Managing Up

In this episode, Nick, Travis, and Brandon talk about the word "resources", thinking of humans versus abstract notions of people, and balancing company needs with individual needs. What changes as your role moves further from managing individual contributors?

Show Notes

• GE's "Up or out" environment
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitality_curve
• Episode 1: OKRs
  • https://managingup.simplecast.com/episodes/podcast-episode-1-measure-what-matters
• The Passionate Programmer by Chad Fowler
  • https://pragprog.com/titles/cfcar2/the-passionate-programmer-2nd-edition/ 

In the last episode we recorded in the "before times", Nick and Brandon discuss the connection between blameless culture, systems thinking, and just culture. Nick explains how blame robs learning, and how to foster an environment that allows the system to learn and improve. They talk about how accountability fits into a blameless culture, and Nick introduces Sidney Decker's idea of Forward Accountability and shifting behavior rather than assigning blame.

Show notes:

• Just culture
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_culture
• Nick's talk on Three Mile Island
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMk6rF4Tzsg
• Field guide to understanding human error
  • https://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-Understanding-Human-Error/dp/0754648257
• Sidney Decker: Forward accountability
  • https://sidneydekker.com/just-culture/

In another episode recorded in the "before times", Travis talks about finding the balance between not enough and too much process. Is Scrum too much process? How do you tell when process is designed to help versus be a remote control for a team? What if the process is being blamed for other problems? They discuss the signals that tell you when a process isn't working for you and when to modify existing processes versus throw them out.

Notes:

• Extreme Programming Explained by Kent Beck
  • https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Programming-Explained-Embrace-Change/dp/0321278658
• Scrum Guide ™ ™ ™ ® ® ®
  • https://www.scrumguides.org/index.html
• Taylorism (Scientific Management)
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_management

In an episode recorded in "the before times" that we feel is still relevant, Nick suggested we talk about what to do when you can't do it all. Nick, Brandon, and Travis discuss how the game of "Calendar Jenga" is symptomatic. What happens when your calendar is so full of "valuable" things that you have to choose between lunch or more meetings? Nick talks about using WIP limits to keep your calendar clean, and Travis talks about how designing your schedule is like designing teams.

Notes:

• @catehstn tweet:
  • https://twitter.com/catehstn/status/1231685231909974018
• Your calendar is a trash fire
  • https://speakerdeck.com/tehviking/the-new-managers-toolkit?slide=62
• Time blocking
  • https://blog.rescuetime.com/time-blocking-101/
• Time Management Matrix
  • https://facilethings.com/blog/en/time-management-matrix

Travis, Nick, and Brandon ask: what do you do when you have a sense that things are about to change? What about when your work evaporates due to a startup pivot or major organizational change? They talk about how to help maintain a team's composure and capability during times of uncertainty or lack of clear direction, including leaning on your own manager.

Burnout is a very real problem right now, and is often aggravated in our jobs as managers, ironically in our work to help others avoid burning themselves out. Nick, Travis, and Brandon ask: how do you stop the cycle of overwork that led you to success in the first place? How do you take a break? Once you do, how do you come back to work? They discuss learning to set boundaries and say no, even to things we want. Travis compares burnout to technical debt. Nick explains how systemic thinking can alleviate the "trapped" feeling that can exacerbate burnout.

Show notes:

• 6 Causes of Burnout
  • https://hbr.org/2019/07/6-causes-of-burnout-and-how-to-avoid-them

Nick, Travis, and Brandon talk about the chaotic and downright scary state of the world and our own prior adjustments to remote work. They discuss ways to lead authentically in these times, and how remote work has helped them learn how integrate life and work (and also, paradoxically, how to keep them separate).

Show notes:

• Bringing your whole self to work
  • https://mike-robbins.com/work/
• CNN/BBC guy gets interrupted by child
  • https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2017/03/10/interview-interrupted-children-newday.cnn
• Career timeline exercise
  • http://lanipeterson.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Career-Timeline-Exercise-01.2015.pdf
• Basecamp: Shape Up
  • https://basecamp.com/shapeup
• Miro (formerly RealtimeBoard)
  • https://miro.com/

Travis and Brandon talk about the tendency of software developers to fall into an "overly strategic" or "overly tactical" style of thinking. How do you encourage individuals and teams to consider both near and long term impact in their day to day work? How does team design factor in? What can you do if external factors are causing or aggravating these challenges? Is there a way to achieve balance?

Show notes:

• A Philosophy of Software Design
  • https://www.amazon.com/Philosophy-Software-Design-John-Ousterhout/dp/1732102201/
• Pragmatic Programmer
  • https://www.amazon.com/Pragmatic-Programmer-journey-mastery-Anniversary/dp/0135957052/
• E myth revisited
  • https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280/

Nick, Travis, and Brandon talk about the seasonality of work and how that affects individuals and teams. They talk about how they work with low points in the cycle and how to capitalize on the high points, rather than fighting these cycles. How can you change the rhythm when things are flagging too much? What do you do when you can't move dates or deadlines around? When is it OK to ask the team for an "above and beyond push"?

Notes:

• Shop Class as Soulcraft
  • https://www.amazon.com/Shop-Class-Soulcraft-Inquiry-Value/dp/0143117467
• The Productivity Cycle
  • https://alexsexton.com/blog/2014/1/the-productivity-cycle/

Brandon asks Nick about a piece of advice he doesn't even remember giving about teaching teams to manage themselves. Nick, Travis, and Brandon explore tough questions around self-managing teams: How do you know when to let go and when to step in? What is the job of a manager on a self-managing team? How do you deal with micromanagement from above? How do you dig out if your team can't live without you?