Newsletter #29: Building Technical Wealth and More.
Welcome to the 29th edition of Software Leads–a monthly newsletter on software engineering and leadership.
Welcome to the 29th edition of Software Leads, a monthly newsletter dedicated to software engineering and leadership. It compiles content from technical leaders on difficulties, tips, and practices for building and leading successful software teams in the twenty-first century.
As usual, find my top reads for last month below. It includes thoughts from leaders on 1on1s, productivity, giving actionable feedback, and communicating with intent. If you know anyone who might find this newsletter useful, share it with them.
Forget technical debt — Here's how to build technical wealth
“Legacy code will happen no matter what. For reasons both obvious and unexpected. But If you want to limit your legacy code down the line, pay attention to the details that will make it easier to understand and work with in the future”. Write and run unit, acceptance, approval, and integration tests. Explain your commits. Make it easy for future you (and others) to read your mind – that’s how you build technical wealth.
As managers, we have a responsibility to create an environment that builds on and values technical wealth over technical debts. Once we find our team not being as productive, we want to identify the technical debt that's holding them back.
Taking your 1:1s to the next level
“1:1s can be a precious space to build relationships and dig into challenging topics. But many don’t realize the potential actually lurking inside the 1:1 format. So most of the time that potential is wasted — on small talk.” This post offers a 1:1 approach meant to help you dive deeper, faster — and develop genuine relationships without sacrificing impact.
Ownership exercise to improve how you work with others
“When you’re working in a group, you need to know how to coordinate. Coordination requires a shared understanding of how everyone will work together.” I frequently get questions from engineering managers and engineering leads about where to draw the line when collaborating with project managers. Questions like who should do what is common, especially in teams that have previously functioned without a PM or Engineering Lead for a period of time. The ownership exercise mentioned in this post is an excellent example of how to create clarity and alignment about duties and expectations from those with whom you collaborate.
Six attributes of beautiful systems
What does it mean for an abstract thing like software to be beautiful? We “know it when we see it” — but how does one actually go about creating it or describing it? This post was enjoyable to read because it was full of examples of how to design beautiful software. A system is beautiful when:
It’s lean and mean - accomplishes a great deal with few.
It’s structural clear and reduces indirection.
It’s consistent.
It’s free of no side effects.
It’s propriety. It just works.
Limiting work-in-progress (WIP) as a manager
This post reminded me of why putting a block on calendars as leaders is an effective strategy to remain productive. Starting out, I would clear out my calendar every morning to make room for folks needing support. I wanted to be available at all times, so I scheduled myself at full capacity (100%). I saw a decrease in productivity and I realized I wasn't as productive as I could be. I used a technique similar to what’s described in this post to get work time. As a result, my productivity increased. I couldn't agree more with this piece; putting a block of time in your calendar is an excellent way to get things done, limit work in progress, and stay productive.
How to Become an 80/20 Manager and Achieve Exceptional Results at Work
“Most managers get sucked into the daily chaos that comes with management responsibilities — back-to-back meetings, stakeholder responsibilities, putting out fires, and rushing to meet deadlines. Without being intentional about where and how they spend their time, less time is spent doing impactful work and more is wasted on keeping busy.” This post provides areas managers can utilize the 80/20 rule to achieve a huge gain.
Productive meeting activities: Leverage the team, empower the individual
“Most of us have held a meeting or being in a meeting where the person asking for the discussion doesn’t get what they need. A person wants to solicit ideas but ends up getting told which idea is best. A person wants help deciding between two vetted options, but instead receives seven new options.” I enjoyed reading this post on how one can leverage the wisdom of the crowd while ensuring that decisions and other responsibilities continue to reside with an individual.
The leadership library for engineers
A curated collection of resources to help engineering leaders level up.
How to communicate intent as a leader
As leaders, we should make sure our communication has a purpose, is functional, and motivates our team members toward specific actions.
Start with the big picture
Read the room and adapt your communication styles accordingly
Use non-verbal cues as feedback
Issue a call to action
How to get better at giving feedback
“Being able to frequently give and receive feedback—especially feedback that is clear, concise and actionable—can completely transform your relationship with your reports.”
This post from the author of effective engineering manager explores a model for giving high-quality feedback, the process for giving feedback and forming the habit.
Cheers,
Illustration by Julia Kuptsova from Ouch!