Tactics for Tech Leadership (TTL)

 In this episode of Tactics for Tech Leadership, Andy and Mon-Chaio dive into the discipline of organizational diagnosis through the lens of the paper 'Organizational Diagnosis: an Evidence-Based Approach' by McFillen, Balzer, Varney, and O'Neil. They discuss the need for a rigorous approach to diagnosis in organizational design and change. The focus is on understanding the four spheres of knowledge: standards, solutions, symptoms, and systems. These spheres provide a structured approach to making evidence-based diagnoses. The hosts emphasize the importance of coherence in systems and how teams can implement this structured thinking into their practices to ensure organizational health. The conversation provides insights and actionable advice for technical leaders aiming to improve their diagnostic practices and organizational change efforts.

Transcript: https://thettlpodcast.com/2025/04/01/s3e12-the-4-spheres-of-knowledge-for-diagnosis/

References

• Organizational Diagnosis: An Evidence-based Approach - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/239796277_Organizational_Diagnosis_An_Evidence-based_Approach
• The history of the theory of the circulation of the blood - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.3233/CH-168031

In this episode of The TTL Podcast, Mon-Chaio and Andy dive deep into the world of employee surveys. They discuss whether these surveys truly work, their best practices, and the research behind them. Exploring the role of culture in company performance, they uncover the nuances of implementing and interpreting surveys. The episode provides actionable insights for leaders aiming to diagnose and improve their organizational culture.

References

• Measuring employee engagement and interpreting survey results
• Employee Survey Research: A Critical Review of Theory and Practice
• Diagnosing organizational cultures: A conceptual and empirical review of culture effectiveness surveys
• Following Up on Employee Surveys: A Conceptual Framework and Systematic Review

 In this Tactics for Tech Leadership podcast episode, Andy and Mon-Chaio explore SWIFT (Structured What If Technique). While traditionally seen as a technical tool for failure analysis, the hosts consider its potential applications in leadership and organizational contexts. Listeners will learn how SWIFT can help anticipate system failures even before they occur, from technical systems like Redis caches to social-technical systems like performance reviews and hiring processes. By the end, you'll understand how to adapt this structured method for diagnosing issues and improving both technical and organizational systems.

Transcript: https://thettlpodcast.com/2025/03/18/s3e10-swiftly-understanding-failure-modes/

References

• SWIFT - https://www.asems.mod.uk/toolkit/swift

In this episode, Mon-Chaio and Andy delve deep into the nuances of accountability at high organizational levels, particularly within the C-suite. They explore the challenges of holding executives accountable for outcomes, especially when their roles and processes are not fully understood by their peers. The conversation includes discussions on the differences between process and outcome accountability and how each can be applied depending on the context. Ultimately, they highlight the importance of team cohesion, shared goals, and trust in building a high-performance, accountable organization.

References

• Radical Candor
• We Hold Ourselves Accountable: A Relational View of Team Accountability
• The Best Teams Hold Themselves Accountable
• The Effect of Outcome vs. Process Accountability-Focus on Performance: A Meta-Analysis
• Accountability Systems and Group Norms: Balancing the Risks of Mindless Conformity and Reckless Deviation

 Andy and Mon-Chaio explore Patrick Lencioni's concept of the five dysfunctions of a team, discussing how absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results interrelate to impact team performance. They reflect on their own experiences and the importance of productive conflict, peer accountability, and commitment to collective success. Listeners will learn how examining organizational structure and culture can address these dysfunctions and improve team dynamics. Andy and Mon-Chaio also stumble upon the topic for the next episode on holding individuals accountable in areas outside one’s expertise.

Transcript: https://thettlpodcast.com/2025/03/04/s3e8-5-dysfunctions-of-a-team/

References:

• 5 Dysfunctions of a Team PDF resource - https://files.tablegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/11224029/FiveDysfunctions.pdf
• 5 Dysfunctions of a Team - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Five_Dysfunctions_of_a_Team
• Team Effectiveness: A Validation Study of Lencioni's Five Functions of a Team - https://lib.manaraa.com/books/A%20validation%20study%20of%20Lencioni's%20five%20functions%20of%20a%20team.pdf

In this week's episode of The TTL Podcast, Mon-Chaio and Andy delve into Ron Westrom's influential paper, "A Typology of Organizational Cultures." The hosts unpack the compelling insights and frameworks posited by Westrom, which categorize organizational cultures into Pathological, Bureaucratic, and Generative types. Mon-Chaio and Andy also share personal anecdotes and practical examples, such as dealing with software bugs, to illustrate the distinctions between local fix and inquiry-based approaches. They highlight the critical role of leadership and the importance of having a curious and improvement-focused mindset.

References

• A typology of organisational cultures
• Accelerate
• S1E14: The Undeserved Malignment of Bureaucracy
• Culture Series (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

Andy and Mon-Chaio explore Marvin Weisbord's Six Box Model, a framework from the 1970s for diagnosing organizational issues. They explain each of the six parts of the model: purpose, structure, relationships, rewards, leadership, and helpful mechanisms, and then illustrate it being used to assess an example software development company. Listeners will learn how to guide investigation into a situation using the model and the advantages they get from it over just winging it.

Transcript - https://thettlpodcast.com/2025/02/18/s3e6-6-box-model/

References

• Organizational Diagnosis: Six Places To Look for Trouble With or Without a Theory - https://leeds-faculty.colorado.edu/Rosse/Courses/4003/Readings/Weisbord.pdf
• Analysing a team situation using BART - https://open.spotify.com/episode/0ccnbKOCrt1mpw8LRgbdJz?si=91df18bddf3b43c8

In this first VacationCast episode of Season 3, with Andy out, Mon-Chaio dives into the complexities of mentorship, particularly within workplace relationships. He explores the differences between peer-to-peer mentoring and manager-direct report mentoring, the potential pitfalls of using the term 'mentorship' for career development or performance feedback, and the impact of these practices on genuine employee growth and leadership development.

References

• Season 1, Episode 13: "The Feedback Fallacy?"
• Season 2, Episode 41: "Improvement Beyond Podcasts - The Art of Deliberate Practice"
• Season 2, Episode 16: "Misleader Majority"

Andy and Mon-Chaio explore the dense yet insightful book 'Action Science' by Chris Argyris. They discuss Argyris's method of developing self-knowledge to break existing norms and achieve actionable knowledge. The conversation covers the core principles and propositions of action science, including the importance of understanding one's reasoning, questioning underlying assumptions, and fostering mutual learning. Tune in to discover how self-awareness can transform not just individuals but entire organizations.

Transcript - https://thettlpodcast.com/2025/02/04/s3e4-action-science/

References

In this episode, Mon-Chaio and Andy delve into the concept of Future Search, a powerful methodology for driving organizational change. They discuss the essence of Future Search, its origins from Marvin Weisbord’s book 'Productive Workplaces Revisited,' and explore why it's crucial to involve the whole system in problem-solving. The episode provides insights into the past, present, and future focus essential in the Future Search method and offers actionable tactics for effective implementation in technical organizations.

References