Career
How to Figure Out the Power Dynamics in a New Job (via HBR)
- Different kinds of power… coercive (force), reward (incentives), legitimate (hierarchy), referent (affiliation), expert (knowledge authority), informational (access to scarce information).
- Identify which people others seek out for authority.
- Recognize situational shifts in influence.
- Look beyond the obvious pockets of power.
- Let relationships with powerful colleagues multiply through curiosity and generosity.
Decision making
Leading with Confidence in Uncertain Times (via HBR)
“There are tools for thinking through uncertainty and using it to plan and make decisions. These tools are useful in everyday life and every economic climate, regardless of whether the world is at war or at peace; whether the economy is growing or contracting; and whether we are in a bull or a bear market. Here, we share five tools for thriving in an uncertain world: expected value, the wisdom of the crowd, confidence calibration, hedging, and communicating uncertainty with confidence.”
Interviewing
Good Interviewer/Bad Interviewer (via SWLW)
- Good… accurately asses if they want to work with the candidate, make the candidate want to work with them, values depth of dialogue, empathize with the candidate’s teammates, consistently evolve their methods, wish they could re-run the interview to ask better questions, feel they are contributing to a hiring decision
- Bad… think interviewing is a waste of time, aren’t inquisitive, don’t help other interviewers, don’t research the candidate or review their resume, fail to write thorough feedback about candidates, feel they are making a hiring decision
Software engineering
What Distinguishes Great Software Engineers? (via SWLW)
Being a competent coder, maximizing current value of their work, practicing informed decision-making, enabling others to make decisions efficiently, continuous learning.