SWLW #494: The Engineering Managers' group, Do we still need teams? and more

Heya,

As always, below you can read my best findings for the week. If you want to support my work or join SWLW community in Slack - scroll down to the bottom of the email to see how.
 

This Week's Favorite

​​Models Are for the Obedience of Fools and the Guidance of the Wise
2 minutes read.

Jason Yip with a short yet essential lesson: "Models are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of the wise." -- follow Jason's questions to help you analyze the models and practices you find. Please don't use any loaded terms (e.g. Agile, Scrum, Sprints, Squads) but rather the underlying pains and desired outcomes you'd like to focus on.

Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.

Product [sponsored]

 Promote your product on SWLW and reach over 29,810 leaders 

Culture

Printed Some Chairs for the Lil Pizza Tables
1 minute read.

My humble effort to help you start the weekend with a smile on your face.

Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.


Do We Still Need Teams?
7 minutes read.

"If employees are expecting to experience strong relationships with their teammates and they do not, they often feel the disappointment and loneliness more acutely." -- It's interesting to consider "Mission Teams" (at least how I call them) that work together for a few weeks, and then individuals shift to other mission teams, as a broader strategy. This article made me think and consider the "co-acting groups" concept further.

Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.


8 Thoughts on the Future of Remote Work
3 minutes read.

George Mack shares his observations on where the world might shift due to COVID. Two insights that I think will be interesting to follow (and build for) are "Cities start competing" (for talent) and "Migrations-as-a-service" (to enable the former). How your company plans to adjust or leverage these shifts?

Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.


Why We’ve Ditched Scrum Sprints (And You Should Too)
5 minutes read.

While some teams are not falling into these traps, the experience shared by Martin Michalik is something I've seen (and mistakes I've made) too many times. Scrum, or any other process, is neither bad nor good if you know what you're aiming to achieve and focus on that. Barrow the good parts and make the process fit your needs.

Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.

Jobs [sponsored]

Front-end developer for a quantum computing platform @ Classiq
Classiq is hiring its first front-end developer to create the world’s leading platform for designing software for quantum computers.
 

 Looking to hire for your team? Promote your open positions on SWLW! 

Peopleware

Outcome-Focused Decision Making
3 minutes read.

Following Tom Sommer's advice on "Identify outcome drift" is often overlooked, creating a lot of noise even if the team is moving in the right direction.

Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.


Over 25 Years and 1,000s of Employees, I've Learned: Good Bosses Use Some Uncommon Tricks. Here Are the 9 of Them You Should Use (Thread)
3 minutes read.

"Good bosses don’t let chronic underperformers stay in the role. They change the role or help the employee find their next thing. Bad bosses blame struggling employees and hope they improve." -- Michael Girdley shares many gems. Some might feel trivial, but having 20 years in the industry, very few managers follow these insights.

Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.


Anti-Pattern: The Engineering Managers’ Group
4 minutes read.

Shy Alter with a very helpful mindset, questions, and ideas to form a team of managers. I like the "Signals" Shy offers, and the focus on creating inside jokes as a way to bring people together.

Read it later via Pocket or Instapaper.
Share it via Twitter or email.

And finally, inspiring tweets...

@SahilBloom: The Persuasion Paradox Have you noticed that argumentative people rarely persuade anyone of anything? Persuasive people don’t argue—they observe, listen, and ask questions. Argue less, persuade more. Persuasion is an art that requires a paintbrush, not a sledgehammer.

@naval: A life spent looking for shortcuts is a long road to nowhere.



p.s. if you're interested in joining SWLW's Slack channel, simply reply to this email and let me know.

If you're leading a team, consider writing your Manager README (it's free) or getting my e-book and interviews Leading Snowflakes: The New Engineering Manager's Handbook. You can also support me by becoming a SWLW Patron. Thank you ❤️




Keep reading, keep learning.
-- Oren Ellenbogen.