The violence in asking “What is the goal?”
Chris, a Senior Programmer, leaned on the table as Bill wrapped up his proposal about improving the dev process. Chris unleashed a short, sharp question:“Bill, what’s the goal here?” Just as expected from a virtual punch in the face, Bill looked stunned. Staggering a bit, Bill tried to defend, “Chris, we’re trying to reduce the […]
”How do I manage difficult developers?” and more…
In today’s small group mentoring session we had a bunch of good questions which touched on topics like: How do I manage difficult developers? Identifying and communicating our hidden expectations of developers Transitioning from a “family” to “sport-team” mindset Finding new areas of growth for ourselves What to do when people leave in droves All […]
Getting Real. Establishing Realistic Expectations for Yourself and Your Team
Episode 3 It’s a fact of life that people are imperfect, so why do we try as coders to be perfect in our jobs? It’s just not feasible nor rational. This episode of Programming Leadership sheds light on the unrealistic expectations that clients, bosses and ourselves set because we strive to be perfect in an […]
Getting Real on the Programming Leadership podcast
This week on Programming Leadership we discuss “getting real” about software projects. Listen Now -> Programming Leadership Podcast Show notes Leadership is creating an environment where everyone can contribute. We can’t say yes to something until we can honestly say no to something. Look for the good and the bad in the retrospective of a […]
30s to better problem solving
How you frame a problem can make all the difference in how you solve it. Let me illustrate so you can watch for this today at work. The drama I watched the other team work. Twelve people had 15 minutes to draw a map of the USA with the 50 states, and label the state […]
Lean in with your ears
We were trying to solve a problem, but we’re going in circles – generating ideas faster than we could consider them. It was like twelve people playing a game of chess. Some people retracted into the shadows; others advanced into the light. Alliances formed around ideas, advancing them and then defending them. Many times I […]
Re-entry is the hard part
I just returned from attending the greatest technical leadership training on the planet, which has been running for over 40 years. It’s over five days of experiential training led by two amazing masters of technical leadership and human systems. (FYI – This is not a sponsored post, just my humble opinions.) So, now my mind […]
So, What Is Leadership, Really?
Episode 2 This week on the Programming Leadership podcast, we’re diving into the theories and definitions of what leadership means and looks like (and even what it doesn’t look like)! Even if you wouldn’t call yourself a “natural born” leader, Marcus encourages you to remember that leadership is a process, requires learned skills and everyone […]
Learning through everyday situations
Long-time friend, Sam, wrote me an important lesson he realized when thinking sbout how I look for coffee. Sam wrote: One big danger I see in the approach is to scan like this, you have to: 1) be a real expert for coffee and 2) know very exactly what you want. This can be good […]
Managing vs. Leading: What’s the Difference?
Episode 1 This week on the Programming Leadership podcast, host Marcus Blankenship shares his core beliefs about what it truly means to be a manager. He discusses the differences between the management and leadership and highlights key aspects of leadership that inspires anyone, regardless of job title or natural born talents, to step up and […]
Me, a Manager?
Episode 0 Welcome to the Programming Leadership podcast! In this episode, you’ll meet the host, Marcus Blankenship, as he introduces his passion for helping programmers navigate transitions. After all, most engineers don’t plan on becoming managers. So whether you’re a new programmer, you’re on the management track, or if you’ve been a manager for years, […]
The one in which Jim points out a coffee shop lesson
Long-time reader Jim was reading yesterday’s email about baristas from the #1 rated coffee shop in America and pointed out an interesting idea: “One thing I’ll add is that the best shops are often rigid or uncompromising about something that ends up being inconvenient for customers.” I also found many practices of great coffee shops […]
Hiring lessons from barista shopping
In my workshop’s I teach people how to spot and capture lessons from everyday situations. Below is an example of that sort of thinking. =============== I travel about a fair bit. When I arrive in a new place, I always look for where to get a good cup of coffee. (BTW, I could use some […]
Four books that helped me see leadership differently
I’m reading a few books right now which all running around in my brain, impacting my ideas on technical leadership, systems, software, and people. I thought I’d share them with you, in case you had a lull in your summer reading list. I’m going to give them in the order I started them because one […]
Your choice: go big, or get real
I’ve been a jittery, nervous wreck for a week because of the workshop which starts on Wednesday. It reminds me of singing a solo in a Junior High musical – I’m terrified that I’ll forget the words, look like an idiot… or pee my pants on stage. Yeah – you get it: I’m nervous. I […]