Michael Migliacio
Spring One 2020
The Art and Science of Developer Coaching
Leading Engineers to Water

Introduction

360,000+ team members
1,829 stores
41 distribution centers
6 HQ locations
5% Target profit goes to communities
57 years of service
Michael "Miggs" Migliacio
Ryse Software Engineering Coach
Minneapolis, MN

A frog in a well knows nothing of the great ocean.
Be open to new things and think outside the box.

The Engineering
Mindset
Engineers want to do their best work.
They are often tasked with implementing
solutions requiring coordination across many
teams and disciplines.
Role is growing in responsibility (DevOps).

Challenges Faced by
Today’s Engineers
Tasked with solving complex technical
problems…AND complex “people problems”
at the same time.
People outside of engineering often overlook
this important aspect of the role - it isn’t easy!

What is a
Coach?

A Leadership Whisperer &
Team Confidant
A StakeholderA Technology & Process
Advocate
A Coach Is…
Well-versed in the technologies
and architectural patterns in use
across the enterprise and can
help guide teams to make
decisions.
Speaks up for the team to
leadership when necessary while
maintaining confidentiality and
professionalism.
Helps the team resolve
communication difficulties and
develop a strong sense of
psychological safety.
Invested in the success of their
team.

Sparking
Change

Spectrum of Empathy

Influence
The Trust & Influence
Infinity Loop
Trust
is a model for
developing trusting
relationships and
delivering positive outcomes

TrustInfluence
Access
Empathy
POV
Safety
Agency
Integrity
Competence
Results
Start Here

• Embrace hearts and minds
• Create in your personal style
• Meet people “where they are”
Focus on Empathy

Problem
Ownership

Remember, technical coaches do not own the
solutions their teams implement.
It can be easier to solution for a team than guide a
team to a solution…but then how can that team
move forward on their own?
Problem Ownership

“Learning how to set up a .drone.yml file as a part of
a new CI/CD pipeline can be difficult. I feel your pain
because I didn’t understand it myself at first. I can
help!”
Step 1: Demonstrate
Empathy

“What do you think you’re going to do?”
“How are you going to handle that error case?”
“What have you tried so far, and how did it go?”
Step 2: Hand the
Problem Back

“Would you like some suggestions as to how to
address the problem?”
“Would you like some tips and tricks for finding
solutions to similar problems?”
Step 3: Ask for
Permission and Give
Suggestions

Do the team the honor of assuming they can figure it
out and make the best choice for their own set of
circumstances.
The team owns their choices throughout the
discovery, knowledge gathering, and implementation
processes.
Step 4: Let Them Make
Their Choice

Maintain a positive attitude and follow up with teams
afterwards.
Step 5: Wish them Luck

• Mob Programming & Pair
Programming
• Immersive Learning Space
• Hands-on Exercises,
Workshops & Guided Learning
Tools of the Trade
• 50 Days of Learning Initiative

Michael "Miggs" Migliacio
Ryse Software Engineering Coach
Minneapolis, MN
@angstygaijin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-migliacio/