Dates covered: March 25-31, 2019 (week 13 of 52)
Business
Salespeople, Stop Worrying About Being Liked (via Harvard Business Review)
Everyone wants to be liked; however, a recent study showed that for salespeople, the ones who focused on being liked were the weakest. The takeaway is “Be an expert, not a friend.”
- Figure out the real source of the customer’s problem
- Don’t stop at the first “yes” — credibility can easily be lost
- Learn the process to get the sale to go through
A New Digital Social Contract Is Coming for Silicon Valley (via Harvard Business Review)
This post covers several of the issues that will likely be on the forefront of technology regulations in the near future. Facebook’s role in misinformation during the 2016 election is front-and-center. Regulation around transparency, privacy, and competition is rarely simple. However, if left unchecked, one simply needs to follow the money to see who will win out.
Career
How to Quit Your Job in 837 Easy Steps (via The Software Mentor)
TL;DR — there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to whether you should quit your job or what you should do next. Although the takeaway has merit, I couldn’t relate to the author. She comes from a place of privilege that most people don’t have or won’t achieve. I’m sure her problems were very stressful, but they are not problems I’m likely to have.
How to write a Software Engineering resume (CV): the definitive guide (Updated for 2019) (via The Software Mentor)
A comprehensive set of things to consider when creating a resume… choosing a style (chronological vs. project), matching the job description, highlighting your career story, a few tips to make your resume standout (e.g., projects, code repos), and how to represent your education.
Defining a Distinguished Engineer (via Software Lead Weekly)
This post has a great set of expectations for someone approaching or at the top of the “technical track.”
Culture
The programmer as decision maker (via The Software Mentor)
“As a programmer, your job is to make technical decisions. Make some more.” I feel fortunate that I cannot relate to the problem Mark describes — the boss won’t let me <insert some small coding change or practice here>. If there’s a reason we can’t do something, it’s very defensible. I agree with his premise, though.
How to Organize a Networking Dinner (via Harvard Business Review)
- Decide where to hold your event; there are downsides to using your own home or a busy restaurant
- Determine how to handle payment if dining out
- Share the guest list in advance; tip: put people’s LinkedIn profiles in the list so they can connect later
- Direct the conversation; don’t just assume people will magically connect
It’s Not Enough to Be Right—You Also Have to Be Kind (via Software Lead Weekly)
The subtitle summarizes it best: “Takedowns and clever quips are easy, but empathy and persuasion are better.” This piece is worth a read given our (USA) current culture. Being right isn’t the answer, and ignoring uncomfortable truths isn’t either. “Because you can’t reason people out of positions they didn’t reason themselves into.” This is Dale Carnegie’s wisdom reworded: “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinions still.”
Hiring
Stop Eliminating Perfectly Good Candidates by Asking Them the Wrong Questions (via Harvard Business Review)
- Uncover capabilities, not just experience (e.g., “How would you do X? vs. Have you done X?”)
- Assess whether they can co-create on a team
- Uncover the kinds of things they love to work on
Effective project onboarding checklist (via The Software Mentor)
- Assign a buddy to help the new hire
- Define the short- and long-term goals of the project
- Clarify “who does what” questions
- Give them a map of the project (tools, servers, guides, architecture)
Leadership
When a Top Performer Wants to Leave, Should You Try to Stop Them? (via Harvard Business Review)
- Have an honest conversation about what the other person wants; keep in mind what you can control (e.g., title change). Keeping them around when you can’t give them what they want doesn’t usually help.
- Letting them go opens up opportunities within for advancement or bringing someone new onto the team.
- Treating people empathetically shows you value them as people.
Process
The Case for Finally Cleaning Your Desk (via Harvard Business Review)
This article presents some research about how clutter slows us down, increases our anxiety levels, impacts our ability to focus, and impacts our likeliness to procrastinate. The counterargument is that disorder can help in environments where creativity is key.
How to Get Through an Extremely Busy Time at Work (via Harvard Business Review)
The author mentions these tips should not be used as a means to life-hack your way to becoming a workaholic…
- Premack’s principle — reward yourself for completing a harder task by completing an easier task; i.e., recover from running by walking instead of stopping
- Compartmentalize — find parts of the process you like and remember those
- Save small scraps of time for mental rest
- Add physical decompression rituals to your day
- Pair pleasure experiences with other activities (e.g., if you love cooking, make something to bring to work on Monday to share)
What to Do When Your Meetings Have Gotten Too Big (via Harvard Business Review)
- Shift the number of attendees using the 8-18-1800 guideline; 8 people for decisions, 18 people for brainstorming, 1800 people listening for information sharing
- Create sub-groups
- Shorten or cancel the meeting
Strategy Needs Creativity (via Harvard Business Review)
- Contrast — what pieces of conventional wisdom are ripe for contradiction? Identify assumptions that underlie something, think about what if those assumptions were false, disturb an aspect of normal work to break up assumptions.
- Combination — how can you connect products or services that have traditionally been separate? Form groups with diverse expertise and brainstorm new products/services, look for ways for competitors to collaborate.
- Constraint — how can you turn limitations or liabilities into opportunities? List what your org doesn’t do well and see if those can be strengths, consider imposing constraints to encourage others to find new ways of thinking/doing.
- Context — how can far-flung industries, ideas, or disciplines shed light on your most pressing problems? Explain your business to an outsider to gain insight, engage with extreme users.
What Makes Some People More Productive Than Others (via Harvard Business Review)
- Plan your work based on top priorities; have objectives for each work component
- Develop effective techniques for managing the overload of information and tasks
- Understand the needs of your colleagues for short meetings, responsive communications, and clear directions
The Collaboration Blind Spot (via Harvard Business Review)
When cross-group initiatives are launched, they often fail to consider how the proposed collaboration might threaten those involved. Leaders who want to foster effective collaboration should ask: How might this action threaten a group’s identity, legitimacy, and control?