Grab Bag, Feb 17
Trying something new! Every Friday I’ll share whatever cool links I’ve found on project management, software development, or leadership that I think would be of interest.
The Next Big Blue-Collar Job is Coding
I’m excited that this idea is getting more recognition, because I think it’s an inevitable truth about the software development industry. I just hope it doesn’t eclipse the specialization of the field — just because we will see a big growth in “blue-collar” coding jobs doesn’t mean that all coding jobs will be blue-collar. Most people who aspire to be programmers probably also don’t have a favorable view of blue-collar jobs, so while there’s a lot of truth here there’s also a lot of careful communication that needs to happen.
IBM’s concept of ‘new collar jobs’ could be vital in an automated future
IBM is trying to fix that terminology problem by calling them “new collar” jobs, which is an interesting idea.
Most Reorgs Aren’t Ambitious Enough
Treehouse has been through a few different reorgs since I’ve been here, and all of the pressures described in this article are very familiar. I’m glad to work with a team that actively tries to counteract these problems:
For many executives, the concept of organization design is an oxymoron. They are so consumed by working in the organization that they lack the patience to work on the organization. They don’t do the intricate, complex work of configuring their organization to execute strategy. Instead, they shift boxes on an organization chart, bolt on more resources that were lobbied for by a zealous executive, or cut costs across the board. They focus on communicating messages more inclusively or reassigning stronger leaders to troubled departments.
These are surface-level, counterfeit solutions, and they do more harm than good.
How to Improve Management Relationships Across Teams
In today’s “so obvious that no one knows it” category:
…It’s also human nature that people tend to be more willing to go out of their way to help people who have taken the time to connect with them.
To the basic strategies in this article I’d also add a stronger challenge: as a manager, you’re responsible for improving your relationship with other managers you have to work with — even if they don’t seem to be willing to meet you halfway. Welcome to being a professional :)
How Spotify Balances Employee Autonomy and Accountability
We’ve swung the pendulum on this one a few times — from strict micromanagement to a “flat” and “managerless” organization. Turns out balance is really important for a healthy team. This is true not only on a company level, but at a team level, too, in the relationships that a manager has with their reports.
Leadership is not About Your Good Intentions
Lots of good stuff in this article, including an “instant classic” aphorism for me:
Junior people we evaluate on effort.
Senior people we evaluate on outcomes.
8 Ways to Read (a Lot) More Books This Year
Reading is very important to me, both for pleasure (I’ll admit I’m a huge nerd for speculative fiction) and for business. I’ve challenged myself every year to find ways to read more, and this article contains a lot of great advice.
My Boss Won’t Approve My Time Off for a Video Game Competition
As long as somebody’s PTO request isn’t going to cause my team to miss commitments, I pretty much automatically approve it. PTO is a benefit — it’s a right conferred to the employee, and the only degree of oversight I’m supposed to have in it is to make sure that the employee isn’t needlessly taking PTO that disproportionately damages the company’s goals. Which, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen an employee do, since they tend to be adults who are capable of making these decisions.
Fergus may normally be nice and reasonable, but he’s being a bit of a turd here.
Facebook Phreaks and the Fight to Reclaim Time and Attention
I wrote earlier this week about how I’ve weaned myself off of Twitter, but I’ve also done a lot to streamline my Facebook usage. Doesn’t seem like I’m alone.
