Dates covered: May 6-12, 2019 (week 19 of 52)
Business
Companies Don’t Always Need a Purpose Beyond Profit (via Harvard Business Review)
Although having a lofty mission statement is nice (Starbucks:
inspire and nurture the human spirit), most businesses exist to make money. That aim isn’t bad per se; profit can be more effective than aid in some examples. Even hedge funds serve a purpose. This doesn’t preclude people from doing good — sustainability, employee well-being, etc.
What the Job Market Looks Like for Today’s College Graduates (via Harvard Business Review)
Unemployment is low, but a measure of those out of the labor force is still an issue. Many of today’s graduates will be underemployed, but are optimistic and looking into creative passions and social service work. Wage inequality has increased — the median earnings adjusted for inflation are no better than that were in 1990 and 2000. It seems that having a degree means your job is less likely to be affected by automation.
What Companies Should Do to Prepare for a Recession (via Harvard Business Review)
Recessions are a matter of course for capitalist economies, meaning it’s not a matter of “if” but “when.” Companies that fared better took on less debt and made cost-cutting decisions earlier than those that fared worse.
Career
Getting paid to speak (the gory details) (via Software Lead Weekly)
This article is a playbook for how to navigate speaking at conferences with many of the edge cases covered.
Communication
Improve Your Writing by Flagging Words in Office
It’s rare to find that someone else hasn’t already solved a problem… I authored a post about how to make Office tools highlight words you may want to avoid (e.g., just, surely, actually) using the AutoCorrect feature. The goal is to improve my writing by removing these filler words.
How Asking Multiple People for Advice Can Backfire (via Harvard Business Review)
“People who were in a group of several advisors not only rated the advice seeker as less competent, but also indicated that they felt more socially distant to them later and were less interested in advising them in the future.” It seems that the larger the pool of people giving advice, the less likely any one advisor will feel rewarded because their advice was taken. Instead, preface your request with “I’m hoping to explore all my options” to set the tone.
Resolving a Protracted Conflict (via Software Lead Weekly)
TL;DR — the higher status person must express vulnerability first. Vulnerability is the key to empathy, which is the key to conflict resolution.
Are you mentorable? (via Software Lead Weekly)
- You understand the value of their time
- You’re clear about what you’re looking for from a mentor
- You can accept input, advice, and sometimes criticism
- For the lifespan of your relationship, you keep asking, “Am I a good mentee?”
- You’re open to whatever you can learn from your mentor
Culture
On Perks (via The Software Mentor)
The lavish perks (probably more so in the San Francisco Bay area or places for other hip, tech startups) are a bit much, and some argue that they are geared toward keeping people at work and not at home with (potentially future) families.
What if we hired for skills, not degrees? (via The Software Mentor)
Several decades ago (maybe even farther back), the recipe was simple: get a degree, get a good job. Now there are plenty of good jobs that people can successfully manage without a degree, and several jobs that used to require an associates degree now requiring a bachelors. A more modern approach is to focus on skills rather than academic achievements.
Leadership
Don’t Be the Boss Who Talks Too Much (via Harvard Business Review)
- Listen as much as you speak (if not more)
- Never interrupt people that are in “the zone” talking through things with you
- Have monthly 1:1s to listen
- Go beyond the open-door policy by tracking and following up on things people come to you for
Your Approach to Hiring Is All Wrong (via Harvard Business Review)
There are several techniques to find candidates (which can be costly), but do those new hires work out (i.e., are you finding the right people)? Companies often look for external candidates, and automated tools are unvetted and often amplify existing biases (e.g., commute time is correlated with cost of housing, not likelihood of low retention). Promoting from within can help, as does developing metrics to determine whether you’re hiring the right people.
Marketing
How to Make Sure Your Book Gets Read (via Harvard Business Review)
- Create a launch list (create pull toward your content instead of pushing it; also, don’t rely on social media to prioritize your message)
- Drive early reviews by getting on Amazon or GoodReads
- Appear on podcasts
- Leverage bulk sales
Process
3 Simple Habits to Improve Your Critical Thinking (via Harvard Business Review)
- Question assumptions
- Reason through logic
- Diversity thought
SAFe No Longer – My Final Farewell (via The Software Mentor)
I’m only tangentially aware of Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and my gut said that even for me, a process guy, this was a bit much. Apparently the author ran into the same problem.
What to Do When Work Is Slow (via Harvard Business Review)
- Make a plan instead of being distracted
- Develop yourself (training, professional development)
- Get ahead
- Build relationships
- Take a break
Improving Health Care by Gamifying It (via Harvard Business Review)
- Prefer opt-out models to make the desired behavior “on” by default
- Don’t give everyone the same goals (e.g., 10000 steps per day starting now)
- Have people sign a commitment pledge
- Make it possible for people to lose points (loss aversion)
- Have reset periods to encourage people that fall off the wagon
- Use social incentives
Software development
jQuery: Getting Started (via Pluralsight)
My project at work involves web front-end work, so I used this course to understand what jQuery brings to the table for DOM manipulation, events, chaining, and some side-learning on CSS3 selectors.
Bootstrap 4 for the Developer (via Pluralsight)
One of the front-end technologies my work project uses is Bootstrap; I used this course to familiarize myself with the concepts. PRO-TIP: Save yourself four hours… Instead of watching this course, read the Bootstrap docs. The presenter narrates himself typing into a text editor.
Technology
Negotiations Failed: How Oracle killed Java EE. (via The Software Mentor)
I’ve been out of the Java world for some time, but I’ve certainly heard rumblings about how Oracle was making things complicated. It’s too bad it ended up like this.
When Algorithms Make Managers Worse (via Harvard Business Review)
We’re poised to implement Frederick Winslow Taylor’s scientific management taken to an extreme. If we automate some decisions, we amplify biases or behaviors that have deeper consequences. “AI and algorithms offer a wealth of opportunities to design more flexible, fulfilling ways to work. But for them to work effectively, first be sure that you would be managed and matched by the same algorithms you are expecting other people to follow.”
Why Tech Giants Are So Desperate to Provide Your Voice Assistant (via Harvard Business Review)
“Voice assistants introduce a proprietary intermediary into all digital consumer interactions. This scenario both excites and frightens the leading tech companies that carved out enviable positions in the earlier web and smartphone platform wars.” Platform shifts have been experienced — click to swipe to speak — relating to PCs, smartphones, and voice assistants, which are powered by the Internet, cloud computing, and now machine learning. Keep in mind the five As: access, acquisition, authority, attention, and agency.
Risk Management (CompTIA Security+ path on Pluralsight)
Refresher training for Security+ covering
- organizational policies, plans, procedures
- business impact analysis
- risk management
- incident response
- digital forensics
- disaster recovery and continuity of operation
- security control types
- data security and privacy practices