November 2, 2020

Professional Development – 2020 – Week 44

Image Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/54585499@N04/

Communication

Successful Remote Teams Communicate in Bursts (via Harvard Business Review)

“The authors present new research that suggests remote communication is most effective when teams coordinate to communicate in rapid-fire bursts, followed by periods of uninterrupted ‘deep work time’; when they exchange a broad diversity of information; and when they align their schedules to communicate synchronously rather than asynchronously.”

Culture

4 Ways Men Can Support Their Female Colleagues — Remotely (via Harvard Business Review)

  1. Include and sponsor women
  2. Ensure women’s voices are heard in meetings
  3. Practice transparency
  4. Evenly distribute virtual office housework

Write Down Your Team’s Unwritten Rules (via Harvard Business Review)

Every team has unwritten rules; it’s helpful to make them more explicit as people undergo change and stress. This article covers the most common areas: digital communication norms, emotional support, psychological safety, and work styles.

Give Your Remote Team Unstructured Time for Collaboration (via Harvard Business Review)

  • Virtual co-working — leave a Zoom meeting on for people to “sit” with one another and ask questions when needed
  • “Hotwalls” to connect to the office — monitor and camera in the office that people can connect with
  • Open office hours

Health

What Health Care Can Teach Other Industries About Preventing Burnout (via Harvard Business Review)

  1. Incorporate wellbeing into the organizational structure
  2. Delineate wellbeing priorities and create a framework for addressing them
  3. Measure the success of wellbeing programs using metrics that reflect org priorities

Leadership

What It Takes to Lead Through an Era of Exponential Change (via Harvard Business Review)

  1. Leader humility, authenticity, and openness instills trust and psychological safety.
  2. Trust and psychological safety empower individuals and teams.
  3. Continuously learning teams enable effective navigation of 3-D change.
  4. Shared purpose and values enhance focus, cohesion, and resilience during 3-D change.

Software Development

A Common-Sense Guide to Data Structures and Algorithms (Part 1)

Our book club has moved on from technical leadership for a bit so that we can review some fundamentals of data structures and algorithms. This week we covered why data structures matter, using arrays and sets to establish context.

Stress

How to Thrive When Everything Feels Terrible (via Harvard Business Review)

  • Avoid negativity
  • Adopt a neutral mindset
  • Practice gratitude consistently
  • Take care by managing your energy
  • Seek out positive relationships — inside and outside of work