Building Effective Engineering Teams - LeadDev

As engineering leaders, we have a large opportunity to scale our effectiveness as our decisions impact the output of our whole organisation. This means our investments in helping our teams become more effective is of particularly high value. A good starting point is sharing the insights that help grow people into effective individual engineers.

There is of course so much more to it than this. From reducing sources of friction to optimising career growth goals to align with what produces maximum value, this talk will touch on tips, tricks and frameworks for building effective teams based on over a decade of experience Addy has had working on the Chrome team at Google. The insights here will apply across management and technical leadership.

This talk was presented at LeadDev SF 2022.

Transcript

1. EFFECTIVE ENGINEERING TEAMS BUILDING @addyosmani
2. me Chr
3. THREE E’S OF EFFECTIVENESS
4. HOW DO I ENABLE EFFECTIVENESS?
5. EFFICIENT TEAMS DO THINGS RIGHT. EFFECTIVE TEAMS DO THE RIGHT THING. (IDEALLY DO THE RIGHT THINGS RIGHT)
6. TIP: FOCUS ON OUTCOMES OVER OUTPUTS • 🛠 Outputs: Activities you’ve been executing. 👉 (e.g. deployed a feature) • 🛠 Throughput: The nº of items you ship to production. • 🛠 Velocity: The speed at which those items go through the pipeline. • 🛠 Quality: How satisfying your delivery is based on customer expectations. • 🛠 Capacity: The nº of devs available to work on a speci fi c project or initiative. • 🛠 Code Health: The tech debt being driven down for making systems simple to maintain • 🛠 Outcomes: The impact of those activities. 👉 (e.g. I want this feature to increase X by 20%) • 🛠 Business Value: The value for the business of delivering a speci fi c outcome. • 🛠 Investment: The money you want to put into delivering a speci fi c outcome to the market https://dev.to/carmonara/what-is-engineering-productivity-how-do-we-measure-it-405i Components of Productivity
7. WHAT ARE TRAITS OF AN EFFECTIVE ENGINEER? • Care about the user. Their needs > speci fi c technology or approach • Good problem solver • Can keep things simple • Thinks like an owner • Lifts others up. Shares knowledge. • Can build trust, autonomy, social capita over time • Understands team strategy • A great communicator • Prioritizes appropriately • Seeks feedback to improve • Can think long term • Leaves things better than how they found them • Comfortable taking on new challenges if org requirements change
8. ANTI-PATTERNS FOR EFFECTIVENESS • Domain Champion • Hoarding the Code • Unusually High Churn • Bullseye Commits • Heroing • Over Helping • Clean As You Go • In the Zone • Bit Twiddling • The Busy Body • Scope Creep • Flaky Product Ownership • Expanding Refactor • Just One More Thing • Rubber Stamping • Knowledge Silos • Self-Merging PRs • Long-Running PRs • A High Bus Factor • Sprint Retrospectives bit.ly/20-patterns
9. WHAT ARE TRAITS OF AN EFFECTIVE TEAM?
10. AUTONOMY, MASTERY PURPOSE • Autonomy • Have full ownership • Strong abilities to work with • interfaces • Strong communication skills • Get things done attitude • Understand the big picture What do we need to build e ff ective teams? • Mastery • Appreciation of our • craftsmanship • Strong technical skills • Strong project leadership skills • Make complicated things simple • High commitment • Continuous improvement • Purpose • Team Player • Continuously improving of the surrounding • Entrepreneur and not only innovator • Looking at the big picture
11. PEOPLE DECISIONS ARE BASED ON RESEARCH AT GOOGLE
12. WHAT TRAITS DO GREAT MANAGERS AT GOOGLE HAVE? 1. Is a good coach 2. Empowers team and does not micromanage 3. Creates an inclusive team environment, showing concern for success and well-being 4. Is productive and results-oriented 5. Is a good communicator — listens and shares information PROJECT OXYGEN 6. Supports career development and discusses performance 7. Has a clear vision/strategy for the team 8. Has key technical skills to help advise the team 9. Collaborates across Google 10. Is a strong decision maker
13. WHAT SETS APART EFFECTIVE TEAMS FROM THE REST? PROJECT ARISTOTLE
15. EXECUTIVES WHAT IS EFFECTIVENESS? TEAM LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBERS OWNERSHIP, VISION, GOALS TEAM CULTURE RESULTS REVENUE, LAUNCHES
16. PROJECT ARISTOTLE STUDIED BOTH HIGH AND LOW PERFORMING TEAMS 180 201 250 35+ 3 TEAMS INTERVIEWS INPUTS STATISTICAL MODELS OUTPUTS 115 TECH 65 SALES PODS 50 TECH LEADS 151 TECH TEAM LEADS TEAM DYNAMICS TEAM COMPOSITION ON TEAM EFFECTIVENESS
17. WHAT WE LOOKED AT PROJECT ARISTOTLE Dependability of teammates Personal meaning derived from team’s work Performance ratings of Googlers on the team Structure of team & roles Extroversion of team members Manageable workload for team members Number of top performers on the team Tenure of Googlers on the team Colocation of Googlers on the team Impact of team’s work Average level of Googlers on the team Tenure of team as a whole Consensus-driven decision-making Psychological safety of the team
18. WHAT DIDN’T MATTER Dependability of teammates Personal meaning derived from team’s work Performance ratings of Googlers on the team Structure of team & roles Extroversion of team members Manageable workload for team members Number of top performers on the team Tenure of Googlers on the team Colocation of Googlers on the team Impact of team’s work Average level of Googlers on the team Tenure of team as a whole Consensus-driven decision-making Psychological safety of the team PROJECT ARISTOTLE
19. WHAT SETS APART EFFECTIVE TEAMS FROM THE REST? HOW TEAMS WORK TOGETHER MATTERS MORE THAN WHO IS ON THE TEAM.
20. EFFECTIVE GOOGLE TEAMS HAVE FIVE DYNAMICS IMPACT MEANING STRUCTURE & CLARITY DEPENDABILITY PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY Team members think their work matters and creates change Work is personally important to team members The team has clear roles, plans, and goals Team members get things done, on time, and meet Google’s high bar for excellence. Team members feel safe to take risks and be vulnerable in front of each other Most important
21. PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY IS THE SHARED BELIEF THE TEAM IS SAFE FOR INTERPERSONAL RISK TASKING
22. TEAMS WHO FEEL SAFE BEAT THEIR SALES TARGETS PROJECT ARISTOTLE +17% -19% UNSAFE TEAM SAFE TEAM
23. TEAMS WHO FEEL SAFE TEND TO BE RATED HIGHLY ON EFFECTIVENESS BY THEIR LEADERSHIP PROJECT ARISTOTLE 80% 40% UNSAFE TEAM SAFE TEAM
24. EFFECTIVE GOOGLE TEAMS HAVE FIVE DYNAMICS IMPACT MEANING STRUCTURE & CLARITY DEPENDABILITY PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY Team members think their work matters and creates change Work is personally important to team members The team has clear roles, plans, and goals Team members get things done, on time, and meet Google’s high bar for excellence. Team members feel safe to take risks and be vulnerable in front of each other Most important
25. WANT TO IMPROVE TEAM HEALTH? TRISTA TAYLOR LED TEAM DEVELOPMENT AT GOOGLE. NOW, HER COMPANY, REGROUP, HELPS TEAMS IMPROVE PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY, COHESION, TEAM VISION, DECISION- MAKING ETC. WITH A TEAM HEALTH ASSESSMENT, COACHING, AND FACILITATED TEAM OFFSITES. PROJECT ARISTOTLE - COACHING regroup.co
26. SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT IS A TEAM SPORT
27. HUMILITY TRUST AND RESPECT TO REACH COLLABORATIVE NIRVANA TEAMS NEED
28. HOW DO I EMPOWER EFFECTIVENESS?
29. MAKE YOURSELF EFFECTIVE Know where the time goes Focus on what I can contribute Build on strengths Concentrate on major areas where superior performance will produce outstanding results. Make e ff ective decisions 5 habits to acquire To be an E ff ective Executive By Peter Drucker
30. WHAT IS PREVENTING YOUR TEAM FROM BEING EFFECTIVE?
31. THE LENCIONI MODEL Patrick Lencioni
32. TUCKMAN’S TEAM MODEL Bruce Tuckman
33. PICK OR DEFINE A TEAM EFFECTIVENESS MODEL AND STICK WITH IT.
34. EMPOWER YOUR TEAM TO MULTIPLY THEIR EFFECTIVENESS
35. MULTIPLIERS VS DIMINISHERS TYPES OF LEADERS Wiseman Group
36. MOST DIMINISHING IS ACCIDENTAL
37. ARE YOU AN ACCIDENTAL DIMINISHER?
38. MULTIPLIERS RAISE THE GAME OF EACH TEAMMATE MAGIC JOHNSON • Focus on one skill you can maximize and one weakness you can neutralize • Challenge your assumptions. Seek feedback. • Don’t stop with yourself when building a multiplier culture
39. STRONG CULTURE IS OPEN TO CHANGES THAT IMPROVE IT, YET RESISTANT TO RADICAL CHANGE THAT HARMS IT. YOUR ENGINEERING CULTURE MATTERS.
40. SHARE, REUSE, STANDARDIZE, AUTOMATE. WHAT HAS GOOGLE’S CULTURE CAUGHT ME ABOUT SCALING EFFECTIVENESS?
41. SHARE TOOLS, ABSTRACTIONS & CONVENTIONS
42. INVEST IN REUSABLE TRAINING MATERIALS TO ONBOARD NEW ENGINEERS.
43. AUTOMATE THE RIGHT THINGS CONSISTENCY PLATFORM COST SAVINGS ($, TIME, SPEED) FASTER REPAIRS
44. MASTERY IMPLIES A HIGH RATIO OF VALUE SHIPPED TO HOURS WORKED.
45. IMPACT PRODUCED TIME INVESTED LEVERAGE = FOCUS ON HIGH-LEVERAGE ACTIVITIES
46. HOW DO I EXPAND EFFECTIVENESS? TO BRING MORE FOLKS ALONG
47. THIS GUIDANCE IS HEAVILY INSPIRED BY THE WORK OF BEN COLLINS-SUSSMAN AND BRIAN FITZPATRICK debuggingteams.com
48. HOW YOU SCALE HOW YOU LEAD FOR EFFECTIVENESS?
49. AS AN ORG GROWS, THE LEADER'S ROLE CHANGES… DISTRACTIONS AND COMPLICATIONS MULTIPLY. communicate effectively grow your people have a clear strategy communicate compelling vision understand the business make the right decisions build the team / org culture deal with the unpredictable build a great team
50. GROWING AS A LEADER THE FURTHER YOU GROW AS A LEADER: •THE MORE IT IS ABOUT PEOPLE. •THE LESS IT IS ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL TECHNICAL EXPERTISE. •THE BROADER YOUR DOMAIN BECOMES, MAKING YOU EVEN MORE REMOVED.
51. ALWAYS BE DECIDING. ALWAYS BE LEAVING. ALWAYS BE SCALING. THE ART OF LEADERSHIP BEN COLLINS-SUSSMAN
52. ALWAYS BE DECIDING MANAGING TEAMS OF TEAMS = MAKING DECISIONS AT EVER-HIGHER LEVELS.
53. ALWAYS BE DECIDING IDENTIFY THE BLINDERS WHAT ASSUMPTIONS DOES EVERYONE UNCONSCIOUSLY LIVE WITH? IDENTIFY KEY TRADE-OFFS MAKE INTENTIONAL DECISIONS
54. “ALWAYS BE LEAVING” FORMER GOOGLE ENG. DIRECTOR -- BHARAT MEDIRATTA
55. ARE YOU A SINGLE POINT OF FAILURE?
56. BUILD A SELF- DRIVING MACHINE. BEING A SUCCESSFUL LEADER MEANS BUILDING A TEAM THAT CAN SOLVE PROBLEMS BY ITSELF
57. DIVIDE THE SPACE INTO PROBLEMS. DELEGATE THE SUB-PROBLEMS TO FUTURE LEADERS. ADJUST WHAT’S NOT WORKING.
58. YOU MUST BUILD A SET OF SELF-SUFFICIENT LEADERS, AND DELEGATION IS ABSOLUTELY THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO TRAIN THEM. THE HARDEST PART: DELEGATION IT’S ALWAYS EASIEST TO DO THINGS YOURSELF. THIS MAKES YOU A SINGLE POINT OF FAILURE. GIVE AWAY YOUR LEGOS. IT’S HARD TO WATCH YOUR REPORTS FAIL, BUT THEY CAN’T LEARN UNLESS THEY TRY.
59. WHAT CAN I DO THAT NO-ONE ELSE CAN?
60. YOUR MACHINE IS RUNNING. WHAT NOW? • DIRECT THE MACHINE. • KEEP IT HEALTHY. • ALWAYS BE LEAVING!
61. TAP THE BLIMP • OBSERVE. LISTEN TO YOUR REPORTS AND TALK TO CUSTOMERS. • WHAT’S WORKING? OR ISN’T? • OCCASIONALLY LIGHTLY TAP THE BLIMP IN JUST THE RIGHT PLACE TO ADJUST COURSE
62. ALWAYS BE SCALING
63. DO WHAT YOU WERE DOING IN HALF THE TIME. SPEND THE OTHER HALF TACKLING NEW PROBLEMS.
64. LEARN FROM MARIE KONDO Critically important Not urgent or important Sometimes urgent, Bits of importance Toss ALL this Only focus on this.
65. MAINTAIN YOUR ENERGY. KNOW WHAT GIVES YOU ENERGY AND WHAT TAKES IT AWAY.
66. HAVE A PLAN FOR SCALING • SCHEDULE CALENDAR BLOCKS TO THINK AND PLAN. • DELEGATE EVERYTHING (EXCEPT THINGS ONLY YOU CAN DO.) • TRACK IN A WAY THAT WORKS. • DROP BALLS ON PURPOSE!
67. ALWAYS BE DECIDING. ALWAYS BE LEAVING. ALWAYS BE SCALING.
68. THREE E’S OF EFFECTIVENESS
69. RECOMMENDED READS EFFECTIVE ENGINEERING TEAMS BUILDING https://bit.ly/e ff ective-books ADDY OSMANI