two to four weeks for a team to absorb an individual back into the group after an absence.

Overcoming imposter syndrome through focusing on your strengths

When taking on a new management role, it is normal to feel overwhelmed and like you are not equipped to manage the team. It is important to recognize your strengths and weaknesses and be open with your manager and team about them. Additionally, it can be helpful to listen to podcasts and reach out to a product forum to talk about the emotions associated with imposter syndrome. Finally, having a community outside of your organization can help to combat feelings of isolation.

The Benefits of Performance Reviews and How to Carry Them Out

Performance management processes vary greatly between companies, ranging from non-existent to well-thought-out. To make performance reviews more successful, goals, feedback, and frequent check-ins should be incorporated into the process. This will help individuals achieve their potential and grow in the company, while also helping the business grow. Performance management should be a continuous process, separate from promotion and compensation conversations.

Handing the Team Over To a New Manager

When transitioning a team to a new manager, it is important to be transparent and available to the team, while also avoiding micromanaging and ambiguity. The process should be broken down into three phases: pre-handover, handover, and post-handover. During the pre-handover phase, it is important to transfer operational and personnel knowledge and address any insecurities the team may have. During the handover phase, the transition should be as short as possible and the new manager should be publicly announced. During the post-handover phase, the former manager should check in with the team from a distance and address any issues the new manager may be having.