Programming Leadership

The only constant is change, and Heidi Helfand knows a thing or two about changes in organizations. From reteamining to reorganizations to just shuffling a member or two, in this episode we’ll learn how to think about these inevitable changes and what to do when they happen.

Show Notes

• What are some of the kinds of change that a team might undergo?

Links:

• Heidihelfand.com

Emotional intelligence is essential to good leadership, but many CTO’s stress the importance of IQ instead. To move from contributor to manager, it’s a good idea to invest the time to explore EQ, as well as personality profiles to better understand how to manage people.

Show Notes

• Managing expectations

Links:

• https://7ctos.com

Do people really crave feedback? That’s the assumption a lot of managers make, so in this episode we’ll talk about what feedback really means and how you can give it in a meaningful, productive manner.

Show Notes

• What is the history of feedback?

Links:

•  Sponsor: GitPrime

In this episode, we’re talking to Amy Phillips and Aaron Randall (CTO of Songkick)  about the path from programmer to manager. How did they get there, what did they learn, and what can you learn from their experiences? 

Show Notes

• What lessons were learned in the early phases of their careers?

Links:

• Sponsor: GitPrime

We’ve all experienced feedback that was unhelpful - but why was it that way? Supervisors want to motivate us, and bring out our best, but perhaps they don’t always think about the feedback they’re giving. Is it really helpful? Is it addressing the real problem? What’s the context? In this episode, we’ll look at how our perceptions can change how we respond, and why authentic feedback is genuinely helpful.

Show Notes

• Sometimes we ascribe motivations that aren’t there, causing us to provide feedback based on incorrect assumptions.

Links:

•  https://webinar.gitprime.com/developing-engineering-talent/ 

Breaking a problem down can help you see it more clearly, and attack the issues wrapped up in that problem more effectively. Sometimes we tackle problems that are large or connected to other issues, and it can be helpful to take a step back, consider other perspectives, get more information, and try breaking things down and solving each issue individually.

Show Notes

• There’s always more information.

Links:

• https://www.estherderby.com/workshops/psl

What motivates your programmers? In this episode, Marcus looks at the various factors that impact motivation, and why one of his engineers just wasn’t grooving on a project. Chances are you’ve got teammates who feel the same way. Guess what? It’s not that they’re lacking in motivation, it’s that they’re no longer motivated by what’s being given to them. 

Show Notes

• People ARE motivated, that’s why you hired them. They lose some of that when they aren’t given new challenges.

Links:

• https://www.gitprime.com

There is an inherent difference between leaders and managers that is often overlooked. While most think that leaders are “born,” Katie Womersley, VP of Engineering at Buffer, disagrees. Leaders and managers both require skills that can be taught, and developing those employees from within the company can be the most timely and economically efficient way to do so. We also discuss the perception of status, authority, and vulnerability with the workplace.

Show Notes

• What is Buffer?

Links:

• https://marcusblankenship.com/ 

Often times people find themselves in a place where they feel trapped or stagnant in their lives. It can be trapped in a job or in a relationship and making a change may not always be the easiest thing to do. Because we are human, we find ourselves in situations where it is hard to leave or change because we are connected to people, systems or organizations. 

In this episode of Programming Leadership, Jessica Kerr joins me to talk about the complex topic of moving out of stagnation and into new possibilities.  We also cover some mechanisms for people to implement who want to make a change in their lives when it seems almost impossible to do so. 

Show Notes

• People are connected in many systems and because of those bonds it’s hard to break them and make changes. 

Links:

• Sponsor: www.gitprime.com

Performance improvement plans (PIP) are difficult not just for the employee receiving the plan but also for the boss and others in upper management deciding to implement one. It’s easy for the employee to be upset or angry when put on a PIP but if used correctly, they can be a valuable tool for improving performance and building trust. In this episode of Programming Leadership, Marcus talks through a tough human resources topic and provides perspectives from both the employee and management as well as pointers on how to effectively use PIPs.

Show Notes

• Performance Improvement Plans (PIP) should be used when you want an employee to improve; don’t use them if you plan to fire the employee regardless of performance.

Links:

• Sponsor:  GitPrime.com