What they don't tell you about leadership

A talk given at CTO Craft Conf https://conference.ctocraft.com/november-2023/

Transcript

1. What they don’t tell you about engineering leadership
2. What they don’t tell you about engineering leadership
3. 1. A story about one of my own challenges 2. Some communication theory 3. Tools for more inclusive conversations
4. 1. A story about one of my own challenges 2. Some communication theory 3. Tools for more inclusive conversations
5. 1. A story about one of my own challenges 2. Some communication theory 3. Tools for more inclusive conversations
6. Inbox Zero 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
7. 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
8. 🎉 💪 Inbox Zero 👏 🎉 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
9. 🏃 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
10. 😃 🙂 😳 😱 🤬 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
11. 🤬 Inbox Zero 🥊 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
12. My responses were all… 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
13. Yes No 7 Tuesday 5.30 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
14. Yes No 7 Tuesday 5.30 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
15. Yes No 7 Tuesday 5.30 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
16. Yes No 7 Tuesday 5.30 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
17. Yes No 7 Tuesday 5.30 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
18. What I saw as prompt and concise, is being perceived as blunt, and rude. 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
19. What I saw as prompt and concise, is being perceived as blunt, and rude. 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
20. What I saw as prompt and concise, is being perceived as blunt, and rude. 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
21. What I saw as unblocking was depriving the team of their own growth opportunities 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
22. What I saw as unblocking was depriving the team of their own growth opportunities 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
23. What I saw as unblocking was depriving the team of their own growth opportunities 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
24. What I saw as a offering a solution was preventing the team solving their own problem 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
25. What I saw as a offering a solution was preventing the team solving their own problem 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
26. What I saw as a offering a solution was preventing the team solving their own problem 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
27. What I saw as a question to answer was sometimes something else 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
28. What I saw as a question to answer was sometimes something else 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
29. What I saw as a question to answer was sometimes something else 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
30. In our rush to fix things, we might… 1. Fix the wrong problem 2. Do the work the team should be doing 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
31. In our rush to fix things, we might… 1. Fix the wrong problem 2. Do the work the team should be doing 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
32. In our rush to fix things, we might… 1. Fix the wrong problem 2. Do the work the team should be doing 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
33. In our rush to fix things, we might… 1. Fix the wrong problem 2. Do the work the team should be doing 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
34. Ask… Is there anything else? What’s the real challenge here for you? What would you like to do? How would you like me you to help? 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
35. Ask… Is there anything else? What’s the real challenge here for you? What would you like to do? How would you like me you to help? 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
36. Ask… Is there anything else? What’s the real challenge here for you? What would you like to do? How would you like me you to help? 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
37. Ask… Is there anything else? What’s the real challenge here for you? What would you like to do? How would you like me you to help? 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
38. Ask… Is there anything else? What’s the real challenge here for you? What would you like to do? How would you like me you to help? 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
39. Ask… Is there anything else? What’s the real challenge here for you? What would you like to do? How would you like me you to help? 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
40. Stay curious for longer. Find out the real problem. It might not be what is laid out initially. 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
41. Stay curious for longer. Find out the real problem. It might not be what is laid out initially. 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
42. Stay curious for longer. Find out the real problem. It might not be what is laid out initially. 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
43. Stay curious for longer. Find out the real problem. It might not be what is laid out initially. 🎯 Inbox Zero 📈
44. 1. A story about one of my own challenges ✅ 2. Some communication theory 3. Tools for more inclusive conversations
45. It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it…
46. It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it…
47. It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it…
48. We’re really sorry but the release will slip until next week 😢
49. … We’re really sorry but the release will slip until next week 😢
50. That’s fine We’re really sorry but the release will slip until next week 😢
51. … We’re really sorry but the release will slip until next week 😢 That’s fine
52. We’re really sorry but the release will slip until next week 😢 Hey, we’re working our backsides off to meet this deadline, this place, honestly! 🤬 That’s fine
53. We’re really sorry but the release will slip until next week 😢 Hey, we’re working our backsides off to meet this deadline, this place, honestly! 🤬 That’s fine …
54. I meant that’s fine - we don’t need it until the following week. We’re really sorry but the release will slip until next week 😢 Hey, we’re working our backsides off to meet this deadline, this place, honestly! 🤬 That’s fine
55. 😳
56. Albert Mehrabian’s 7-38-55 theory
57. ⚠
58. Albert Mehrabian’s 7-38-55 theory 7% - what is said
59. That’s fine
60. Albert Mehrabian’s 7-38-55 theory 7% - what is said 38% - how it is said
61. 👌 That’s fine
62. 󰷹 That’s fine
63. 🤬 That’s fine
64. Albert Mehrabian’s 7-38-55 theory 7% - what is said 38% - how it is said 55% - body language
65. 🤦 That’s fine
66. 🤷 That’s fine
67. 🧘 That’s fine
68. Albert Mehrabian’s 7-38-55 theory 7% - what is said 38% - how it is said 55% - body language ✉
69. 🤔
70. In a world of Slack, Teams, Zoom etc… Communication is Words & Tone & Body language
71. In a world of Slack, Teams, Zoom etc… Communication is Words & Tone & Body language
72. In a world of Slack, Teams, Zoom etc… Communication is Words & Tone & Body language
73. In a world of Slack, Teams, Zoom etc… Communication is Words & Tone & Body language
74. 1. A story about one of my own challenges ✅ 2. Some communication theory ✅ 3. Tools for more inclusive conversations
75. Bosses make people feel stressed. Leaders make people feel safe. - David L. Marquet
76. Set expectations and behaviours
77. Everyone is present We seek diversity of thought Define the openness Be honest Never make it personal Keep an open mind Set expectations and behaviours
78. Everyone is present We seek diversity of thought Define the openness Be honest Never make it personal Keep an open mind Set expectations and behaviours
79. Everyone is present We seek diversity of thought Define the openness Be honest Never make it personal Keep an open mind Set expectations and behaviours
80. Everyone is present We seek diversity of thought Define the openness Be honest Never make it personal Keep an open mind Set expectations and behaviours
81. Everyone is present We seek diversity of thought Define the openness Be honest Be constructive, and professional Keep an open mind Set expectations and behaviours
82. Think 🤔 Write📝 Share 📣
83. Think 🤔 Just think, no writing for 1-2 minutes ⏲ Think 🤔 Write📝 Share 📣
84. Think 🤔 Helps you to consider your best idea 💯 not just the first idea 💡 Think 🤔 Write📝 Share 📣
85. Write📝 Commit to paper your idea Think 🤔 Write📝 Share 📣
86. Write📝 Reduces conformity (what they said) Think 🤔 Write📝 Share 📣
87. Write📝 Improves listening (no need to be thinking of a response) Think 🤔 Write📝 Share 📣
88. Share 📣 Everyone shares, everyone has a voice Think 🤔 Write📝 Share 📣
89. Everyone speaks once before anyone speaks twice 🤫
90. Reduces interruption 🤐 (one speaker at a time) Everyone speaks once before anyone speaks twice 🤫
91. Improves active listening 👂 (No need to find a space to interrupt) Everyone speaks once before anyone speaks twice 🤫
92. Ensures everyone has a voice 📣 (not just the most vocal, or most important) Everyone speaks once before anyone speaks twice 🤫
93. 💡The more senior you are, the later your turn to speak. (This reduces anchor bias) Everyone speaks once before anyone speaks twice 🤫
94. Fostering psychological safety through anonymity 🦸
95. Using think-write-share, collect cards before sharing. Shuffle, distribute & read out (we can critique the idea, not the individual) Fostering psychological safety through anonymity 🦸
96. ⚠ Promote the expected behaviours Fostering psychological safety through anonymity 🦸
97. Leverage tools like Miro and Mural and their anonymous features to write virtual stickies Fostering psychological safety through anonymity 🦸
98. Leverage tools like Miro and Mural for anonymous voting of items to seek wisdom of the crowd Fostering psychological safety through anonymity 🦸
99. Also consider online question submission and polling tools like Menti and Google Forms if doing in person with physical cards. Fostering psychological safety through anonymity 🦸
100. 1. A story about one of my own challenges ✅ 2. Some communication theory ✅ 3. Tools for more inclusive conversations ✅
101. You have 👂👂 and 👄 and it’s best to use them in that proportion - Epictetus Ancient Greek stoic philosopher
102. None of us is as smart as all of us. - Ken Blanchard
103. Thanks 👋