Using Project Aristotle To Build Highly Effective Teams
What Is Project Aristotle? In 2014, Google published research on a prioritised list of factors contributing to an effective team. A key conclusion in their …
Teams
Results from Work Mode Survey
I ran a survey over a month ago to determine the “new normal” work mode. Over a couple of weeks, my newsletter received 100+ responses, …
Book Notes – The Culture Map by Erin Meyer
In my technical leadership training, participants want advice on leading multicultural teams. This was already a challenge for leaders with offices in multiple locations, and …
Where do Tech Leads fit into Scrum Teams?
A frequent question I receive in my workshops is, “Where do Tech Leads fit into scrum teams?” If you look at the Scrum Guide, it …
Engineering Manager vs Scrum Master
People often ask me, “What is the difference between an Engineering Manager and a Scrum Master?” and “Do you need both an Engineering Manager and …
How Engineering Managers Fail
Engineering Managers (EMs) don’t intentionally set out to fail. Instead, they are often set up for failure. But even if they are set up for …
How Many People Can Someone Lead?
The Short Answer A common question I hear in my technical leadership workshops is, “How many people can someone (e.g. a Tech Lead or Engineering …
The Holiday Test
First-time leaders often ask, “How do you know you’ve built a high-performing team?” My response? Use the holiday test. You pass the test if you …
Software Engineering Leadership Communities
I receive a number of requests through this blog, in my workshops and through Level Up, a curated newsletter for leaders in tech about connecting …
Book Recommendations By Engineering Leaders
I’m stunned to have met several people in my career who proudly say, “I have never read a [technical/leadership] book.” I certainly acknowledge information is …