In engineering we (rightly) talk a lot about how to scale our systems and our infrastructure. Yet some of our very hardest challenges come when scaling the people side of things. How do you survive your team doubling, tripling or perhaps even a 10x growth in a short period of time? What does it take to grow fast AND retain the bits of your culture as a team or organisation that made you great to begin with? How do you know when to change how you do things, without just cargo culting? Having scaled a number of teams at different speeds, Meri will talk through some of the inflection points you'll experience, how to navigate them, and reflect on all the things she wishes she'd known just a little bit earlier...
5 Things I Wish I Knew Sooner About Scaling Teams & CultureMeri Williams
Keynote at #ScaleSummit8 looking at the people side of scaling teams and organisations, with five key lessons that I wish I had learnt sooner in scaling teams & orgs & culture
5 Things I Wish I'd Known Sooner About Scaling Teams & Culture - at Turing FestMeri Williams
In engineering we (rightly) talk a lot about how to scale our systems and our infrastructure. Yet some of our very hardest challenges come when scaling the people side of things. How do you survive your team doubling, tripling or perhaps even a 10x growth in a short period of time? What does it take to grow fast AND retain the bits of your culture as a team or organisation that made you great to begin with? How do you know when to change how you do things, without just cargo culting?
Having scaled a number of teams at different speeds, Meri talks through some of the inflection points you'll experience, how to navigate them, and reflect on all the things she wishes she'd known just a little bit earlier..
Creating Space to Be Awesome at QCon LondonMeri Williams
Bringing agile approaches into how we manage people and lead teams can have wonderful, far-reaching impact. How do we get the most out of these new ways of working and also ensure that we create an inclusive environment where all types of people can be successful? In this session we’ll take a closer look at the science behind great people management, to figure out how to bring these together and craft space for everyone to be awesome.
Agile improves how we work, can it also improve how we manage and develop people? A look at stealing some elements of agile, and working out how best to develop & manage people who are working with agile.
Given as a conference talk at Agile on the Beach, September 2014, in Falmouth, Cornwall.
Modern Leadership & Team Science: Creating Space to Be AwesomeMeri Williams
Our role as technology leaders is changing. And somehow also staying the same. Though we work in new ways – for instance using Agile & Lean – we are still trying to achieve the same thing. Our mission is to create high performing teams to deliver high quality products that help our users and organizations to succeed.
So how do we go about it? First of all, we steal the best lessons we can from psychology, management science, and other fields including sports. Then we focus on how to create an environment in which a diverse range of people can be themselves and be successful.
In this keynote we’ll take a whistle-stop tour of the relevant science, then focus on how to use it in our day-to-day – to create inclusive and effective work environments in which everyone can be awesome.
Creating Space to Be Awesome - Tech Talent EventMeri Williams
Talk given at Augmented Vacancies' Tech Talent Event on 30 June 2016, looking at how to create an environment in which your people can be high performing.
Practical Diversity: Creating Space for Everyone to be AwesomeMeri Williams
How do we create space for EVERYONE to be awesome? Some practical tips on improving diversity & representation, and building inclusive environments. From my talk at Personalverardagarna in Stockholm, April 2016.
Session from Women of Silicon Roundabout 2017.
Bringing agile approaches into how we manage people and lead teams can have wonderful, far-reaching impact. How do we get the most out of these new ways of working and also ensure that we create an inclusive environment where all types of people can be successful? In this session we’ll take a closer look at the science behind great people management, to figure out how to bring these together and craft space for everyone to be awesome.
5 Things I Wish I Knew Sooner About Scaling Teams & CultureMeri Williams
Keynote at #ScaleSummit8 looking at the people side of scaling teams and organisations, with five key lessons that I wish I had learnt sooner in scaling teams & orgs & culture
5 Things I Wish I'd Known Sooner About Scaling Teams & Culture - at Turing FestMeri Williams
In engineering we (rightly) talk a lot about how to scale our systems and our infrastructure. Yet some of our very hardest challenges come when scaling the people side of things. How do you survive your team doubling, tripling or perhaps even a 10x growth in a short period of time? What does it take to grow fast AND retain the bits of your culture as a team or organisation that made you great to begin with? How do you know when to change how you do things, without just cargo culting?
Having scaled a number of teams at different speeds, Meri talks through some of the inflection points you'll experience, how to navigate them, and reflect on all the things she wishes she'd known just a little bit earlier..
Creating Space to Be Awesome at QCon LondonMeri Williams
Bringing agile approaches into how we manage people and lead teams can have wonderful, far-reaching impact. How do we get the most out of these new ways of working and also ensure that we create an inclusive environment where all types of people can be successful? In this session we’ll take a closer look at the science behind great people management, to figure out how to bring these together and craft space for everyone to be awesome.
Agile improves how we work, can it also improve how we manage and develop people? A look at stealing some elements of agile, and working out how best to develop & manage people who are working with agile.
Given as a conference talk at Agile on the Beach, September 2014, in Falmouth, Cornwall.
Modern Leadership & Team Science: Creating Space to Be AwesomeMeri Williams
Our role as technology leaders is changing. And somehow also staying the same. Though we work in new ways – for instance using Agile & Lean – we are still trying to achieve the same thing. Our mission is to create high performing teams to deliver high quality products that help our users and organizations to succeed.
So how do we go about it? First of all, we steal the best lessons we can from psychology, management science, and other fields including sports. Then we focus on how to create an environment in which a diverse range of people can be themselves and be successful.
In this keynote we’ll take a whistle-stop tour of the relevant science, then focus on how to use it in our day-to-day – to create inclusive and effective work environments in which everyone can be awesome.
Creating Space to Be Awesome - Tech Talent EventMeri Williams
Talk given at Augmented Vacancies' Tech Talent Event on 30 June 2016, looking at how to create an environment in which your people can be high performing.
Practical Diversity: Creating Space for Everyone to be AwesomeMeri Williams
How do we create space for EVERYONE to be awesome? Some practical tips on improving diversity & representation, and building inclusive environments. From my talk at Personalverardagarna in Stockholm, April 2016.
Session from Women of Silicon Roundabout 2017.
Bringing agile approaches into how we manage people and lead teams can have wonderful, far-reaching impact. How do we get the most out of these new ways of working and also ensure that we create an inclusive environment where all types of people can be successful? In this session we’ll take a closer look at the science behind great people management, to figure out how to bring these together and craft space for everyone to be awesome.
Modern Management: Creating Space for Everyone to Be AwesomeMeri Williams
Our role as technology leaders is changing. And somehow also staying the same. Though we work in new ways – for instance using Agile & Lean – we are still trying to achieve the same thing. Our mission is to create high performing teams to deliver high quality products that help our users and organizations to succeed.
So how do we go about it? First of all, we steal the best lessons we can from psychology, management science, and other fields including sports. Then we focus on how to create an environment in which a diverse range of people can be themselves and be successful.
In this keynote we’ll take a whistle-stop tour of the relevant science, then focus on how to use it in our day-to-day – to create inclusive and effective work environments in which everyone can be awesome.
Creating Space for EVERYONE to be Awesome - Agile People SwedenMeri Williams
Closing keynote from Agile People Sweden 2015.
Bringing agile approaches into how we manage people and lead teams can have wonderful, far-reaching impact. How do we get the most out of these new ways of working and also ensure that we create an inclusive environment where all types of people can be successful? In this session we’ll take a closer look at diversity & inclusion, and the science behind great people management, to figure out how to bring these together and craft space for everyone to be awesome.
DPM UK: Stealing Project Management Lessons from Artificial IntelligenceMeri Williams
Slides from today's talk at the Digital Project Management UK conference, on what project management lessons we can steal from artificial intelligence.
Creating Space for People to Be AwesomeMeri Williams
Talk I gave at Highland Fling Sessions (19 April 2014) where I was asked to talk about people management & diversity "in the trenches" -- i.e. what really matters day-to-day, in the workplace.
Brilliant People Management in an Agile SettingMeri Williams
Agile people management is two things -- applying agile principles to managing people, and also figuring out how to manage people working with agile approaches. Traditional once-a-year reviews with annual targets are hardly very agile (or useful). How do we create space for our people to be awesome? Do we even need managers at all in agile?
Studies in Terror: Becoming a People ManagerMeri Williams
I was first given “people management” responsibility when I was in my 20s—and my first two “direct reports” were guys older than my Dad. As it slowly dawned on me that I was responsible not just for “people management” but for these folks’ careers—which were a major focus of their lives—I was terrified.
Once I saw through the corporate euphemisms, I realised:
1) how important being a good manager is (after all, most people don’t leave their company, they leave their boss)
2) that I was so scarred by my own poor experiences with managers that I didn’t know what “good” looked like.
Over the following years I did a bunch of research, got some great mentors, and tested a bunch of different approaches. Let’s talk about how scary and how important great people management is, and how we can get better at it.
Awesome People Management with Agile at Agile North EastMeri Williams
Agile people management is two things -- applying agile principles to managing people, and also figuring out how to manage people working with agile approaches. Traditional once-a-year reviews with annual targets are hardly very agile (or useful). How do we create space for our people to be awesome? Do we even need managers at all in agile?
Stealing Project Management Lessons from Artificial IntelligenceMeri Williams
My keynote from the Digital Project Management Summit 2014 (http://dpm2014.com/) looking at what lessons we can steal from advances in artificial intelligence, for reapplication in project management.
Neurodiversity: The Next Frontier (Agile People Sweden)Meri Williams
We already know that diverse teams are more creative and deliver better results. We’ve seen this play out in repeated studies and real life. Sadly many organisations lag behind in adequately representing the population in terms of diversity, but those that are making strides are also outperforming the competition. But what about less visible diversity? The topic of neurodiversity is increasingly on our minds (if you’ll excuse the pun). How do we create work environments and cultures that embrace the full spectrum of neurodiversity and enable all our colleagues to perform at their best?
Practical Diversity: Creating Space to Be AwesomeMeri Williams
Practical tips for improving diversity & inclusion in your organisations, with a focus on creating environments in a broad variety of people can be themselves and be successful
Practical Diversity at Thinking Digital Women Meri Williams
How do we build inclusive environments that can not just tolerate but positively encourage diverse teams to do their best? We'll look at some practical things you can do to make things better.
Practical Diversity -- Expanded EditionMeri Williams
Stopping discrimination is important, but tolerance is a terrible word (who wants to be tolerated?). What can we do to create more inclusive environments? Presenting some practical, pragmatic things that really work, based on real world experiences.
Updated expanded talk, given to GE Oil & Gas Women's Network in Florence and Booking.com Annual Meeting internal tech conference in Amsterdam, both in Dec 2013.
Baking Accessibility In Using Agile - Fronteers 2014Meri Williams
Slides from my #fronteers14 talk in Amsterdam, October 2014.
Looking at how we bake accessibility and other good practices into how we work day-to-day, so they aren't an afterthought.
More info including links to books on blog.geekmanager.co.uk
Managing Design 2016 - building a respectful design team cultureCameron Rogers
In this presentation, I’ll discuss in detail how a less-than-respectful culture of design can unintentionally evolve. I’ll touch briefly on some of the established tools, techniques, and gurus you can call upon to set up your own respectful design culture. Finally I’ll discuss the hard yards you, as a Design Leader, need to put in to avoid or change this culture from crippling your company, and the continual steps you’ll need to take to ensure your respectful design culture remains intact for the long haul.
My Monolith is Melting - PIPELINE CONF 2015Meri Williams
Bringing change to legacy systems and monolithic waterfall programs is daunting, but doable. In this session we’ll look at a real world example of how we undertook the technical, cultural and process challenges to move to continuous delivery in a big organisation. You’ll hear about the epic battles with the dreaded CAB (Change Approval Board), the fight to move architecture discussions from Word documents to the whiteboards, and the myriad smaller skirmishes along the path to delivering features to our users faster, safer & more measurably.
Modern Management: Creating Space for Everyone to Be AwesomeMeri Williams
Our role as technology leaders is changing. And somehow also staying the same. Though we work in new ways – for instance using Agile & Lean – we are still trying to achieve the same thing. Our mission is to create high performing teams to deliver high quality products that help our users and organizations to succeed.
So how do we go about it? First of all, we steal the best lessons we can from psychology, management science, and other fields including sports. Then we focus on how to create an environment in which a diverse range of people can be themselves and be successful.
In this keynote we’ll take a whistle-stop tour of the relevant science, then focus on how to use it in our day-to-day – to create inclusive and effective work environments in which everyone can be awesome.
Creating Space for EVERYONE to be Awesome - Agile People SwedenMeri Williams
Closing keynote from Agile People Sweden 2015.
Bringing agile approaches into how we manage people and lead teams can have wonderful, far-reaching impact. How do we get the most out of these new ways of working and also ensure that we create an inclusive environment where all types of people can be successful? In this session we’ll take a closer look at diversity & inclusion, and the science behind great people management, to figure out how to bring these together and craft space for everyone to be awesome.
DPM UK: Stealing Project Management Lessons from Artificial IntelligenceMeri Williams
Slides from today's talk at the Digital Project Management UK conference, on what project management lessons we can steal from artificial intelligence.
Creating Space for People to Be AwesomeMeri Williams
Talk I gave at Highland Fling Sessions (19 April 2014) where I was asked to talk about people management & diversity "in the trenches" -- i.e. what really matters day-to-day, in the workplace.
Brilliant People Management in an Agile SettingMeri Williams
Agile people management is two things -- applying agile principles to managing people, and also figuring out how to manage people working with agile approaches. Traditional once-a-year reviews with annual targets are hardly very agile (or useful). How do we create space for our people to be awesome? Do we even need managers at all in agile?
Studies in Terror: Becoming a People ManagerMeri Williams
I was first given “people management” responsibility when I was in my 20s—and my first two “direct reports” were guys older than my Dad. As it slowly dawned on me that I was responsible not just for “people management” but for these folks’ careers—which were a major focus of their lives—I was terrified.
Once I saw through the corporate euphemisms, I realised:
1) how important being a good manager is (after all, most people don’t leave their company, they leave their boss)
2) that I was so scarred by my own poor experiences with managers that I didn’t know what “good” looked like.
Over the following years I did a bunch of research, got some great mentors, and tested a bunch of different approaches. Let’s talk about how scary and how important great people management is, and how we can get better at it.
Awesome People Management with Agile at Agile North EastMeri Williams
Agile people management is two things -- applying agile principles to managing people, and also figuring out how to manage people working with agile approaches. Traditional once-a-year reviews with annual targets are hardly very agile (or useful). How do we create space for our people to be awesome? Do we even need managers at all in agile?
Stealing Project Management Lessons from Artificial IntelligenceMeri Williams
My keynote from the Digital Project Management Summit 2014 (http://dpm2014.com/) looking at what lessons we can steal from advances in artificial intelligence, for reapplication in project management.
Neurodiversity: The Next Frontier (Agile People Sweden)Meri Williams
We already know that diverse teams are more creative and deliver better results. We’ve seen this play out in repeated studies and real life. Sadly many organisations lag behind in adequately representing the population in terms of diversity, but those that are making strides are also outperforming the competition. But what about less visible diversity? The topic of neurodiversity is increasingly on our minds (if you’ll excuse the pun). How do we create work environments and cultures that embrace the full spectrum of neurodiversity and enable all our colleagues to perform at their best?
Practical Diversity: Creating Space to Be AwesomeMeri Williams
Practical tips for improving diversity & inclusion in your organisations, with a focus on creating environments in a broad variety of people can be themselves and be successful
Practical Diversity at Thinking Digital Women Meri Williams
How do we build inclusive environments that can not just tolerate but positively encourage diverse teams to do their best? We'll look at some practical things you can do to make things better.
Practical Diversity -- Expanded EditionMeri Williams
Stopping discrimination is important, but tolerance is a terrible word (who wants to be tolerated?). What can we do to create more inclusive environments? Presenting some practical, pragmatic things that really work, based on real world experiences.
Updated expanded talk, given to GE Oil & Gas Women's Network in Florence and Booking.com Annual Meeting internal tech conference in Amsterdam, both in Dec 2013.
Baking Accessibility In Using Agile - Fronteers 2014Meri Williams
Slides from my #fronteers14 talk in Amsterdam, October 2014.
Looking at how we bake accessibility and other good practices into how we work day-to-day, so they aren't an afterthought.
More info including links to books on blog.geekmanager.co.uk
Managing Design 2016 - building a respectful design team cultureCameron Rogers
In this presentation, I’ll discuss in detail how a less-than-respectful culture of design can unintentionally evolve. I’ll touch briefly on some of the established tools, techniques, and gurus you can call upon to set up your own respectful design culture. Finally I’ll discuss the hard yards you, as a Design Leader, need to put in to avoid or change this culture from crippling your company, and the continual steps you’ll need to take to ensure your respectful design culture remains intact for the long haul.
My Monolith is Melting - PIPELINE CONF 2015Meri Williams
Bringing change to legacy systems and monolithic waterfall programs is daunting, but doable. In this session we’ll look at a real world example of how we undertook the technical, cultural and process challenges to move to continuous delivery in a big organisation. You’ll hear about the epic battles with the dreaded CAB (Change Approval Board), the fight to move architecture discussions from Word documents to the whiteboards, and the myriad smaller skirmishes along the path to delivering features to our users faster, safer & more measurably.
Public Speaking Tips to Help You Be A Strong Leader.pdfPinta Partners
In the realm of effective leadership, a multitude of skills come into play, but one stands out as both crucial and challenging: public speaking.
Public speaking transcends mere eloquence; it serves as the medium through which leaders articulate their vision, inspire action, and foster engagement. For leaders, refining public speaking skills is essential, elevating their ability to influence, persuade, and lead with resolute conviction. Here are some key tips to consider: https://joellandau.com/the-public-speaking-tips-to-help-you-be-a-stronger-leader/
Org Design is a core skill to be mastered by management for any successful org change.
Org Topologies™ in its essence is a two-dimensional space with 16 distinctive boxes - atomic organizational archetypes. That space helps you to plot your current operating model by positioning individuals, departments, and teams on the map. This will give a profound understanding of the performance of your value-creating organizational ecosystem.
Comparing Stability and Sustainability in Agile SystemsRob Healy
Copy of the presentation given at XP2024 based on a research paper.
In this paper we explain wat overwork is and the physical and mental health risks associated with it.
We then explore how overwork relates to system stability and inventory.
Finally there is a call to action for Team Leads / Scrum Masters / Managers to measure and monitor excess work for individual teams.
The case study discusses the potential of drone delivery and the challenges that need to be addressed before it becomes widespread.
Key takeaways:
Drone delivery is in its early stages: Amazon's trial in the UK demonstrates the potential for faster deliveries, but it's still limited by regulations and technology.
Regulations are a major hurdle: Safety concerns around drone collisions with airplanes and people have led to restrictions on flight height and location.
Other challenges exist: Who will use drone delivery the most? Is it cost-effective compared to traditional delivery trucks?
Discussion questions:
Managerial challenges: Integrating drones requires planning for new infrastructure, training staff, and navigating regulations. There are also marketing and recruitment considerations specific to this technology.
External forces vary by country: Regulations, consumer acceptance, and infrastructure all differ between countries.
Demographics matter: Younger generations might be more receptive to drone delivery, while older populations might have concerns.
Stakeholders for Amazon: Customers, regulators, aviation authorities, and competitors are all stakeholders. Regulators likely hold the greatest influence as they determine the feasibility of drone delivery.
The Team Member and Guest Experience - Lead and Take Care of your restaurant team. They are the people closest to and delivering Hospitality to your paying Guests!
Make the call, and we can assist you.
408-784-7371
Foodservice Consulting + Design
Employment PracticesRegulation and Multinational CorporationsRoopaTemkar
Employment PracticesRegulation and Multinational Corporations
Strategic decision making within MNCs constrained or determined by the implementation of laws and codes of practice and by pressure from political actors. Managers in MNCs have to make choices that are shaped by gvmt. intervention and the local economy.
Enriching engagement with ethical review processesstrikingabalance
New ethics review processes at the University of Bath. Presented at the 8th World Conference on Research Integrity by Filipa Vance, Head of Research Governance and Compliance at the University of Bath. June 2024, Athens
Integrity in leadership builds trust by ensuring consistency between words an...Ram V Chary
Integrity in leadership builds trust by ensuring consistency between words and actions, making leaders reliable and credible. It also ensures ethical decision-making, which fosters a positive organizational culture and promotes long-term success. #RamVChary
Senior Project and Engineering Leader Jim Smith.pdfJim Smith
I am a Project and Engineering Leader with extensive experience as a Business Operations Leader, Technical Project Manager, Engineering Manager and Operations Experience for Domestic and International companies such as Electrolux, Carrier, and Deutz. I have developed new products using Stage Gate development/MS Project/JIRA, for the pro-duction of Medical Equipment, Large Commercial Refrigeration Systems, Appliances, HVAC, and Diesel engines.
My experience includes:
Managed customized engineered refrigeration system projects with high voltage power panels from quote to ship, coordinating actions between electrical engineering, mechanical design and application engineering, purchasing, production, test, quality assurance and field installation. Managed projects $25k to $1M per project; 4-8 per month. (Hussmann refrigeration)
Successfully developed the $15-20M yearly corporate capital strategy for manufacturing, with the Executive Team and key stakeholders. Created project scope and specifications, business case, ROI, managed project plans with key personnel for nine consumer product manufacturing and distribution sites; to support the company’s strategic sales plan.
Over 15 years of experience managing and developing cost improvement projects with key Stakeholders, site Manufacturing Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Maintenance, and facility support personnel to optimize pro-duction operations, safety, EHS, and new product development. (BioLab, Deutz, Caire)
Experience working as a Technical Manager developing new products with chemical engineers and packaging engineers to enhance and reduce the cost of retail products. I have led the activities of multiple engineering groups with diverse backgrounds.
Great experience managing the product development of products which utilize complex electrical controls, high voltage power panels, product testing, and commissioning.
Created project scope, business case, ROI for multiple capital projects to support electrotechnical assembly and CPG goods. Identified project cost, risk, success criteria, and performed equipment qualifications. (Carrier, Electrolux, Biolab, Price, Hussmann)
Created detailed projects plans using MS Project, Gant charts in excel, and updated new product development in Jira for stakeholders and project team members including critical path.
Great knowledge of ISO9001, NFPA, OSHA regulations.
User level knowledge of MRP/SAP, MS Project, Powerpoint, Visio, Mastercontrol, JIRA, Power BI and Tableau.
I appreciate your consideration, and look forward to discussing this role with you, and how I can lead your company’s growth and profitability. I can be contacted via LinkedIn via phone or E Mail.
Jim Smith
678-993-7195
jimsmith30024@gmail.com
Specific ServPoints should be tailored for restaurants in all food service segments. Your ServPoints should be the centerpiece of brand delivery training (guest service) and align with your brand position and marketing initiatives, especially in high-labor-cost conditions.
408-784-7371
Foodservice Consulting + Design
4. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
“DON’T REPEAT YOURSELF” IS A NICE
PROGRAMMING PRINCIPLE
IT IS A TERRIBLE HUMAN COMMUNICATION
PRINCIPLE
YOU NEED TO REPEAT IMPORTANT THINGS
CONSISTENTLY (7 TIMES)
7. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
BE CLEAR
BE CONSISTENT
REMEMBER OTHERS STILL NEED TO HEAR
BEYOND THE POINT WHEN YOU ARE
WORRIED YOU HAVE BEEN REPETITIVE
8. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
REMEMBER WE DON’T JUST COMMUNICATE IN
THE PRESENT
USE ARCHITECTURAL DECISION RECORDS TO
COMMUNICATE (TO FUTURE FOLKS) WHAT YOU
WERE THINKING WHEN YOU MADE A CHOICE
13. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Across industries,
across countries, the
best performing
teams answer certain
questions positively
14. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Predictors of High Performance
1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2. Do I have the materials & equipment I need to do my work right?
3. At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
4. In the last 7 days, have I received recognition or praise for good work?
5. Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?
6. Is there someone at work who cares about my development?
7. At work, do my opinions seem to count?
8. Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel like my work is important?
9. Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
10. Do I have a best friend at work?
11. In the last 6 months, have I talked with someone about my development?
12. At work, have I had opportunities to learn and grow?
17. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
MOTIVATION =
+ PURPOSE (Do I believe in WHY?)
+ AUTONOMY (Do I get a say in WHAT?)
+ MASTERY (Am I proud of HOW?)
- ANY NEGATIVE FACTORS THAT DETRACT
18. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Predictors of High Performance (remix)
PURPOSE
• Does the mission/purpose of my
company make me feel like my
work is important?
AUTONOMY
• Do I know what is expected of me
at work?
• At work, do my opinions seem to
count?
MASTERY
• Do I have the materials & equipment I need to do
my work right?
• At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do
best every day?
• Is there someone at work who cares about my
development?
• Are my co-workers committed to doing quality
work?
• In the last 6 months, have I talked with someone
about my development?
• At work, have I had opportunities to learn and
grow?
19. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
And What Else?
OTHER FACTORS:
• In the last 7 days, have I received recognition or praise for good work?
• Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?
• Do I have a best friend at work?
ESSENTIALLY, AM I RESPECTED & REWARDED HERE?
CAN I BE MYSELF AND SUCCEED HERE?
I CALL THIS INCLUSION.
20. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Predictors of High Performance (remix)
PURPOSE
• Does the mission/purpose of my company make
me feel like my work is important?
AUTONOMY
• Do I know what is expected of me at work?
• At work, do my opinions seem to count?
INCLUSION:
• In the last 7 days, have I received recognition or
praise for good work?
• Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to
care about me as a person?
• Do I have a best friend at work?
MASTERY
• Do I have the materials & equipment I
need to do my work right?
• At work, do I have the opportunity to do
what I do best every day?
• Is there someone at work who cares
about my development?
• Are my co-workers committed to doing
quality work?
• In the last 6 months, have I talked with
someone about my development?
• At work, have I had opportunities to learn
and grow?
21. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
SPACE TO BE AWESOME =
+ PURPOSE (Do I believe in WHY?)
+ AUTONOMY (Do I get a say in WHAT?)
+ MASTERY (Am I proud of HOW?)
+ INCLUSION (Do I BELONG HERE?)
- ANY NEGATIVE FACTORS THAT DETRACT
37. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
WE NEED TO STOP LEVELLING PEOPLE OUT
TO EQUAL CONSISTENT MEDIOCRITY
AND INSTEAD
FOCUS ON GETTING THE MOST OUT OF
DIFFERENCE
46. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
CRAFT INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENTS
1. Am I EXPECTED here?
2. Am I RESPECTED here?
3. Can I BE MYSELF and BE SUCCESSFUL here?
48. Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
5 Things I Wish I’d Known Sooner About Scaling Teams
1. DRY Doesn’t Work for Human Communication – repeat, consistently,
7+ times. ADRs rock.
2. Scaling Teams is About Creating the Conditions for Success –
Purpose, Autonomy, Mastery, Inclusion.
3. Inflection Points Exist – focus on the right problems at the right
times. Borrow solutions from folks facing YOUR problems.
4. With People, Observability > Testing – use tactics to check whether
you impact is matching your intent (and adjust!). Retros rock.
5. Culture ADD Matters a Lot More Than Culture FIT – cultivate
inclusion, outperform the homogenous teams Every. Damn. Day.
They were consistently recognized as one of the best places to work, and produced more leaders of companies than almost any other company
Sometimes it’s just about helping people realise they don’t know what they don’t know
The only thing that under-informed engineers produce more of than code is conspiracy theories
They were consistently recognized as one of the best places to work, and produced more leaders of companies than almost any other company
If you record context, then it’s possible in future for people revisiting the decision, or puzzled by the design, to start by going “Are the same things true now as were true at the time this decision was made?”
Great, now I’m drowning in questions to ask myself all the time! Thanks Meri!!
Different ones are easier and harder at different inflection points – it’s not hard to keep 10 people aligned around a clear purpose
It is incredibly hard to keep 150+ people aligned around a shared purpose AND to enable autonomy
Under 10 people, everyone knows everything, for free!
Over 10 people, suddenly people get confused or lost or get the wrong end of the stick
Over 50 people, you need to have career paths for people to understand their place in the group, how they can grow their careers. Specialisms emerge. Efficiencies happen in having people become more expert in certain areas
Over 100, most people don’t know most other people – they struggle to trust each other’s intent
Over 150, Dunbar number – most people literally cannot hold that many relationships up / know that many people
Sometimes we get too focused on the problems that are on the far horizon
Often because those might be more comfortable for us to solve – they feel less real, urgent, sticky, challenging – or maybe we just know more about how to solve THOSE problems
As your organization grows you encounter different problems – each new fishbowl has a new set of watchouts
Under 10 people, everyone knows everything, for free!
Over 10 people, suddenly people get confused or lost or get the wrong end of the stick
Over 50 people, you need to have career paths for people to understand their place in the group, how they can grow their careers. Specialisms emerge. Efficiencies happen in having people become more expert in certain areas
Over 100, most people don’t know most other people – they struggle to trust each other’s intent
Over 150, Dunbar number – most people literally cannot hold that many relationships up / know that many people