The document discusses how staff engineers can influence organizations without direct authority. It suggests staff engineers act as "glue" that binds teams together and "grease" that reduces friction. It also discusses how staff engineers can focus on impact through activities like writing, presenting, coaching and learning. The document advocates for ruthless prioritization of work and continuous learning.

1. InfluencingWithoutAuthority
EffectiveStaff+Engineering
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

2. WhatIs
Staff+?

3. WhatIs
Staff+?

4. Hi!👋,I’mIan
I’m a Software Architect currently building
a low-code application platform for
financial markets institutions at
Previously, I was Chief Digital Technology Architect
for PokerStars and spent 8 years working on sports
betting products.
@anatomic | www.ian-thomas.net | linkedin.com/in/anatomic

5. WhatIs
Staff+?

6. INFLUENCE SCOPE
FEEDBACK TIMESCALE
Squad
Channel
Sub-tribe
Tribe
Division Enterprise Industry
Senior
Engineer
Staff
Engineer
Senior
Staff
Engineer
Principal
Engineer
Distinguished
Engineer
Chief
Engineer
Fellow
Product
Owner Product
Manager
Senior
Product
Manager Associate
Director
Director
VP
CPO
Lead
Engineer
Engineering
Manager
Senior
Engineering
Manager
Associate
Director
Director
VP
CTO
Engineer
Ian
Thomas
|
@anatomic
|
2022

7. Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

8. https://hbr.org/2015/03/the-5-biases-pushing-women-out-of-stem
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

9. https://business.leeds.ac.uk/research-stc/doc/socio-technical-systems-theory
People
Technology
Process
Goals
Culture
Infrastructure
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

10. People Technology
Process
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

11. [..] engineers tend to ignore the social concerns of
their work
Günter Ropohl – Philosophy of Socio-Technical Systems
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

12. People Technology
Process
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

13. People Technology
Process
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

14. Transition to technology leadership Transition to people management
RoleIdentityShift
A poorly defined IC ladder leaves
competencies open to interpretation
Senior Engineer
Staff Engineer Lead Engineer
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

15. Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

16. If we promote a staff engineer who churns out code
but can't work with other people, that becomes the
implicit definition of a staff engineer. On the other
hand, if our most senior engineers are modelling
leadership skills and making everyone better, we're
setting up a virtuous cycle.
Tanya Reilly – Not all engineering leaders are engineering managers
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

17. OnBeingGlue&Grease
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

18. OnBeingGlue&Grease
Glue Grease
any natural or synthetic adhesive, esp.
a sticky gelatinous substance prepared
by boiling animal products such as
bones, skin, and horns. any other sticky
or adhesive substance
any thick fatty oil, esp. one used as a
lubricant for machinery
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

19. Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

20. Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

21. Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

22. https://staffeng.com/guides/staff-archetypes
Staff+Archetypes
Architect
Solver
Responsible for the direction, quality
and approach within a critical area
Digs deep into arbitrarily complex
problems and finds an
appropriate path forward
TechLead RightHand
Guides the approach and
execution of a particular team
Extends an executive's attention,
borrowing their scope and
authority to operate particularly
complex organizations
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

23. (Wikimedia Commons) Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

24. Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

25. Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

26. Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

27. ShearingLayers
How Buildings Learn: What Happens
After They’re Built
Stuart Brand
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

28. Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022
https://jods.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/issue3-brand/release/2

29. Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022
https://adactio.com/articles/16251

30. Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

31. Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

32. Architect
Solver
Responsible for the direction, quality
and approach within a critical area
Digs deep into arbitrarily complex
problems and finds an
appropriate path forward
TechLead RightHand
Guides the approach and
execution of a particular team
Extends an executive's attention,
borrowing their scope and
authority to operate particularly
complex organizations
https://staffeng.com/guides/staff-archetypes
Staff+Archetypes
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

33. Inefficiency
FocusedWork
coding
Meetings
40
hours
10%
30%
30%
20%
Who/what is this work impacting?
Who/what is this work influencing?
10%
Lunch
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

34. Inefficiency
FocusedWork
coding
Meetings
40
hours
10%
30%
30%
20%
Who/what is this work impacting?
Who/what is this work influencing?
10%
Lunch
Bedeliberateinhowyou
spendyourinfluencebudget
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

35. Edward Tufte

36. Nathan Wyburn

37. FocusonImpact
MultiplierMode
WritingAsA
Superpower
Streaming
Presenting
Coaching
Teaching
Sponsorship
Learning
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

38. What has been inside certain individual persons is
externalized and objectified in the technical system,
and it is thus generalized beyond the individuals.
Günter Ropohl – Philosophy of Socio-Technical Systems
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

39. RuthlessPrioritisation
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

40. Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

41. Source: Evening Standard

42. 𝐿 = 𝜆𝑊
Inventory
Throughput
Lead time
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

43. 𝐿 = 𝜆𝑊
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022
If our throughput is 10 days per
piece of work, or 0.1 items per day…

44. 𝔼 𝑊
! ≈
𝑝
1 − 𝑝
𝑐"
#
+ 𝑐$
#
2
𝜏
Expected waiting time
Variability
Utilisation
Average
processing
time
Kingman’s Formula
𝔼 𝑊
! ≈ 𝑉𝑈𝜏
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

45. 𝔼 𝑊
! ≈ 𝑉𝑈𝜏
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022
5 days between requests
(2 days std dev), 10 days
processing (3 days std dev)

46. 𝔼 𝑊
! ≈ 𝑉𝑈𝜏
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022
5 days between requests
(2 days std dev), 10 days
processing (3 days std dev)

47. ContinuousLearning
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

48. Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

49. Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022
At the time of this presentation, the estimated size of
the internet was over 4.2 billion web pages. You can’t
learn it all! Prioritise your learning as you would your
work, model vulnerability (it’s ok to say “I don’t
know”) and normalise continuous learning by
learning in public.

50. WhatIs
Staff+?
effective
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

51. • Morethanjust“theadultintheroom”
• Nota“moresenior,senior”
• Gluethatbindsteams(andorgs)together
• Greasethatreducesfriction
• People+Technology
• Ambiguous
• Rewarding+Valuable
WhatIs
Staff+?
effective
Ian Thomas | @anatomic | 2022

52. Thanks!🖖
If you’re interested in chatting more about
any of the topics covered in this talk, come
grab me in the hallway track or virtually
through Twitter or LinkedIn.
@anatomic | www.ian-thomas.net | linkedin.com/in/anatomic