Tactics for Tech Leadership (TTL) (Andrew Parker and Mon-Chaio Lo)

In episode 29, Andy and Mon-Chaio explored Grint's taxonomy of tame, critical, and wicked problems and how different problem categories required different leadership tactics. However, Grint had a lot more to say about the tactics necessary to adequately address wicked problems.

In this episode, our hosts delve deeper into Grint's paper and introduce his concept of elegant and clumsy solutions. They discuss how the two solutions differ, what role uncertainty plays in dealing with wicked problems, and how egalitarian practices of empathy and community of fate are necessary to truly address the most challenging problems engineering organizations face.

References

• Wicked Problems and Clumsy Solutions: the Role of Leadership
• Rage Against the Machine: Killing in the Name lyrics
• Cortés scuttling his ships

A new project comes down the pike and Engineering asks for more heads to ship said project. Is this a reasonable request or are there other tactics we can use to "do more with less"? Mon-Chaio and Andy explore this common situation from both sides and offer specific diagnostic techniques to move the business forward, whether that's with additional headcount or without.

Opening music from Flight of the Conchords - Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros

References

• Cost center

• Slack time

• Pair-programming

• Horse trading

• SaaS

• OKR

• Sunk cost fallacy

• Hiphopopotamus

In this engaging episode, Mon-Chaio and Andy dive deep into the topic of peer code reviews. They begin by providing historical context, tracing back code review practices to IBM's research in the 70s and 80s, and examine the efficacy of modern-day peer reviews. The hosts debate the true benefits of code reviews, discussing whether they genuinely enhance quality or merely serve as a process ritual. They also explore alternative methods like pair programming, and propose innovative ideas for improving peer review processes, such as detailed walkthroughs and code review checklists.

Listeners are encouraged to experiment with different tactics and to consider feedback on their own peer review approaches. Join Mon-Chaio and Andy as they navigate the intricacies of peer reviews and share actionable insights for refining this critical practice in software engineering organizations.

References

• Investigating the effectiveness of peer code review in distributed software development based on objective and subjective data
• Advances in Software Inspections
• The Impact of Design and Code Reviews on Software Quality: An Empirical Study Based on PSP Data
• An empirical study of the impact of modern code reviewpractices on software quality
• Evaluating Pair Programming with Respect to System Complexity and Programmer Expertise
• Are Two Heads Better than One? On the Effectiveness of Pair Programming
• From Async Code Reviews to Co-Creation Patterns

 This episode marks the third and final part of a series focusing on remote work, where Andy and Mon-Chaio delve into tactics that you can use when working with remote teams. Specific topics include maintaining company values and culture through computer-mediated interactions, the role of rituals and symbols like custom emojis and the importance of maintaining weak relations for innovation and career development. Additionally, the episode emphasizes transparency, manager roles in fostering connections, and the necessity of in-person interactions for remote teams. The conversation is rich with tactics, including promoting asynchronous communication, ensuring information transparency, and the critical role of trust and weak ties in remote team dynamics.

Transcript: https://thettlpodcast.com/2024/04/08/s2e14-tactics-for-remote-work-remote-work-series-part-3-of-3/

References:

• Hybrid Work Is Just Work. Are We Doing It Wrong - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/hybrid-work-is-just-work/
• Structural Holes and Good Ideas - https://networksprovidehappiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Burt.-2004.-Structural-Holes-and-Good-Ideas.pdf
• The Effects of Remote Work on Collaboration Among Information Workers - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-021-01196-4
• Research: Where Managers and Employees Disagree About Remote Work - https://hbr.org/2023/01/research-where-managers-and-employees-disagree-about-remote-work
• GitLab: Work Where You Want, When You Want - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s41469-020-00087-8
• The 7 Biggest Remote Work Challenges (and how to overcome them) - https://zapier.com/blog/remote-work-challenges/
• Lessons Learned: 1,000 Days of Distributed Atlassian - https://www.atlassian.com/blog/distributed-work/distributed-work-report

Morale: a topic that impacts every team. But how does morale influence organizational effectiveness? And what really makes a morale event impactful?

Through humorous banter and thoughtful discussion, Andy and Mon-Chaio offer actionable insights and challenge conventional wisdom. They share personal anecdotes, explore research-backed definitions, and tackle the complexities of boosting team morale effectively. Listen to their creative suggestions and real-world examples that might just redefine how you think about morale and team building.

References

• The Definition and Measurement of Employee Morale
• Morale: definitions, dimensions and measurement
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

Andy and Mon-Chaio explore the concept of growth and improvement, focusing on technical leadership. They learn about deliberate practice and discuss its role in enhancing skills for leaders. Scrabble players help them identify practices that lead to skill improvements and contrasting methods that don't, such as casual reading or working. The discussion wanders to how these findings relate to NBA coaching and engineering leadership. By the end, listeners will understand why deliberate practice, reflection, and handling high-stakes situations are essential for leaders aiming to improve their skills.

Transcript: https://thettlpodcast.com/2024/10/13/sxey-2/

References

• The impact of multiple measures of leader experience on leader effectiveness: New insights for leader selection - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0148296301003125
• Developing Strategic Leadership Competencies - https://joams.com/uploadfile/2014/1008/20141008051224975.pdf
• What Makes an Exemplary Engineering Leader? In the Words of Engineers - https://ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/PCEEA/article/download/15941/10441
• Given that the detailed original criteria for deliberate practice have not changed, could the understanding of this complex concept have improved over time? A response to Macnamara and Hambrick (2020) - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00426-020-01368-3
• Gender differences in SCRABBLE performance and associated engagement in purposeful practice activities - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00426-017-0905-3

What is technical strategy? Is it a document explaining how to extend your data platform? A set of wiki articles on how you're tackling technical debt? A forward-looking treatise on how you will integrate generative AI into your tech stack?

In this episode, Mon-Chaio and Andy dive into the intricacies of creating a tech strategy for engineering leaders. They explore why having a guiding doctrine is crucial for decision-making processes in tech organizations. By discussing concepts like Wardley Mapping and the distinctions between strategy and operational effectiveness, they offer insight into establishing a unique value proposition, integrating choices across value chains, and maintaining a long-term strategy even amidst distractions.

Tune in to learn how to formulate a technical strategy that aligns with your business goals and propels your organization toward sustained success.

References

• The Role of the Chief Technology Officer in Strategic Innovation, Project Execution, and Mentoring
• Strategy: Creating and Sustaining Competitive Advantage
• Corporate Strategy: Past, Present, and Future
• Business Strategy and Organizational Performance
• Strategy Mapping with Simon Wardley - Define Tomorrow 2018
• Wardley Mapping Part 1: How and why to map your business

Mon-Chaio summarizes some common red flags that surface during a company's technical due diligence investigation.

References:

• A Dive into Technical Due Diligence and Common Hurdles Impacting Investment

Andy and Mon-Chaio talk about the dreaded request for team performance metrics. Rather than simply agreeing to start measuring, we explore a different approach.

Opening quote from "Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Compassion"

References

• Explore, Expand, Extract - https://medium.com/@kentbeck_7670/fast-slow-in-3x-explore-expand-extract-6d4c94a7539

• Commandos, Infantry, Police - https://blog.codinghorror.com/commandos-infantry-and-police/

• SPACE Metrics - https://queue.acm.org/detail.cfm?id=3454124

• DevEx metrics - https://www.infoq.com/articles/devex-metrics-framework/

• NVC - https://www.cnvc.org/training/resource/book-chapter-1

What has Andy been reading recently? Where is Mon-Chaio? In this quick vacationcast you'll find out the answer to both of those questions.

Andy studied kendo for several years at the University of Washington and at the Highline Kendo Kai in Seattle under Marsten Sensei. He hasn't practiced for many years, but hopes to get his life setup so that he can get back to kendo at some point and is always happy to talk to people about it.

If you have questions about these books, kendo, or anything, send an email to hosts@thettlpodcast.com.

References

• A Book of Five Rings
• No Hard Feelings

 In this episode of the TTL podcast, Andy and Mon-Chaio delve into the importance of technical skills and mindset in leadership roles, particularly as individuals transition from technical to management positions. Their discussions are anchored by research findings, such as an article hypothesizing technical competence loss in Boeing's leadership contributing to quality issues, and an HBR article highlighting that 24 of the 100 best-performing CEOs have engineering degrees. Mon-Chaio and Andy argue that while the technical execution may become less critical at higher leadership levels, a technical mindset plays a crucial role in problem-solving and decision-making. They also look at some job postings to dissect expectations on technical leaders, suggesting that a mix of technical understanding and leadership capabilities is essential.

Please like, subscribe, and share your thoughts on how a technical background influences leadership effectiveness.

Transcript: https://thettlpodcast.com/2024/03/05/s2e9-do-leaders-have-to-be-technical/

References

• The 1997 Merger That Paved the Way for the Boeing 737 Max Crisis - https://qz.com/1776080/how-the-mcdonnell-douglas-boeing-merger-led-to-the-737-max-crisis
• The Questionable Engineering of the 737 Max - https://youtu.be/hhT4M0UjJcg?si=0ldd3bN6bM2d_UPx
• Google "boeing merger with mcdonnell douglas management problems" for many different takes on whether this was a root of the problems. https://www.google.com/search?q=boeing+merger+with+mcdonnell+douglas+management+problems
• How technology-based firms become also highly innovative firms? The role of knowledge, technological and managerial capabilities, and entrepreneurs’ background - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2444569X18300726
• CIO influence behaviors: the impact of technical background - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S037872060200040X
• CEO background and impact on performance - https://oxford-review.com/ceo-background-and-impact-on-performance-live-resource/
• The Best-Performing CEOs in the World - https://hbr.org/2014/11/the-best-performing-ceos-in-the-world
• Why Managers Fail - https://www.jstor.org/stable/24119148

Join Mon-Chaio in this VacationCast episode where he recounts an anecdote from his past involving collaboration, inclusion, and using diverse language in a business environment.

One way of categorizing problems faced by engineering organizations is Keith Grint’s framework of wicked, tame, and critical problems. These problem types, each with their unique characteristics and challenges, require distinct approaches to effectively address them.

Join Andy and Mon-Chaio as they provide practical insights and real-world examples to illustrate how engineering leaders can effectively switch between leadership, management, and command roles depending on the nature of the problem at hand. They also share strategies for developing the flexibility and discernment needed to identify the type of problem and apply the appropriate approach.

Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of Grint’s problem-solving framework and enhance your ability to lead your engineering team through any challenge. Whether you’re dealing with a wicked, tame, or critical problem, this episode equips you with the tools to tackle it head-on.

References

•  Wicked Problems and Clumsy Solutions: the Role of Leadership
•  Jargon File
• Cynefin framework

 In this edition of the TTL podcast, hosts Andy Parker and Mon Chaio Lo bring in their first guest, Ethan Fryer-Ressmeyer, an executive coach from Seattle, Washington. Ethan is an International Coaching Federation (ICF) Certified Coach with a background in Fortune 50 Aerospace Engineering Leadership. He helps leaders discover and implement their own, unique leadership approaches to achieve results with authenticity. He believes that we too often tolerate less than incredible circumstances and his approach helps people create environments that others want to be a part of.

The discussion centers around executive coaching, leadership coaching, and the inherent tension managers feel between adopting a coaching approach with their teams and having to sometimes be directive or consultative. Additionally, they delve into the concept of leadership and management, noting the differences between executive and management coaching. Ethan emphasizes the core belief of coaches that their clients have the tools to be successful and that coaching is all about helping the client get out of their own way. The conversation also touches on the different leadership styles, the notion of ‘uncoachability’, and the tactics for unlocking an individual’s ability to contribute.

Connect with Ethan:

• Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/in/efressmeyer/
• Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/coach_efr/
• Website – https://ressmeyerpartners.com/

References recommended by Ethan:

• ICF Core Competencies
• HBR The Leader as Coach
• The Coaching Habit
• Energy Leadership
• Dare to Lead

References from Mon-Chaio and Andy:

• The Psychology of Executive Coaching –
• Authoritarian leadership styles and performance: a systematic literature review and research agenda
• Your leadership style: why understanding yourself matters

Andy and Mon-Chaio give some background on their professional experiences and talk about how the TLL podcast is unique and why that's a good thing.

 Andy and Mon-Chaio challenge the traditional notions of root cause analysis and incident reviews within complex systems. They examine how the framing of ensuring errors 'never happen again' can be counterproductive, suggesting a shift towards faster recovery and continuous learning instead. Drawing parallels with After Action Reviews in the military and Netflix's Chaos Monkey, they advocate for embracing controlled chaos and fostering a culture of practice and micro-decisions. Listeners will gain insights into how technical errors and normative errors are perceived, and why focusing on organizational culture can be more effective than strict process adherence. By the end, listeners will understand the importance of balancing process with flexibility and why living at the edge of chaos is crucial for organizational resilience.

Transcript: https://thettlpodcast.com/2024/09/29/s2e39-living-on-the-edge-of-chaos/

References

• Books by Sidney Dekker - https://sidneydekker.com/books/
• Chaos Monkey - https://netflix.github.io/chaosmonkey/
• Andy's talk "From Outage to Understanding" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5grWMM5nIC4

Let's imagine that you are just taking on an engineering organization. Maybe it is new to you or maybe it is completely new. What should you do to set yourself up for success? What are some of the important, or critical, aspects to think through, write down, nail down, or get agreement on?

In a five-part series, Mon-Chaio and Andy look back over the long, and sometimes rambling, episodes of The TTL Podcast and try to condense them down to something more digestible. In episode one you learned about defining your cultural and structural north star and in episode two, hiring strategy, clarity of tasks and boundary, and explicit intentionality. Episode three covered building your team fabric and episode four explored the skills needed to ensure a smoothly running engineering organization. This last episode finishes by reviewing the necessary strategies to ensure your organization continues to evolve and doesn't get left in the dust by your surging competitors.

References:

•  Bo Schembechler quote

In this VacationCast episode, Mon-Chaio tackles a listener's question inspired by "Does Your Software Methodology Matter?" about effectively scaling an engineering organization to 120 engineers. Dispelling the notion that scaling is about simple multiplication, he delves into key tactics, including the creation of autonomous, accountable teams with independent KPIs, and the importance of technical strategy. He addresses the common pitfalls and misconceptions of scaling, emphasizing tailored processes and decision-making. Tune in for insights into building adaptable, sustainable engineering teams.

References:

• SAFe
• LeSS

In this episode of the Tactics for Tech Leadership podcast, the hosts, Andy and Mon-Chaio, explore the concept of removing punishment from organizations. They discuss the implications of eliminating punishment, the role of corporate culture in employee motivation, and the potential obstacles such as untrainable employees and economic downturns. Through a philosophical lens and practical frameworks, they aim to spark thought on how organizations can be more humanistic. Not to be confined to just one experimental format, they also have recorded this episode as a video, so you can watch Mon-Chaio and Andy furrow their brows as they think deeply about these issues.

References

• Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTTLPodcast
• Toyota Kata: https://public.websites.umich.edu/~jmondisa/TK/Homepage.html
• Social Control: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_control_theory

Is remote work a burnout trap or a path to freedom? There are good reasons to suspect that remote work may be highly correlated to increased burnout and many may be reinforced by our own experiences or that of our friends and colleagues. But is this hypothesis supported by research and, if so, what does it mean for designing human-centric remote work policies?

Join co-hosts Andy and Mon-Chaio as they delve into the complexities of remote work and burnout. They explore how personality traits influence burnout and tackle the paradox of designing work environments: less effective setups with low burnout versus highly effective, high-burnout environments. They also highlight the tricky balance between collaborative work in successful companies and the need for personal autonomy. Tune in to uncover insights and strategies for navigating these challenges in the remote work era.

References

• Stress in remote work: two studies testing the Demand-Control-Person model
• COVID-19 crisis and digital stressors at work: A longitudinal study on the Finnish working population
• Healthy, healthier, hybrid work: the burnout-reducing potential of remote work and the mediating effect of work autonomy
• Helping Remote Workers Avoid Loneliness and Burnout
• Doing more with less? Flexible working practices and the intensification of work
• A Systematic Review of How Remote Work Affects Workplace Stress and Mental Health
• Dynamic Silos: Increased Modularity in Intra-organizational Communication Networks during the Covid-19 Pandemic
• Teamwork in the time of COVID-19: Creating, dissolving, and reactivating network ties in response to a crisis.
• Challenges and barriers in virtual teams: a literature review

 This episode of the TTL podcast features Douglas Squirrel, an expert in making tech teams insanely profitable. The discussion delves into David Snowden's Cynefin framework and the concept of entangled trios for navigating complex situations by leveraging diverse perspectives. Mon-Chaio, Andy, and Squirrel cover various tactics for tech leadership, including encouraging exploration within product design and the importance of external communication for generating novel ideas. By drawing parallels with historical explorations like Lewis and Clark's expedition and examining modern examples like Roblox and LEGO, the episode elucidates ways in which tech leaders can foster an environment of innovation and experimentation within their teams.

Squirrel​ has been coding for forty years and has led software teams for twenty. He uses the power of conversations to create dramatic productivity gains in technology organisations of all sizes. Squirrel’s experience includes growing software teams as a CTO in startups from fintech to biotech to music, and everything in between; consulting on product improvement at over 200 organisations in the UK, US, Australia, Africa, and Europe; and coaching a wide variety of leaders in improving their conversations, aligning to business goals, and creating productive conflict. He lives in Frogholt, England, in a timber-framed cottage built in the year 1450.

References

• Cynefin - https://thecynefin.co/about-us/about-cynefin-framework/
• Entangled Trios - https://cynefin.io/wiki/Entangled_trios
• Team-Level Predictors of Innovation at Work - https://www.academia.edu/download/46061879/Team-Level_Predictors_of_Innovation_at_W20160530-14486-zu1o8i.pdf
• Ethnic Diversity and Creativity in Small Groups - https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/68515/10.1177_1046496496272003.pdf
• Decision Point - https://www.nps.gov/places/decision-point.htm
• Roblox - https://www.roblox.com/

Andy and Mon-Chaio question the true impact of various software development methodologies on team performance. They look into whether the research gives any clues about how methodology choice affects team happiness, quality, and speed. The hosts critique the state of software engineering research, discuss effective team dynamics, and highlight the importance of adaptability and interdisciplinary research. Listeners will gain insights into the limitations of plan-driven approaches, the nuanced realities of how software teams work, and why understanding the 'why' behind practices is crucial. This episode offers an overview of the research into the effectiveness of different methodologies and practices.

References

• Pair Programming and Software Defects – a large, industrial case study: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/6331491
• A family of experiments on test-driven development: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10664-020-09895-8
• Software Quality - Traditional vs. Agile: an Empirical Investigation: https://arxiv.org/abs/1610.08312
• A teamwork effectiveness model for agile software development: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10664-021-10115-0
• The effect of moving from a plan-driven to an incremental software development approach with agile practices: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10664-010-9136-6
• Do Agile scaling approaches make a difference? an empirical comparison of team effectiveness across popular scaling approaches: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10664-024-10481-5
• Meta-analysis for families of experiments in software engineering: a systematic review and reproducibility and validity assessment: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10664-019-09747-0

 In this episode, Mon-Chaio and Andy delve into the essential role of storytelling in implementing change and leading an organization. They share examples of effective storytelling and reference theories ranging from Aristotle to environmental sciences. While facts are important, emotional connection, or pathos, is key to persuasive storytelling. They also discuss the dimensions of logos (the logical argument) and ethos (personal character) in storytelling, and reflect on the balance between truth and fiction in narrative creation. The well-crafted story not only motivates change but can improve mental health and support a positive work culture.

References:

• Hidden Brain: Healing 2.0 - Change Your Story, Change Your Life - https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/healing-2-0-change-your-story-change-your-life/
• Variation in Narrative Identity is Associated with Trajectories of Mental Health over Several Years - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4395856/
• Beyond the redemptive self: Narratives of acceptance in later life (and in Other Contexts) - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S009265662200099X
• Living Into the Story: Agency and Coherence in a Longitudinal Study of Narrative Identity Development and Mental Health Over the Course of Psychotherapy - https://www.sesp.northwestern.edu/docs/publications/849651906512ce5a225444.pdf
• Master Narratives, Ethics, and Morality - https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/urja3/download
• Aristotle's Aesthetics - https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-aesthetics/
• Aristotle's Rhetoric - https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-rhetoric/
• Rethinking communication: integrating storytelling for increased stakeholder engagement in environmental evidence synthesis - https://environmentalevidencejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13750-018-0116-4
• Using narratives and storytelling to communicate science with nonexpert audiences - https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1320645111
• The Message Box - https://www.compassscicomm.org/leadership-development/the-message-box/
• Narrative-based learning: Possible benefits and problems - https://degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/COMM.2009.026/html?lang=en
• Brand Storytelling in the Digital Age; Chapter 2: Brand Storytelling: A Review of the Interdisciplinary Literature - https://www.springerprofessional.de/en/brand-storytelling-in-the-digital-age/18522396
• Collaborative Story Craft: A Tool for Building Narratives in Organisational Change - https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-89446-7_5
• Storytelling Can Make or Break Your Leadership - https://hbr.org/2020/10/storytelling-can-make-or-break-your-leadership
• What Makes Storytelling So Effective For Learning? - https://www.harvardbusiness.org/what-makes-storytelling-so-effective-for-learning/

In the final part of this three-part series on Culture, Mon-Chaio and Andy delve into the forces that promote as well as resist cultural change. They share one of their own failed cultural change initiatives and uncover what Egyptian pharaohs and Spanish fire walkers can teach us about creating long-lasting cultural change.

Opening quote from "Rituals are important to human life — even when they seem meaningless".

References:

• Two Views of Communication: Transmission & Ritual
• Rituals are important to human life — even when they seem meaningless
• Kurt Lewin's Force Field Analysis
• The Role of Metaforces in Cultural Motion (Greg Urban)
• Move to Akhentaton
• Shifting the Patterns (If Price, Ray Shaw)
• Agile Conversations
• How are rituals and religious beliefs interconnected?
• Espoused Theory and Theory in Use

Even if we don't know it by name, we all know the attributes of the best leadership style, don't we? Humble, collaborative, curious, people-centric, etc. But how do we know, and what evidence to we have, for those attributes making up the best style? And what if we've been led astray about what the best leadership style is?

Join Andy and Mon-Chaio as they summarize the academic research around leadership styles, apply it to a couple situations from their experience, and reveal impactful tactics around how to think about and use leadership styles in technical organizations.

References:

• Follow the Leader: Technical and Inspirational Leadership in Open Source Software
• Leading to win: The influence of leadership styles on team performance during a computer game training
• The Impact of Leadership Styles on Employees Productivity in Organizations: A Comparative Study Among Leadership Styles
• Leadership Styles and Organizational Performance: Examining the Impact of Transformational Leadership on Employee Engagement and Business Success
• The dark side of leadership: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of destructive leadership research
• Authoritarian leadership styles and performance: a systematic literature review and research agenda
• Paternalistic Leadership: A Review and Agenda for Future Research
• A Handbook of Leadership Styles

What is the right way to have dev and ops work together? Is that different for data science? We look into ways these different specialities can be organised to foster collaboration. Development and operations has a lot of literature from the DevOps movement that gives us guidance for how to structure teams but data science has less written about it. Still, we have found some articles that shed light on things, and those articles appear to be based on reality, which we discover as we talk about our experience of working with data science and operations.

Opening quote from "The Uncanny Valley of a Functional Organization" by Ben Thompson.

References

• The Emerging Role of Data Scientists on Software Development Teams
• DevOps Team Structures: Characterization and Implications

• Adopting Continuous Delivery and Deployment: Impacts on Team Structures, Collaboration and Responsibilities

• Considering three software development team archetypes and their implications.

 With Mon-Chaio travelling from Taiwan to Seattle, Andy provides an overview of the podcast's stats. He shares insights into listener demographics, reveals the most popular episodes, and discusses the community engagement they've experienced. Tune in for some interesting statistics and a heartfelt thank you to the audience.

References

• Analysing a team situation using BART - https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/8JfI8SL7MLb
• Method and Madness in Storytelling - https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/I1cNIUN7MLb
• Team Topologies - Interactions and Triggers - https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/LUgO4RQ7MLb

A short vacationcast from Andy about taking time away to decompress, find a different view on things, and enjoy the company of others (somtimes).

References:

• CITCON - https://citconf.com/

 Andy discusses the importance of iteration and feedback in the development process. He emphasizes the difference between iteration and incremental progress, sharing a story from Kent Beck's 'Extreme Programming Explained' to illustrate the concept. Mon-Chaio returns next week when they will discuss the Peter Principle. Stay tuned!

References

• Extreme Programming Explained - https://archive.org/details/extremeprogrammi00beck

From pair programming to NoEstimates, the industry brims with creative minds proposing new ideas and methodologies to tackle longstanding challenges. The issue, however, isn't the scarcity of innovative concepts, but rather the failure to implement them, often dismissed with the notion "it won't work" ... or, in other words, "it's impossible."

In this episode, Andy and Mon-Chaio delve into the psychology behind the significant hesitation to consider provocative yet potentially beneficial new ideas. To illustrate this resistance in a practical context, they discuss two longstanding processes that, despite their potential, are seldom utilized. They dissect the mental barriers that lead us to deem things "impossible" and offer practical strategies to overcome these obstacles, in their ongoing quest to create more modern and impactful development organizations.

References:

• Pair programming
• Git
• git commands
• Staff liquidity
• Tragedy of the commons

Every organization wants to be a learning organization, but stories abound of employee skill gaps and stunted development despite expensive training programs. In this episode, Andy and Mon-Chaio utilize research on learning along with their own leadership experiences to reveal the blind spots that cause engineering leaders to unintentionally sabotage the ability of their organization to learn.

References:

•  The impact of workplace learning on job satisfaction in small US commercial banks

• Pair programming

• Communities that Undermine Learning

• The Importance Of Practice – And Our Reluctance To Do It

•  The Relationship Between Deliberate Practice and Performance in Sports: A Meta-Analysis

• TDD, test-driven development

• Right-BICEP

• Information radiators

• Does fun promote learning? The relationship between fun in the workplace and informal learning

In this episode, we explore the ideas from the book Teaming about how to organise to learn. Organising to learn takes framing to learn, psychological safety, learning from failure, and crossing boundaries.

The opening quote is from chapter one of the book "Teaming" by Amy Edmonson.

References:

• Google 20% time - https://builtin.com/software-engineering-perspectives/20-percent-time
• Praiseworthy/blameworthty chart - https://hbr.org/2011/04/strategies-for-learning-from-failure
• Teaming - https://www.wiley.com/en-gb/Teaming%3A+How+Organizations+Learn%2C+Innovate%2C+and+Compete+in+the+Knowledge+Economy-p-9780787970932

Are you a "one-and-done", "measure-twice, cut-once" type of leader? If so, you may be overlooking the untapped potential of doing the same thing twice ... or more!

In this episode, Andy and Mon-Chaio unravel the delightful dance of repetition, proving that it’s not just a merry-go-round of monotony but a secret handshake with efficiency. Join us as we uncover the science, skip through time loops, and discover that déjà vu is basically productivity’s winking emoji. 😉🔄

References:

•  Helpful or Harmful? How Frequent Repetition Affects Perceived Statement Credibility

• The effects of repetition frequency on the illusory truth effect

• Effects of Spaced Versus Massed Training in Function Learning

• The right time to learn: mechanisms and optimization of spaced learning

• Teaching surgical skills: what kind of practice makes perfect?: a randomized, controlled trial

• Biased collective memories and historical overclaiming: An availability heuristic account

• Availability heuristic

• Anchoring effect

• Sunk cost fallacy

• Illusion of transparency

• Agile Conversations

 Let's imagine that you are just taking on an engineering organization. Maybe it is new to you or maybe it is completely new. What should you do to set yourself up for success? What are some of the important, or critical, aspects to think through, write down, nail down, or get agreement on?

In a five-part series, Mon-Chaio and Andy look back over the long, and sometimes rambling, episodes of The TTL Podcast and try to condense them down to something more digestible. In episode one you learned about defining your cultural and structural north star and in episode two, hiring strategy, clarity of tasks and boundary, and explicit intentionality. Episode three covered building your team fabric and leads us into this episode: providing just the right amount and type of guidance to ensure your organization runs smoothly.

References:

• The Art of Action - https://www.stephenbungay.com/Books.ink

 In this second part of a three-part series of the TTL podcast, Mon-Chaio and Andy dive into what research has to say about remote working. They explore various aspects including the impact of remote work on mental health, performance, synchronous vs. asynchronous communication, and team cohesion. Highlighting a study published in Nature titled 'Virtual Communication Curbs Creative Idea Generation', they discuss how virtual settings can limit creative idea generation compared to in-person settings due to narrowed visual fields and cognitive focus. However, they note that virtual communication might have a small positive effect on selecting the best idea from a generated pool. The conversation also touches on the importance of high synchronicity in media for effective team convergence and conveyance, and the effects of remote work on coworker relationships and productivity.

Transcript: https://thettlpodcast.com/2024/04/01/s2e13-research-on-remote-work-remote-work-series-part-2-of-3/

References

• Virtual communication curbs creative idea generation - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04643-y
• How Effective Is Telecommuting? Assessing the Status of Our Scientific Findings -https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1529100615593273
• Co‐workers working from home and individual and team performance - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/ntwe.12153
• Effects of Working from Home on Job Performance: Empirical Evidence in the Saudi Context during the COVID-19 Pandemic - https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/6/3216
• Telecommuting's Differential Impact on Work-Family Conflict: Is There No Place Like Home? - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6698031_Telecommuting%27s_Differential_Impact_on_Work-Family_Conflict_Is_There_No_Place_Like_Home
• Virtual (Zoom) Interactions Alter Conversational Behavior and Interbrain Coherence - https://www.jneurosci.org/content/43/14/2568
• Self-Care and Mental Health Among College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Social and Physical Environment Features of Interactions Which Impact Meaningfulness and Mitigate Loneliness - https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.879408/full
• Impact of Synchronous and Asynchronous Settings of Online Teaching and Learning in Higher Education on Students’ Learning Experience During COVID-19 - https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.733554/full
• Synchronous and Asynchronous Discussions: Effects on Cooperation, Belonging, and Affect - https://olj.onlinelearningconsortium.org/index.php/olj/article/download/1517/426
• Media, Tasks, and Communication Processes: A Theory of Media Synchronicity. - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220259966_Media_Tasks_and_Communication_Processes_A_Theory_of_Media_Synchronicity

The lack of exceptional leadership in tech companies is far from ideal, and this issue is exacerbated by the widespread presence of poor leaders. The situation becomes particularly troubling when these inadequate leaders believe they are competent or even exceptional.

Join Andy and Mon-Chaio in their conversation as they explore the reasons behind the prevalence of ineffective leaders, how current perceptions of leadership contribute to this imbalance, and the ways in which we, as leaders of individuals and organizations, can contribute to changing this trend.

References:

• How To Tell if You Have a Terrible Manager (From a Principal at Amazon)

• 15 tips New Managers should know BEFORE they start!

• Cargo cult

• Fingerfertigkeit

 Have you had performance reviews where you thought, "What is the point of this?"

 Mon-Chaio and Andy examine the concepts and implications of performance management systems. They swap experiences and insights on the challenges and inefficacies of performance management practices and cover the inconclusive evidence of their effectiveness. Mon-Chaio raises alternative perspectives on employee performance, including Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB), and Andy brings up the difference between relational and transactional approaches. The conversation also touches on expectancy and reinforcement theories, questioning their applicability in motivating employee performance.

Find out what they think you can do to have better performance management in your team.

Transcript: https://thettlpodcast.com/2024/03/18/s2e11-performance-management-what-is-it-good-for/

References

• Performance Management Systems: A Conceptual Model: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Richard-Laughlin/publication/223672241_Performance_Management_Systems_A_Conceptual_Model/links/650217c98d6da36cc877db12/Performance-Management-Systems-A-Conceptual-Model.pdf
• Performance Concepts and Performance Theory: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael-Frese/publication/291062476_Performance_Concepts_and_Performance_Theory/links/59f30e8daca272607e270163/Performance-Concepts-and-Performance-Theory.pdf
• Does Performance Improve Following Multisource Feedback? A Theoretical Model, Meta-Analysis, and Review of Empirical Findings: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/DOES-PERFORMANCE-IMPROVE-FOLLOWING-MULTISOURCE-A-OF-Smither-London/1601d044d2a781c8bb95d08ada4283859a554996
• Performance Feedback Culture Drives Business Impact: https://ceo.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Performance-Feedback-Culture-Drives-Business-Performance-i4cp-CEO-002-1.pdf
• Performance Management Effectiveness: Lessons from World-Leading Firms: https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?q=Performance+management+effectiveness:+lessons+from+world+leading+firms&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart
• Performance Appraisal and Employee Performance: https://iajournals.org/articles/iajhrba_v3_i10_265_272.pdf
• Factors Affecting Employee Performance: A Systematic Literature Review: https://e-tarjome.com/storage/panel/fileuploads/2019-08-28/1566981498_E13136-e-tarjome.pdf
• Performance-Based Pay, Procedural Justice and Job Performance for R&D Professionals: Evidence From The Taiwanese High-Tech Sector: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jin-Feng-Uen/publication/233256688_Performance-based_pay_procedural_justice_and_job_performance_for_RD_professionals_evidence_from_the_Taiwanese_high-tech_sector/links/561b0a1f08ae6d17308991a6/Performance-based-pay-procedural-justice-and-job-performance-for-R-D-professionals-evidence-from-the-Taiwanese-high-tech-sector.pdf

Both conventional wisdom and widespread anecdotes point to the conclusion that extroverts make better leaders. But is there any evidence of this, or is this another belief with little basis in fact?

In this episode, Andy and Mon-Chaio examine the misconceptions around introversion and extroversion and dive into the research around the relationship between extroversion and leadership acumen. They then shift the conversation to the practical implications of these findings for engineering organizations, discussing how leaders, regardless of their place on the extroversion spectrum, can leverage their innate strengths to build and maintain high-performing teams.

References:

• Big Five personality test
• Myers-Briggs test
• Personality and leadership: A qualitative and quantitative review
• Continuing the Quiet Revolution: Developing Introverted Leaders in Academic Psychiatry
• Extraversion Advantages at Work: A Quantitative Review and Synthesis of the Meta-Analytic Evidence
• The Hidden Advantages of Quiet Bosses

Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! To end the year we are taking a break from our usual discussions and instead are delving into the culinary world of Eggnog, that classic, American Christmas cocktail. This is a drink that has been part of Mon-Chaio's and Andy's winter-time traditions for almost two decades and gives them a chance to geek out about cooking and food chemistry.

While eggnog is the focus of attention, we also delve a little into egg handling, woodworking, and pasteurization.

Eggnog I Recipe

5 eggs

5 oz / 142g Sugar

2 cups / 500ml Brandy

1 cup / 250ml Milk

1 cup / 250ml Heavy/Double Cream

Nutmeg

References:

• The Williamsburg Art of Cookery - https://shop.colonialwilliamsburg.com/the-williamsburg-art-of-cookery/

• On Food and Cooking - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Food_and_Cooking

• Milk Paint - https://oldfashionedmilkpaint.co.uk/

Burnout transcends mere feelings of being overwhelmed; it's a profound state that can drastically affect personal well-being and the productivity of organizations. Despite its significance to individuals and their workplaces, it remains a concept often enshrouded in mystery and misinformation.

Leveraging validated academic research and personal insights, Andy and Mon-Chaio present practical strategies for engineering leaders to foster healthier work environments. They explore over five decades of burnout research and discuss its application in contemporary engineering organizations. This episode is a treasure trove of advice for both experienced leaders and those aspiring to management, providing essential tips for cultivating a resilient and flourishing team.

References:

• Surviving Burnout
• Physical, psychological and occupational consequences of job burnout: A systematic review of prospective studies
• The role of psychosocial working conditions on burnout and its core component emotional exhaustion – a systematic review
• Understanding the burnout experience: recent research and its implications for psychiatry
• Six areas of worklife: A model of the organizational context of burnout
• Burnout in software engineering: A systematic mapping study

 Mon Chaio and Andy explore the concept of Zoom fatigue, investigating its existence, potential causes, and its ramifications for both extroverts and introverts. They delve into personal anecdotes, research findings, and theories such as media naturalness theory to understand the cognitive and somatic exhaustion associated with video conferencing tools. They discuss how Zoom fatigue is defined, its link to increased brain fatigue, and how it disproportionately affects women and introverts. The hosts also offer potential solutions and adjustments to mitigate the effects of Zoom fatigue, raising questions about the long-term implications of video conferencing on workers' productivity and well-being.

References

• Videoconference fatigue from a neurophysiological perspective: experimental evidence based on electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG) - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-45374-y
• Examining Predictors of Zoom Fatigue Among University Students During Covid-19 Pandemic - https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/9b6faff0-f1bc-4ccd-9e83-e630192d17fc/content
• Video-conferencing usage dynamics and nonverbal mechanisms exacerbate Zoom Fatigue, particularly for women - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451958823000040
• On the stress potential of videoconferencing: definition and root causes of Zoom fatigue - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12525-021-00501-3
• Nonverbal Overload: A Theoretical Argument for the Causes of Zoom Fatigue - https://tmb.apaopen.org/pub/nonverbal-overload/release/2
• Videoconference Fatigue? Exploring Changes in Fatigue After Videoconference Meetings During COVID-19 - https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/apl-apl0000906.pdf
• Effects of mental fatigue on risk preference and feedback processing in risk decision-making - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-14682-0
• Managers’ Cognitive Fatigue and Financial Misreporting - https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4007808

Let's put Team Topologies to use. What can it tell us about why some team structures work out, why some struggle, and when we should switch our organisations to be more effective?

Mon-Chaio and Andy scrutinise a software project through the lens of the interaction modes, sensing, and triggers for change that the book introduces. They find that it provides a rich vocabulary to talk about the ills and strengths of your tech organisation.

References

• Team Topologies: https://teamtopologies.com/book
• TTL Podcast BART episode: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/MY0ihq1VlGb

It's something that all companies do and yet it's still a very misunderstood topic: evaluating the performance of people managers. The majority of methods regularly used for measuring managers rely heavily on superficial metrics and outdated practices that fail to capture the true essence of effective leadership.

Join Andy and Mon-Chaio as they explore the complexities of leadership evaluation, shedding light on the nuanced and multifaceted nature of managerial success. They discuss the pitfalls of traditional assessment techniques and introduce evidence-based approaches that provide a more accurate and holistic view of a manager’s impact on their team and organization.

Whether you’re an engineering leader, a people manager, or simply interested in the dynamics of leadership, this episode offers valuable insights and practical strategies to enhance your understanding of what makes a great leader.

References:

• Software Project Managers' Perceptions of Productivity Factors: Findings from a Qualitative Study
• Group maturity, team efficiency, and team effectiveness in software development: A case study in a CMMI-DEV Level 5 organization
• Linking Transformational Leadership to Self-Efficacy, Extra-Role Behaviors, and Turnover Intentions in Public Agencies: The Mediating Role of Goal Clarity
• Transformational Leadership Questionnaire (TLQ)
• A Short Measure of Transformational Leadership

 In part one of this three-part series, Andy and Mon-Chaio attempt to provide a research-supported answer on whether culture is important for your tech organization. They also dig into the details of whether a company should hire for cultural fit.

Opening quote from "A Review Paper on Organizational Culture and Organizational Performance".

References:

• A Review Paper on Organizational Culture and Organizational Performance - https://ijbssnet.com/journals/Vol._1_No._3_December_2010/4.pdf

• Some Social and Psychological Consequences of the Longwall Method of Coal-Getting - https://doi.org/10.1177/001872675100400101

• Kurt Lewin's Force Field Analysis - https://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/research/dstools/force-field-analysis/

• Extreme Programming (XP) - https://www.agilealliance.org/glossary/xp/

• Organizational culture, person-culture fit, and turnover: a replication in the health care industry - https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1379(199903)20:2<175::AID-JOB882>3.0.CO;2-E

• London School of Economics: Should you hire for culture fit? - https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessreview/2022/05/05/should-you-hire-for-culture-fit/

• American Psychological Association: What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? - https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/cognitive-behavioral

Mon-Chaio gives a rundown of leadership books he's read in the past few months and pulls out interesting nuggets from each selection.

References:

• Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't by Simon Sinek
• The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier
• Team Topologies: Organizing Business and Technology Teams for Fast Flow by by Matthew Skelton, Manuel Pais, and Ruth Malan

Andy and Mon-Chaio contemplate how often team boundaries should change, what impacts changing boundaries has, and some tactics for making boundary changes easier.

References

• Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuckman's_stages_of_group_development
• Amy Edmundson, Teaming - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Teaming-Organizations-Innovate-Compete-Knowledge-ebook/dp/B007MF3BRA
• Dunbar’s number - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar's_number
• Matrix management - https://www.liveabout.com/matrix-management-2276122
• XP central tenant - https://martinfowler.com/bliki/FrequencyReducesDifficulty.html
• Gore - https://www.fastcompany.com/51733/fabric-creativity

"Just collaborate": the favorite guidance of many a leader to solve any challenging group dynamic problem. And often when collaboration doesn't work well, the blame is placed upon the individuals and teams involved in the collaboration. Can we as leaders do better? Join Andy and Mon-Chaio as they explore the research around collaboration, dive into what good collaboration really looks like, and build a model for enabling effective collaboration from the very top on down.

References:

•  Etymology of "collaborate"

• Reconciling perspectives: A grounded theory of how people manage the process of software development

• Enhancing Shared Mental Models: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials

• Factors of collaborative working: A framework for a collaboration model

 Andy and Mon-Chaio tackle the intriguing question: 'Are we friends?' in this episode of the TTL podcast. They explore the significance of workplace friendships, discussing how these relationships impact job satisfaction, organizational performance, and employee behavior. The hosts look into the role of physical proximity and shared experiences in fostering interdependence, and even touch on the potential challenges of managerial relationships with direct reports. Listeners will gain insights from research on the benefits and complexities of workplace friendships and may be surprised to learn about the nuanced effects of friendship on psychological safety and innovative behavior.

Transcript: https://thettlpodcast.com/2024/11/10/sxey-2/

References

• Understanding Workplace Relationships - https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-16640-2
• Do we need friendship in the workplace? The effect on innovative behavior and mediating role of psychological safety - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-022-03949-4
• Relationally Charged: How and When Workplace Friendship Facilitates Employee Interpersonal Citizenship - https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00190/full

 In this episode of the TTL podcast, Andy and Mon-Chaio answer a listener's question regarding the Peter Principle and how to avoid its effects. They explore the origins of the Peter Principle from the 1969 book by Lawrence J. Peter and Raymond Hull, discussing its implications for organizational hierarchies. The hosts examine various examples and research findings that both support and challenge the existence of the Peter Principle, including a detailed look at a study on sales organizations. They also provide actionable insights for leaders on how to recognize the symptoms of this principle in themselves and their teams, and share practical strategies to ensure promotions are done thoughtfully. Listeners will learn a surprising method called 'Creative Incompetence' as a tactic to avoid being promoted beyond their competence level.

References

• The Peter Principle - https://keinding.com/onewebmedia/The%20Peter%20Principle%20%28%20PDFDrive%20%29.pdf
• Promotions and the Peter Principle - https://academic.oup.com/qje/article/134/4/2085/5550760
• The Peter Principle: A Theory of Decline - https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/379943

 In this episode of the TTL podcast, the hosts welcome Ed Morgan, founder of Gordian Knot, to discuss enhancing the hiring process for software engineers. Ed highlights the concept of 'sensemaking' and its impact on interview outcomes, stressing the importance of structured versus unstructured interviews. The trio touches on creating effective rubrics, the surprising resistance to change in hiring practices despite evidence, and the role of psychometrics. Listeners will learn practical steps to improve hiring accuracy and discover why structured interviews are statistically superior.

Edward Morgan is the founder of Gordian Knot, a consulting firm that helps companies build high performance teams by improving their hiring processes and developing custom technical assessments. Visit www.gordianknot.company to learn more.

References:

• Stubborn Reliance on Intuition and Subjectivity in Employee Selection - https://www.cs.jhu.edu/~misha/DIReadingSeminar/Papers/Highhouse08.pdf
• Belief in the unstructured interview: The persistence of an illusion - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/judgment-and-decision-making/article/belief-in-the-unstructured-interview-the-persistence-of-an-illusion/5BBA77932EF22EBEAA1E8020126A1925
• A Meta-Analysis of Interrater and Internal Consistency Reliability of Selection Interviews - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/judgment-and-decision-making/article/belief-in-the-unstructured-interview-the-persistence-of-an-illusion/5BBA77932EF22EBEAA1E8020126A1925
• Factors affecting employee performance: a systematic literature review - https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JAMR-06-2018-0052/full/html
• Telling stories to communicate the value of the pre-employment structured job interview - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335762542_Telling_stories_to_communicate_the_value_of_the_pre-employment_structured_job_interview
• Myers-Briggs Type Inventory - https://www.themyersbriggs.com/en-US/Products-and-Services/Myers-Briggs
• DiSC - https://www.discprofile.com/what-is-disc/disc-styles
• Big 5 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Five_personality_traits

Mon-Chaio and Andy explore the research on trust and how to translate that into successful tactics for building trust in technical organizations ... including situations when strong trust may not be necessary for high-performing teams.

References

•  Harvard Buisness Review's trust articles - https://hbr.org/topic/subject/trustworthiness

• Indian Matchmaking on Netflix - https://www.netflix.com/title/80244565

• Trust and distrust as separate entities - https://www.jstor.org/stable/259288

• Calculus-based trust vs. identification-based trust - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285976980_Trust_trust_development_and_trust_repair

• Dunbar's number - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar's_number

• Agile Conversations book - https://agileconversations.com/

• Team charters - https://asana.com/resources/team-charter-template

What is safe about psychological safety? Do you really want everyone to feel comfortable all the time? Research tells us that psychological safety is a key component of effective teams and organisations. This week Mon-Chaio and Andy dig into the whats and wherefores of psychological safety. They dive into how it is measured, how it fits together with other concepts researched, tell some stories of their own about psychological safety, and debate how it interacts with accountability.

Opening quote from "Psychological Safety: The History, Renaissance, and Future of an Interpersonal Construct"

If you have any requests, questions, or comments send them to hosts@thettlpodcast.com.

References

• Psychological Safety: The History, Renaissance, and Future of an Interpersonal Construct - https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-031413-091305
• Enhancing psychological safety in mental health services - https://ijmhs.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13033-021-00439-1
• Four Steps to Building the Psychological Safety That High-Performing Teams Need Today - https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/four-steps-to-build-the-psychological-safety-that-high-performing-teams-need-today
• An individual perspective on psychological safety: The role of basic need satisfaction and self-compassion - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9434267/
• What Google Learned From Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team - https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/magazine/what-google-learned-from-its-quest-to-build-the-perfect-team.html
• Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams - https://www.jstor.org/stable/2666999
• Psychological Safety and Norm Clarity in Software Engineering Teams - https://arxiv.org/abs/1802.01378

• For whatever reason the Google Re:work information only seems to be available in Japanese anymore. The Japanese translation of the article that Andy referenced in the episode is available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M2HvwvzFXfnNJkt-r9s4XXQtNl8YeVHfEpoICwzNIPo/edit
• Can a team be too psychologically safe? - https://psychsafety.co.uk/psychological-safety-83-can-a-team-be-too-psychologically-safe/

While Andy is away, Mon-Chaio shares anecdotes and stories from his time at the Plato Elevate conference, snippets that didn't make their way into the prevous episode.

In both popular literature and media, we've all seen the clichéd portrayal of the brilliant engineer spouting indecipherable jargon to explain a situation ... and, inevitably, the main character uses a simple analogy to demystify the message. In the real world, however, things rarely mirror those stereotypes, but miscommunication or poor communication of technical messages is still one of the biggest and often hidden problems for engineering leaders and organizations.

In this episode, hosts Andy and Mon-Chaio tackle the challenge of technical communication in the workplace. They offer practical advice for engineering leaders on how to effectively convey complex technical messages to less-technical bosses and peers. The focus is not just on using financial terms like ROI or KPIs, but on truly understanding your audience and using storytelling to make your message clear and impactful. Andy and Mon-Chaio also discuss the importance of empathy and the power of narrative to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical worlds.

References:

• Language of Business
• Goals, obstacles, and strategies in risk communication: A problem‐solving approach to improving communication about risks
• Communicating and Disseminating Research Findings
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
• SPIN Selling
•  Start with Why

 In this episode of the Tactics for Tech Leadership podcast, hosts Andy and Mon-Chaio explore where leaders should spend their time, touching on the importance of signaling dedication, performance, identity, and power through time management. They discuss the contrast between crisis, wartime leadership, and peacetime stability, emphasizing the Eisenhower Matrix as a tool to prioritize urgent and important tasks. The hosts share insights from their experiences, including how leaders often misidentify crises and the impact of time use on organizational culture. Listeners will also learn about the surprising benefits of sometimes letting things fail to improve overall system resilience.

References

• Eisenhower Matrix - https://www.mindtools.com/al1e0k5/eisenhowers-urgentimportant-principle
• Signs of Our Time: Time-Use as Dedication, Performance, Identity, and Power in Contemporary Workplaces - https://doi.org/10.5465/annals.2018.0148
• Peacetime CEO/Wartime CEO - https://a16z.com/peacetime-ceo-wartime-ceo/

 Let's imagine that you are just taking on an engineering organization. Maybe it is new to you or maybe it is completely new. What should you do to set yourself up for success? What are some of the important, or critical, aspects to think through, write down, nail down, or get agreement on?

In a five-part series, Mon-Chaio and Andy look back over the long, and sometimes rambling, episodes of The TTL Podcast and try to condense them down to something more digestible. This episode will guide you to laying the foundation on which everything else will rest: culture, values, long-lived KPIs, and long-lived boundaries.

References:

• Steve Kerr interview

We explore delegation: why to do it and how to do it. The discussion ranges widely between the approaches the Prussian military used to command its forces to the ideas of the situational leadership model.

Opening quote from page 189 of the book "The Art of Action" by Stephen Bungay.

References

• The Art of Action - https://www.stephenbungay.com/Books.ink
• Briefing and Backbriefing - https://availagility.co.uk/2021/03/10/what-is-backbriefing/ also the book "The Art of Action"
• Curse of Knowledge - https://availagility.co.uk/2021/06/09/backbriefing-and-the-curse-of-knowledge/
• Situational Leadership - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situational_leadership_theory
• Doug Forcett - https://thegoodplace.fandom.com/wiki/Doug_Forcett

Can you measure developer productivity? Prompted by an article by McKinsey and already reacted to by many, we ask if McKinsey is telling us to measure something that is at all useful, how to think about the problem McKinsey raises, and what you, as a technical leader, can do to address that problem better than what McKinsey suggests.

Opening quote from The Psychology of Computer Programming by Gerald M. Weinberg.

References:

• Mckinsey article - https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/yes-you-can-measure-software-developer-productivity
• Kent Beck's response part 1 - https://tidyfirst.substack.com/p/measuring-developer-productivity
• Kent Beck's response part 2 - https://tidyfirst.substack.com/p/measuring-developer-productivity-440
• Dave Farley's response - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuUBZ1pByzM
• Dan North's response - published after we recorded - https://dannorth.net/mckinsey-review/
• Untangling the metrics request - https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tactics-tech-leadership/episodes/Untangling-the-Metrics-Request-e27906b

In part one of this three part series, Andy and Mon-Chaio tell stories of remote work, both from their own experiences as well as those they've heard from their colleagues and the public at large. From those stories, they try to find themes to help answer a burning question: four years in, how are engineering organizations and their people adapting to remote work?

This is the first in a multi-part series that will explore the various stages of scaling a company using a hypothetical startup scenario inspired by ride-sharing services.

In this episode, Mon-Chaio and Andy discuss how to scale a tech startup from its inception stage. They reflect on past experiences, emphasizing the importance of validating market hypotheses before investing heavily in technology. Mon-Chaio and Andy guide listeners through early-stage startup strategies, including conducting market research, proving concepts with minimal tech investments, and maintaining operational efficiency.

References

• Lean Enterprise

Goals. We all have them, but should we? Mon-Chaio and Andy examine the literature on goal setting and discuss how to set good, challenging goals.

Opening quote from "Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey".

References:

• Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey: https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.57.9.705

• The High Performance Cycle: Standing the Test of Time: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/0470013419.ch10

• Participative Goal Setting in Self-Directed Global Virtual Teams: The Role of Virtual Team Efficacy in Goal Setting Effectiveness and Performance: https://doi.org/10.1109/HICSS.2013.442

Is your feedback counterproductive? Mon-Chaio and Andy discuss a thought provoking article that says we've been giving feedback wrong. They tease out some truths, some tactics, and some insights into what it means to give useful feedback.

References:

• The Feedback Fallacy - https://hbr.org/2019/03/the-feedback-fallacy

• Cynefin - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynefin_framework

• Confirmation Bias - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias

• Plato's Ideal Forms - https://philosophynow.org/issues/90/Plato_A_Theory_of_Forms

• Learning is horrible - https://blog.jeffreyfredrick.com/2015/10/22/thats-what-learning-feels-like/

• Ray Dalio Management - https://fs.blog/management-lessons-from-ray-dalio/

• The Perfection Game - https://thecoreprotocols.org/protocols/perfectiongame

• Does performance improve following multisource feedback? A theoretical model, meta-analysis, and review of empirical findings - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2005.514_1.x

• Performance Feedback Culture Drives Business Impact - https://ceo.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Performance-Feedback-Culture-Drives-Business-Performance-i4cp-CEO-002-1.pdf

You are a hiring manager and your organization has given you the green light to hire more people. What do you do next? Many people might feel the answer is obvious but for a surprisingly large number of companies, their hiring processes actively impede them from building great teams. Andy and Mon-Chaio pull apart conventional hiring practices to separate the wheat from the chaff and provide tactics to help guide the creation of a truly impactful hiring process.

 Opening quote from Job interviews are a nightmare — and only getting worse.

References:

• LeetCode

• Red-black trees

• McKinsey outer loop

• What You See Is What You Get? The Impact of Representation Criteria on Human Bias in Hiring

• STAR

• Normalization of deviance

• Albert Bandura

 In this episode of the TTL podcast, Mon-Chaio and Andy review the recent Plato Elevate Conference in San Francisco. As a unique gathering focused on engineering leadership, Mon-Chaio shares his key takeaways from sessions on effective reorgs, experiments in culture engineering, and the innovative EngOS. The duo also explores the broader value of conferences, particularly the networking opportunities and on-the-ground experiences that often eclipse formal talks. Mon-Chaio highlights the significance of continuous learning for leaders and the practical applications discussed in various roundtable sessions.

References

• Plato Elevate - https://www.platohq.com/events/elevate-2024
• LeadDev - https://leaddev.com/
• How to Create an Engineering OS for your Organization - https://refactoring.fm/p/how-to-create-an-engineering-os-for
• PSP and TSP - https://insights.sei.cmu.edu/library/team-software-process-tsp-and-personal-software-process-psp-materials/
• SEI - https://www.sei.cmu.edu/
• Rational Unified Process - https://public.dhe.ibm.com/software/rational/web/datasheets/RUP_DS.pdf
• CITCON - https://citconf.com/

In this inaugural episode of the Tactics for Technical Leadership (TTL) podcast, Mon-Chaio and Andy discuss the BART (Boundary, Authority, Role Task) framework for analysing group dynamics and apply it to a situation that Mon-Chaio encountered with two teams.

Referenced materials:

• The BART System of Group and Organisational Analysis: https://www.it.uu.se/edu/course/homepage/projektDV/ht09/BART_Green_Molenkamp.pdf

A core foundation of business, online communities, and social networks is the concept of Dunbar's Number: the suggested cognitive limit to the number of people with whom one can maintain stable social relationships. But recently there have been critiques in the scientific community as to the validity of the theory behind the number, as well as the number itself.

In this episode, Andy and Mon-Chaio delve into the research around Dunbar's Number, both Dunbar's original papers as well as the recently published critiques. They explore the possibility that Dunbar's Number does not exist and, if true, what it means for all the business theory for technical organizations built on top of this concept.

References:

• Neocortex size as a constraint on group size in primates
• Coevolution of neocortex size, group size and language in humans
• Innovation Democracy: W.L. Gore's Original Management Model
• Dunbar's number: group size and brain physiology in humans reexamined
• Discrete Hierarchical Organization of Social Group Sizes

 In this episode of the TTL Podcast, hosts Mon Chaio and Andy delve into the Theory of Constraints, an approach developed by Eliyahu Goldratt. They discuss how this methodology applies to various systems, including technical, people, and cultural systems, emphasizing its importance in software leadership. The hosts explain the core principles of the theory, such as identifying and elevating constraints, and explore its practical application through examples in both technical and organizational contexts. They highlight the necessity of continuous improvement and systems thinking, noting the challenges of aligning this approach with personal and organizational goals.

References

• The Goal - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/113934.The_Goal
• The Phoenix Project - https://itrevolution.com/product/the-phoenix-project/
• Online library of Quality, Service Improvement and Redesign Tools - Theory of constraints - https://aqua.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/qsir-theory-of-constraints.pdf
• The Three Ways: Principles Underpinning DevOps - https://itrevolution.com/articles/the-three-ways-principles-underpinning-devops/
• Software Development Current Reality Trees Starter Pack - https://paulhammant.com/2021/02/19/software-development-current-reality-tree-starter-pack/
• Building & Presenting a Current Reality Tree (CRT) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myQF_HcQ7z4
• Goldratt's "Theory of Constraints" Thinking Processes: A Systems Methodology linking Soft with Hard - https://proceedings.systemdynamics.org/1999/PAPERS/PARA104.PDF

Andy introduces you to a paper on socio technical systems and muses about how it connects to the early days of software development. This is our first try at a quick format for when one of us is away on vacation. Please, tell us what you think!

A Socio-Technical Critique of Scientific Management: http://moderntimesworkplace.com/archives/ericsess/sessvol2/37TRASOC.pdf

In part two of this three-part series on Culture, Andy and Mon-Chaio wrangle with the question "Is there 'better culture' to aim for?" Along the way they delve into bad culture, focusing on values or on outcomes, differences between what people say and what people do, burnout, and pillars of a good tech culture.

Opening quote from "A Strong Market Culture Drives Organizational Performance and Success".

References:

• Joy at Work: https://dennisbakke.com/joy-at-work/
• Espoused Theory and Theory in Use: http://www.aral.com.au/resources/argyris.html
• Maslach Burnout Inventory: https://www.mindgarden.com/117-maslach-burnout-inventory-mbi
• Understanding the burnout experience: recent research and its implications for psychiatry: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4911781/
• Compassion and Curiosity values: https://cdn.csu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/917018/Eight-Behaviors-for-Smarter-Teams-2.pdf
• A Strong Market Culture Drives Organizational Performance and Success: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227995656_A_strong_market_culture_drives_organizational_performance_and_success
• Squeezing the Orange Podcast "When Time is Money": https://squeezingtheorange.podbean.com/e/when-time-is-money/
• GLOBE Project Cultural Dimensions: https://globeproject.com/study_2004_2007

 In this episode of the TTL podcast, the hosts, Andy and Mon Chiao, discuss the concept of 'Management Experience' and its distinction from 'Employee Experience.' They explore the importance of management surveys, the challenges of delegation, and ethical implications in a hierarchical setting. They debate the effectiveness of the proposed four pillars for Management Experience and propose their own set of principles. Listeners will learn about the roles of ethical leadership, alignment of work with organizational goals, and the importance of recognizing employees as individuals.

References

• Introducing MX - Management Experience (TM)   - https://yanivpreiss.com/2024/06/29/introducing-mx-management-experience/
• Manager Tools - https://www.manager-tools.com/manager-tools-basics

 Let's imagine that you are just taking on an engineering organization. Maybe it is new to you or maybe it is completely new. What should you do to set yourself up for success? What are some of the important, or critical, aspects to think through, write down, nail down, or get agreement on?

In a five-part series, Mon-Chaio and Andy look back over the long, and sometimes rambling, episodes of The TTL Podcast and try to condense them down to something more digestible. In episode one you learned about defining your cultural and structural north star and in episode two, hiring strategy, clarity of tasks and boundary, and explicit intentionality. This episode dives into building your team fabric, the threads of process and ceremony that underly everything your engineering organization does.

Let's imagine that you are just taking on an engineering organization. Maybe it is new to you or maybe it is completely new. What should you do to set yourself up for success? What are some of the important, or critical, aspects to think through, write down, nail down, or get agreement on?

In a five-part series, Mon-Chaio and Andy look back over the long, and sometimes rambling, episodes of The TTL Podcast and try to condense them down to something more digestible. In episode one you learned about defining your cultural and structural north star. This episode summarizes the tactics that are necessary to flesh out those north stars, including hiring strategy, clarity of tasks and boundary, and explicit intentionality.

References:

• Boxing Day
• HBR: 3 Common Hiring Mistakes New Managers Should Avoid

From stodgy corporate boardrooms to glacial civil-service offices, fast-moving technical organizations have long thumbed their noses at bureaucracies in their quest for speed and innovation. In this episode, Mon-Chaio and Andy unearth the forgotten power of bureaucracies and discover how they are still surprisingly relevant and impactful for software companies today.

Opening quote from "Structure and Learning in Self-Managed Teams: Why “Bureaucratic” Teams Can Be Better Learners".

References:

•  Civilization bureaucracy quote

• Structure and Learning in Self-Managed Teams: Why “Bureaucratic” Teams Can Be Better Learners

• Bureaucracies Remember, Post-Bureaucratic Organizations Forget?

• Path dependence

• Team Scaffolds: How Mesolevel Structures Enable Role-Based Coordination in Temporary Groups

• Chesterton's Fence