“People don’t leave jobs; they leave managers.”
I write the advice I wish I had earlier in my career.
After leading teams for over twenty years, all successful teams have one thing in common: outstanding managers. Those managers play an outsized role in the organization by delivering early, retaining talented people, and helping employees grow their careers.
Whether you’re a new manager or have been at it for a while and trying to accelerate your career, I offer practical advice to give you a leg up in your management expertise.
What 'soft skill' activity shaped you the most?
Attending my daughter's concert made me rethink the value of such activities. Growing up in the Midwest, I played football and thought other soft skills events or clubs (drama, debate, etc.) weren’t cool. Time and experience reveal the value now. Music or Drama Drama, for instance, teaches invaluable skills
Setting up a trade show booth
I’ve attended many trade shows in my career. Small ones like local job fairs (which can be hit and miss depending on how well it’s marketed) or Chamber of Commerce stuff (those don’t usually generate revenue for a company, but they’re good for local networking). I’
Platform Team Pattern
Pro - Easier to staff Platform teams are typically the easiest to understand (everybody is working on Android, or everybody is working on microservices in node, etc.). Since the tech stack is very explicit, recruiting is more manageable (e.g., everyone can phone screen in theory). Pro - Technology Alignment
Patience is a Manager's Best Friend
One of the hardest things to learn as a manager is to have patience. You’ve likely been told over and over that patience is a virtue. But this wars with everything you’ve done in your career to get into management. All of that was * have a sense of
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