Jul 13, 2022How to Provide FeedbackProviding both critical feedback and praise are two acts we can all agree are important. For most of us, however, it takes time and practice to get comfortable with either. …Feedback3 min readFeedback3 min read
Nov 21, 20216 Tips For Your Performance ReviewsWith just a few months left from the year, performance review season is quickly approaching for many tech companies. This is often a stressful process for many working in tech, though it doesn’t have to be. …Tech5 min readTech5 min read
Sep 1, 2021On-calls and Incident ResponseBefore starting in my current role, I worked on design systems for years. One of the perks of that job was that we didn’t have to staff a 24/7 on-call rotation. …Engineering7 min readEngineering7 min read
Nov 25, 2020Better Quarterly PlanningsLet’s face it: most engineering organizations struggle with quarterly and annual planning. As engineers and engineering leaders, we dread the weeks when it’s time to go through it again. …Planning3 min readPlanning3 min read
Nov 19, 2020On Releasing Major Software VersionsAs software engineers, the goal is always to improve the quality of the software we help develop, especially if other engineers are depending on this quality to complete their own projects. We want to be proud of the engineering solutions we devise. …React3 min readReact3 min read
Nov 2, 2020Mentoring First-Time ManagersTransitioning from a software engineering position to a managerial one can be quite a leap. The roles are drastically different from one another, and without mentors, it can be a daunting task. It’s our job as engineering leaders help new managers navigate the change. …Leadership4 min readLeadership4 min read
Oct 29, 2020The Truth Behind Employee Pulse SurveysEvery once in a while, you might receive an email in your company inbox asking for feedback on a survey called the Employee Pulse, the Employee Satisfaction survey, or something similar. …Surveys3 min readSurveys3 min read
Oct 27, 2020The Tyranny of MetricsThere seems to be a growing trend in technology — and in all aspects of our lives, really — to measure everything: business outcomes, organizational success, and individual performance. I wrote about engineering productivity and how I disagree with measuring individual performance based on metrics before, so I was excited…Metrics5 min readMetrics5 min read
Oct 9, 2020Coach! Football is life.When we began watching a new TV series called Ted Lasso, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The show is about an American football coach named Ted Lasso, who takes over a premier Premier League soccer team despite having dubious qualifications at best. I don’t regret a single minute I’ve…Motivation2 min readMotivation2 min read
Sep 19, 2020Playbook for Running SprintsIf you are reading this piece in 2020 as a member of an engineering/cross-functional team, chances are that the team you are on uses some mix of waterfall, scrum and kanban principles for planning. But what does that mix look like? …Engineering Mangement7 min readEngineering Mangement7 min read
