So you’re a Staff+… now what?

This talk covers how to define your development journey as a Senior IC, figuring out what you should be working on, how to set your goals, and keep track of your progress.

Transcript

1. September 2021 StaffPlus Live Sabrina Leandro @saleandro So you’re a Staff+… now what?
2. September 2021 StaffPlus Live Sabrina Leandro @saleandro “It depends…”
3. September 2021 StaffPlus Live Sabrina Leandro @saleandro Sabrina at Intercom
4. September 2021 Sabrina Leandro @saleandro Now you’re a Staff+ engineer… You’re not working on an individual team anymore What are my goals? 🤔 You’re not part of daily team rituals How do I know what’s going on? 🤔 Your work is more than coding What else should I be doing?! 🤔 What’s changed?
5. September 2021 StaffPlus Live Sabrina Leandro @saleandro 🙀 BUSY WORK 💻
6. September 2021 StaffPlus Live Sabrina Leandro @saleandro High impact work Where do I find this “high impact work” backlog? 🤔
7. September 2021 StaffPlus Live Sabrina Leandro @saleandro You create it!
8. September 2021 StaffPlus Live Sabrina Leandro @saleandro List all inputs Business and product strategies Teams needs Engineering Org needs Personal growth
9. September 2021 StaffPlus Live Sabrina Leandro @saleandro Prioritize inputs Riskiest areas or projects Personal growth goals Company needs
10. September 2021 StaffPlus Live Sabrina Leandro @saleandro Trim it down Are there opportunities for delegation?
11. September 2021 StaffPlus Live Sabrina Leandro @saleandro Write a draft
12. Sabrina’s document format
13. September 2021 Sabrina Leandro @saleandro Feedback and Alignment Your manager Your peers Your cross-discipline peers
14. September 2021 StaffPlus Live Sabrina Leandro @saleandro Publish it What I share: • My goals • How will I work with teams? • How do I plan to deliver on my goals? • What does it mean in practice?
15. September 2021 StaffPlus Live Sabrina Leandro @saleandro Cadence
16. Sabrina’s timeline Quarterly goals Cycle goals Cycle 2 Week Cycle goals
17. Track progress Quarterly goals Cycle goals Cycle 2 Week Cycle goals
18. September 2021 Sabrina Leandro @saleandro If When things change Ask yourself • Context missing? ◦ Re-prioritize • Can it be delegated? • If not, say no not now ◦ Good input for next goal setting period
19. September 2021 Sabrina Leandro @saleandro Beyond goal setting Focus • Helpful saying no or reprioritizing • Not get distracted by urgent non- important tasks Growth • Self-assessment and performance reviews Onboarding • Introducing your role to new hires/new teams
20. September 2021 StaffPlus Live Sabrina Leandro @saleandro What’s next for you?
21. September 2021 Sabrina Leandro @saleandro Summary Create your backlog Prioritize & trim it down Get feedback Break it down Track progress Repeat! Setting personal goals as a Staff+ engineer
22. September 2021 StaffPlus Live Sabrina Leandro @saleandro Thank you! Any questions? 👋