Bad metrics drive out goodImpact. The magic word Big Tech uses to describe core job expectations, with Google going so far as to rename its rating descriptors based…Nov 26Nov 26
Process Has Value; Focus On Process Drives Mediocrity“No plan of operations can with any certainty reach beyond the first encounter with the enemy” — Helmuth von Moltke the ElderFeb 17, 2023Feb 17, 2023
The Problem with Performance RatingsOne of the hallmarks of any performance management system is the performance rating — a single descriptor summing up what the company…Sep 1, 2022Sep 1, 2022
How Staff+ Engineers Frustrate Their ManagersManaging Staff/Principal engineers, or those aspiring to be so, is genuinely a joy. They autonomously solve problems, want to be given…Aug 25, 2022Aug 25, 2022
Interviewing for Conflict ResolutionA friend recently asked me how I interview leaders, especially senior+ engineering managers, on conflict resolution and management. I…Aug 18, 2022Aug 18, 2022
Reward Difficulty, not ComplexityA recurring conversation in performance reviews and calibrations is: “this is good work, but is it <Level> scope?”.Aug 11, 2022Aug 11, 2022
Make performance reviews more useful with written evaluationsIf you’re a manager at a company larger than a seed-stage startup, you probably have to deal with a regular performance management cycle…Aug 5, 20222Aug 5, 20222
Message Crafting for software engineersOne of the key insights for staff/principal engineers is that the job is at least as much about people as it is about tech, increasingly so…Nov 16, 2021Nov 16, 2021
