/Leadership

The Impact Of AI Tooling On Engineering At ANZ Bank

- Abi Noda tl;dr: “To evaluate whether Copilot should be used org-wide, the authors of this paper conducted an experiment for six weeks, and compared the tool’s impact on a test group versus a control group. They based their evaluation of the tool’s impact using measures for productivity, quality, and security.“

featured in #508

The 37signals Guide To Internal Communication

tl;dr: 30 rules including: (1) Give meaningful discussions a meaningful amount of time to develop and unfold. Rushing to judgement, or demanding immediate responses, only serves to increase the odds of poor decision making. (2) Meetings are the last resort, not the first option. (3) Writing solidifies, chat dissolves. Substantial decisions start and end with an exchange of complete thoughts, not one-line-at-a-time jousts. If it’s important, critical, or fundamental, write it up, don’t chat it down.

featured in #507

Mentorship, Coaching, Sponsorship: Three Different — And Equally Important — Tools For Developing Talent

- Jacob Kaplan-Moss tl;dr: “One of the main responsibilities of a leader / manager is helping their staff develop. Mentorship, coaching, and sponsorship are import tools in the staff development toolbox. Good leaders should be adept in all three, and know when (and when not) to use each. In my work with new managers, I sometimes see confusion about these three different tools, and I see people using them in the wrong circumstances.” Jacob provides a glossary, high-level explanation of what these three things are, how they differ, and where to use them.

featured in #507

5 Non-Verbal Behaviors Killing Team Health

- Raviraj Achar tl;dr: Raviraj shares annoying non-verbal behaviors, how he avoids exhibiting them, and how to deal with them. These include: (1) Silent but Irritated - the person that rolls their eyes when they hear something “stupid” or exhales heavily when someone disagrees with them. (2) Annoying Interrupter - they appear eager to interrupt the speaker and can’t seem to wait for their turn. This behavior can be distracting when the speaker is trying to make their point. (3) Ever Confused - The person gives a puzzled look to everything you say but asks no follow-up questions.

featured in #506

Meetings For An Effective Eng Organization

- Will Larson tl;dr: "I’d like to recommend 6 core meetings that I recommend every organization start with, and that I’ve found can go a surprisingly long way. These six are split across three operational meetings, two developmental meetings and finally a monthly engineering Q&A to learn what the organization is really thinking about." Will discusses each in depth. 

featured in #506

Meetings For An Effective Eng Organization

- Will Larson tl;dr: "I’d like to recommend 6 core meetings that I recommend every organization start with, and that I’ve found can go a surprisingly long way. These six are split across three operational meetings, two developmental meetings and finally a monthly engineering Q&A to learn what the organization is really thinking about." Will discusses each in depth. 

featured in #505

Have Concerns And Commit

tl;dr: “I lead a couple of teams. I could use a gut check on decision making. how do you convey a top down decision (a decision that you don’t buy in entirely) to your team? something other than “hey, leadership wants x, I see a, b, and c as potential pitfalls in x. I have conveyed my reservations. now it’s time to disagree and commit”” The author breaks decisions into three types - non-material, material and critical.

featured in #504

15 Principles For Managing Up

- Wes Kao tl;dr: Wes gives phrases of how to verbalize each: (1) Embrace managing up. (2) Focus on the punchline. (3) Show your thought process. (4) Flag potential issues. (5) Bring solutions, not complaints. (6) Use information hierarchy. (7) Keep your manager in the loop. (8) Are you being micromanaged, or do you need to communicate better? (9) Over-communication might be the right amount. (10) Proactively assert what to do. (11) Don’t only ask questions. Share your point of view too. (12) Anticipate questions. (13) Know when to get out. (14) Be explicit about what you need. (15) Expect to manage up forever. 

featured in #504

15 Principles For Managing Up

- Wes Kao tl;dr: Wes gives phrases of how to verbalize each: (1) Embrace managing up. (2) Focus on the punchline. (3) Show your thought process. (4) Flag potential issues. (5) Bring solutions, not complaints. (6) Use information hierarchy. (7) Keep your manager in the loop. (8) Are you being micromanaged, or do you need to communicate better? (9) Over-communication might be the right amount. (10) Proactively assert what to do. (11) Don’t only ask questions. Share your point of view too. (12) Anticipate questions. (13) Know when to get out. (14) Be explicit about what you need. (15) Expect to manage up forever. 

featured in #503

Leadership And Willpower

- Mike Fisher tl;dr: Mikes discusses the concept of a Level 5 leader: “They defy conventional expectations. They are a paradox in that they are humble yet determined and modest yet fearless. This potent blend fuels their ability to inspire unwavering dedication in their teams towards a shared vision. Their quiet confidence and strong convictions propel them to elevate organizations from good to great.” He discusses how we can build our willpower by regulrly doing difficult things. 

featured in #503