QFM007: Engineering Leadership Reading List February 2024 Here is everything I found interesting about Engineering Leadership during February 2024.

1. Quantum Fax Machine
QFM007: Engineering Leadership
Reading List February 2024
matthewsinclair.com
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2. QFM007: Engineering Leadership
Reading List February 2024
Here is everything I found interesting about Engineering Leadership during February
2024.
This month's list draws out the recurring theme of the pivotal role of effective
communication, trust-building, and leadership behaviour in fostering a productive and
innovative engineering culture.
Articles like The Secret to a Great Planning Process - Lessons from Airbnb and Eventbrite
and Top Managers Are Abandoning RACI for Impact Delegation highlight innovative
frameworks and approaches to planning and delegation that prioritise clarity,
collaboration, and empowerment. Continuing the theme of progressing through
engineering ranks we have a list of falsehoods that junior developers believe about
becoming senior.
Contrast this with a perspective from the other side of the table as a new manager looks
back on what changes in the step up from individual contributor. Followed up with with 5
Pieces of Advice for Junior Software Engineers Starting their First Job. Finally, if you want
to get the vocabulary of management then the DIY MBA: My Reading List is a good, if
somewhat selectively edited, place to start.
Enjoy!
Key
: Unrelated to technology, management, or leadership
: Suitable for management and leadership novices
: Topics of interest for the new manager or leader
: Technology management and leadership in real-world use cases
: Topics for experienced managers and leaders
: Advanced topics in management and leadership
Source: Image by Mathias Jensen on Unsplash
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3. Key Drivers for Engineering Experience and
Performance: This article
discusses key factors that drive
engineering experience and performance,
highlighting the importance of
psychological safety, trust, short feedback
loops, and reducing cognitive load to
enhance productivity and creativity in
engineering teams.
#Engineering #Productivity
#Teamwork #Innovation
#DeveloperExperience
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4. The Secret to a Great Planning Process -
Lessons from Airbnb and Eventbrite:
This article outlines a structured
planning process called the "W
Framework," developed from the authors'
experiences at Airbnb and Eventbrite,
focusing on clear roles and collaboration
across leadership and teams to create
effective, cohesive plans. It emphasises the
importance of providing context,
integrating plans, and ensuring buy-in to
avoid common pitfalls in planning.
#PlanningSuccess
#TeamCollaboration
#StrategicPlanning #Leadership
#WFramework
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5. Falsehoods Junior Developers believe
about becoming Senior: This
article debunks common myths junior
developers have about becoming senior,
revealing that seniority involves embracing
complex responsibilities, continuous
learning, and dealing with legacy systems,
rather than just working with the latest
technologies or having more leisure time. It
emphasises the importance of problem-
solving, communication, and adaptability in
the tech industry.
#SeniorDeveloper #TechCareer
#ContinuousLearning
#LegacySystems #DeveloperMyths
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6. The One Key To Building And Keeping A
Great Company Culture: This
article emphasises that the essence of a
great company culture is not found in perks
like free lunches or retreats, but rather in
self-reflection and leadership behaviour
that fosters a positive, productive
environment. Leaders set the cultural tone,
making it crucial for them to embody the
values and behaviours they wish to see in
their team. _[ED: I'm not sure that there is
ever just "one thing" when it comes to
topics like culture]
#CompanyCulture #Leadership
#SelfReflection #TeamDynamics
#WorkplaceValues
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7. From engineer to manager: what I love,
what I hate: The article shares
the author's personal journey and
reflections on transitioning from an
individual contributor in engineering to a
managerial role, highlighting the increased
impact, career opportunities, and
challenges faced in management,
alongside the struggle with corporate
dynamics and social issues within teams.
#CareerGrowth #Leadership
#EngineeringManagement
#WorkplaceChallenges
#TeamDynamics
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8. Unlocking the Potential of One-on-One
Discussions This article
emphasises the importance of 1-1
meetings for building trust, providing
clarity and direction, supporting execution,
and fostering personal development in a
managerial context. It outlines a structured
approach to making 1-1 discussions
meaningful and impactful for both
managers and their reports.
#OneOnOneMeetings
#LeadershipDevelopment
#ManagerTips #EmployeeGrowth
#ProfessionalDevelopment
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9. The Update, The Vent, and The Disaster:
This article emphasises the
importance of conducting effective one-
on-one meetings to manage and support
employees effectively. It categorises these
meetings into three types: The Update, The
Vent, and The Disaster, offering strategies
for handling each scenario to ensure
communication remains productive and
employees feel valued.
#Management #Leadership
#EmployeeEngagement
#OneOnOneMeetings
#WorkplaceCulture
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10. Separating “best practice” from baggage:
The article discusses the
challenge of distinguishing between
valuable "best practices" and less useful
"baggage" when transitioning to new roles
or environments. He emphasises the
importance of adopting practices that
genuinely contribute to team and project
success while being cautious of those that
may not fit well in a new context.
#BestPractices #Leadership
#TeamDevelopment #Innovation
#CareerGrowth
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11. Top Managers Are Abandoning RACI for
Impact Delegation: This article
discusses the shift from RACI, a traditional
framework for defining roles and
responsibilities, to Impact Delegation,
which focuses on empowering team
members with clear ownership and
autonomy to achieve goals efficiently and
flexibly.
#RACI #ImpactDelegation
#Leadership #TeamManagement
#Productivity
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12. 5 Pieces of Advice for Junior Software
Engineers Starting their First Job:
This article provides crucial advice for junior
software engineers starting their first job,
including the importance of showing
eagerness to learn, setting personal
boundaries, avoiding negative influences,
learning through struggle, and ensuring
clear expectations for success. These
guidelines aim to help newcomers navigate
their early careers with confidence and a
constructive mindset.
#SoftwareEngineering
#CareerAdvice #JuniorDevTips
#TechMentorship
#ProfessionalGrowth
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13. How to get good at giving feedback:
This article emphasises the
importance of debunking common myths
about feedback and outlines a four-step
process to improve feedback skills: asking
for permission, describing behaviour,
highlighting impact, and encouraging future
action. It also stresses building trust to
make feedback more effective and creating
a culture where feedback is seen as a
growth tool rather than criticism.
#FeedbackCulture #LeadershipSkills
#ProfessionalGrowth
#EffectiveCommunication
#TeamDevelopment
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14. Effective Technical Leadership:
This article outlines essential qualities and
practices for effective technical leadership,
focusing on increasing knowledge, speed,
and awareness. It emphasises the
importance of coaching over direct
management, making quick and informed
decisions, and leading by example through
active coding and problem-solving.
#TechnicalLeadership #TechLead
#EngineeringExcellence
#LeadershipDevelopment
#CodingWisdom
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15. DIY MBA: My Reading List: Chris
Stoneman shares his self-curated DIY MBA
reading list, spanning various essential
business topics such as accounting,
marketing, management, global economics,
strategy, creativity, and productivity, aimed
at replicating an MBA education
independently. This list isn't going to
provide much for the experienced manager
or MBA graduate, but for those looking to
get a high-level overview of the concepts
and topics you might find in an MBA, this
might be useful.
#DIY #MBA #SelfLearning
#BusinessBooks #ProfessionalGrowth
#EducationInnovation
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16. Thankyou!
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Image: Photo by Austin Chan on Unsplash
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