Agile
Rethinking Velocity (Part 1) (via Reid Evans)
Velocity is a typical measure of how well a team is doing and how much work they can plan for. This post asks us to consider velocity is a vector that has not only magnitude but also direction. There’s no sense moving fast if you’re moving in the wrong direction.
Business
Constraints Don’t Have to Be Constraining (via Harvard Business Review)
What if you only had $5 as seed money to create a profit? Things get more interesting when you have $0. This article talks about when given a constraint, people focus around that instead of considering other options they’d need to evaluate with even less starting money.
The Power of Defining What Your Company Isn’t (via Harvard Business Review)
We’re accustomed to company mission statements that define what a company is. Sometimes it’s also helpful — for your employees and clients — to define what your company is not. For example, Uber defines itself as “not a taxicab company.”
Career
What to Say in an Exit Interview (via Harvard Business Review)
The exit interview is a tricky situation, as it depends on the org and how they’re likely to use the information. This post mentions some good topics if you do happen to work at a company that’s likely to incorporate the feedback.
- Reason for leaving
- How well your job was structured and if you had the tools to succeed
- If you opportunities to learn and grow
- How you feel about your manager and other leaders
- What you liked most about your job and the company
- Your top recommendations for improvement
Is That Stretch Job Right for You? (via Harvard Business Review)
- Other people see you as a credible candidate
- It scares you just a little
- You can tell a coherent story
- You’ve shown the ability to step up to new challenges and succeed in the past
- You have confidence in your resourcefulness
- You have the right support to set you up for success
How to Work for a Cowardly Boss (via Harvard Business Review)
- Study the behavior, don’t engage in gossip about it
- Set an example of what courage looks like
- Ask for what you need
- Acknowledge your own fear of change
- Determine if it’s isolated or there’s a culture of fear
Communication
How to Nail the Q&A After Your Presentation (via Harvard Business Review)
- Appreciate that they care enough to ask questions
- Channel your empathy; they’re asking for a reason
- If someone disagrees with you, find an area of agreement first
- When someone gives you a question out of left field, get curious and ask questions to understand
Culture
Young Workers Need Companies to Prioritize Mental Health (via Harvard Business Review)
- Onboarding — help young workers understand how to transition into the workforce
- Training — show people how to navigate and manage stress
- Leadership — be willing to demonstrate vulnerability and it being okay to not be okay
Leadership
Want to Change the World? Don’t Let Your Own Success Get in the Way. (via Harvard Business Review)
What got you to the top may not get you to the next step (e.g., working on large societal issues). Some things that will get in your way…
- You think you already know it all
- You’re not accustomed to being challenged
- You expect to have an army of helpers
- Your frames of reference are narrow because you (like everyone else) have one primary area of expertise.
- You’ve grown impatient for results
- You’re married to your occupational identity
Don’t Demonize Employees Who Raise Problems (via Harvard Business Review)
- Do management/key status reports explicitly name open issues that could significantly affect the future of the business?
- Is there an ongoing mechanism to address far-reaching issues? Can difficult topics be raised? Is it a regular process? As you develop the capacity to surface difficult topics, you might want to study what percent of your time is spent working on bigger critical issues that seem unsolvable.
- Do I recognize and reward those who bring issues forward that need addressing?
Productivity
Time Management Is About More Than Life Hacks (via Harvard Business Review)
By giving someone chef’s knives, an equipped kitchen, and fresh ingredients, does that person instantly become a skilled chef? Likewise, giving people a system and apps to manage their time doesn’t solve time management. Awareness (time is limited), arrangement (what to do vs. what not to do), and adaptation (adjusting to interruptions and new priorities) are essential skills. The article lists out some exercises to help you build those skills (too many to list here).
Why This CEO Appointed An Employee To Change Dumb Company Rules (via Software Lead Weekly)
As companies grow they accumulate processes that may no longer serve them. This post talks about appointing someone internally that has the power to review and modify processes that no longer serve the company. At my previous company we had a standing team that reviewed all of the company’s processes yearly; it’s a healthy practice.
Technology
Can Facebook’s Oversight Board Win People’s Trust? (via Harvard Business Review)
Facebook is in an interesting position to control its content with respect to human rights and social responsibility. I agree with the author that it’s awkward that the new oversight board consists entirely of Facebook employees instead the board being independent. Also, what happens when different countries and cultures have conflicting stances on what’s appropriate?
The Unicorn Project – Part 2
Our book club discussed chapters 4 through 6, where The Phoenix Project is launching despite no one being ready. There’s hope through the form of a secret, cross-functional team.