The New Manager's Toolkit

Congratulations, you've been entrusted to lead a team! But wait... what does that mean? You didn't go to school for this. You may not have even been told what your job exactly *is*. Some call this new responsibility the "Stone of Triumph".

In this talk, we'll explain leading and managing (and how they're different), outline what success looks like, and show techniques to get there. You'll learn how to build the skills and tools to carry the "Stone of Triumph" with less pain, and set yourself up for a long and happy career leading creative and technical teams.

Transcript

1. WELCOME TO THE Pb RUBYIST TRACK
2. THE NEW MANAGER’S TOOLKIT
3. SOMETHING LIKE THIS?
4. SADLY, NO
5. BRANDON HAYS @tehviking MANAGER, AFFINIPAY
6. LET’S TELL A STORY…
7. LET’S TELL A STORY… YOUR STORY
8. PART 1: THE CALL
9. “THIS IS NOT A PROMOTION.”
10. THERE’S NO “WIL WHEATON SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT”
11. WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS?
12. BETTER YOU THAN SOME RANDO THOUGH, RIGHT?
13. DETOUR: A HISTORY OF BAD BOSSES
14. BAD BOSS 1: THE POLICE CAPTAIN
15. BAD BOSS 2: THE LUMBERGH
16. BAD BOSS 3: THE HOVERING ART DIRECTOR
17. BAD BOSS α: FREDRICK TAYLOR
18. SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT • TASK OPTIMIZATION • WASTE REDUCTION • MEASURE PERFORMANCE • WORKERS WORK, MANAGERS MANAGE
19. SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT • REPLACEABLE WORKERS • MICROMANAGEMENT • INTERNAL COMPETITION • SABOTAGE
20. “IT’S ALWAYS A TRUST PROBLEM” -Brandon Hays
21. "Now one of the very first requirements for a man who is fit to handle pig iron as a regular occupation is that he shall be so stupid and so phlegmatic that he more nearly resembles in his mental make-up the ox than any other type... He is so stupid that the word "percentage" has no meaning to him, and he must consequently be trained by a man more intelligent than himself into the habit of working in accordance with the laws of this science before he can be successful.” - Fredrick Taylor
22. NOT ME, I’M COOL MANAGER!
23. WHAT’S SO GREAT ABOUT “BOSSES” ANYWAY?
24. GETTING YOUR BEARINGS
25. OK, WHERE’S THE MANUAL FOR THIS THING?
26. NOPE, NOT HERE EITHER
27. SO YOU TRY TO DO THE NEXT RIGHT THING
28. YOU TALK TO *EVERYONE*
29. YOU SET UP YOUR 1:1 MEETINGS Tool 1: One-on-One meetings
30. Tool 1: One-on-One meetings
31. YOU SHOW UP WITH QUESTIONS Tool 2: Lara Hogan’s “Questions for your first 1:1”
32. YOUR CALENDAR LOOKS DIFFERENT THESE DAYS
33. Psst. It’s me. Just checking in. This is pretty intense! We doing ok?
34. A LIST SEEMS LIKE A GOOD START Tool 3: Notes/To-do lists
36. THIS IS AN ENTIRE FIELD OF STUDY! Tool 4: Books & self-study, including Camille Fournier’s “The Manager’s Path”
37. TIME TO GET TO WORK!
38. LET’S BUILD AN INTERVIEW! Tool 5: Clear interview process examples with questions & exercises
39. LET’S BUILD AN INTERVIEW! Tool 5: Clear interview process examples with questions & exercises
40. WAIT, WHAT’S GOING ON IN THERE?
41. YOU TAKE THE L AND GET BACK IN THERE
42. THEME IN 1:1 MEETINGS: NO SENSE OF CAREER PROGRESS
43. YOU FIND RESOURCES ONLINE Tool 6: Engineering ladders
44. …AND DESIGN YOUR OWN Tool 6: Engineering ladders
45. YOU MIGHT BE GETTING THE HANG OF THIS
46. ONE NASTY SIDE EFFECT OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
47. ONE NASTY SIDE EFFECT OF ACCOUNTABILITY: ACCOUNTABILITY
48. OH NO! YOU HAVE BAD BEHAVIOR ON THE TEAM. WHAT NOW?
49. “This company has made a significant investment in hiring and training this employee. Your job is to protect that investment.” - Nice HR person
50. HELP DEFINE & DEFEND TEAM VALUES Credit: @aprilwensel
51. ENGINEERING A TURNAROUND Tool 7: Performance Improvement Plans
52. TURNAROUNDS ARE ABOUT HOMEWORK AND HARD CONVERSATIONS Tool 8: Crucial Confrontations
53. THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE. READ IT. Tool 9: Radical Candor by Kim Scott
54. HAVING THE HARD CONVERSATION FEELS LIKE CHEWING GLASS
55. YOU PUT THE PIP INTO ACTION
56. WEEK 1, 2, 3, 4… THEY DO NOT GO WELL
57. “Yeah, it’s clear this isn’t working. Let me help you take next steps. - Nice HR person
58. HEY, WHAT ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS?
59. RAISE A MUG TO LUMBERGH YOU’RE THE BOSS NOW, DAWG
60. IT’S BEEN QUIET FOR A WHILE
61. KATAMARI RESPONSIBILITY
62. YOUR CALENDAR IS A TRASH FIRE
63. “We love leadership because it’s so squishy and hard to figure out. But the problem is that it’s so squishy and hard to figure out.” - Nick Means
64. A MANAGER’S JOB IS TO BE AVAILABLE Tool 10: Office Hours & Active Listening
65. LISTENING MEANS FOLLOWING UP Tool 11: Personal kanban boards (Trello)
66. KATAMARI RESPONSIBILITY YOU’RE AHEAD OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES… BARELY
67. Whew! Maybe we can take a lil vacation? No? OK, thought I’d ask.
68. THE CHAOS MONKEY: INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT
69. To commiserate with the developer, turn to slide 68. To intervene with the PM, turn to slide 71. To tell the person how to respond, turn to slide 132.
70. You fell into the trap! There was no way to win. You enter the Swirling Vortex of Drama and are consumed by the fires within. THE END
71. KATAMARI RESPONSIBILITY YOU’RE AHEAD OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES… BARELY THE SWIRLING VORTEX OF DRAMA
72. “IT’S ALWAYS A TRUST PROBLEM” -Brandon Hays
77. NEUTRALIZING THE VORTEX Tool 12: Crucial Conversations
78. Credit: @johncutlefish TRUST IS CRITICAL
81. FIX THE PROBLEM, LEAVE THE FRAMEWORK Tool 13: Wikis and documentation tools
82. THINGS ARE ACTUALLY GOING PRETTY WELL…
83. STILL HOLDIN’ OUT FOR THAT MANUAL, MATE
84. Hey there friend, it’s me… You seem tired. Got any time for a break? Lil’ break?
85. YOU START TO NOTICE SIGNS OF LARGER ISSUES
86. THE MEETINGS… THEY DO NOTHING
87. IT’S UNNERVING.
88. YOU GO FOR THE ROOT: CULTURAL ISSUES Tool 14: Culture change processes
89. HOW DO YOU KNOW IT’S GETTING BETTER? Tool 15: Measure What Matters (OKRs)
90. HANG ON, WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
91. KATAMARI RESPONSIBILITY… AGAIN???
92. THE LEARNING TREADMILL
93. “YOU’RE JUST NOT A VERY GOOD LISTENER.”
94. A PRODUCTION BUGFIX SOUNDS GOOD RIGHT ABOUT NOW
95. BUT YOU’RE NO QUITTER
96. #GRIT
97. YOU MAKE A PLAN AND MOVE FORWARD Tool 14: Start/Stop/Continue retros
98. HEY, AT LEAST YOU SURVIVED
99. Hey great that you have grit and everything, but… Could you think about me once in a while?
100. YOU PUT THE PLAN IN PLACE
101. AND THE RESULTS ARE IMPRESSIVE
102. I’m going to ask nicely one more time. We’re dying over here, please pay attention.
104. YOU STILL HAVE TO FACE… YOURSELF
105. I’M NOT DOING ENOUGH
106. I’M NOT ENOUGH
107. I TRIED TO WARN YOU. NOW I’M PISSED.
108. SHUT IT DOWN SHUT IT DOWN SHUT IT DOWN SHUT IT DOWN
109. YOU WERE SO FIXATED ON MANAGERIAL HEROICS YOU FORGOT ABOUT YOURSELF
110. WHY DID YOU DO THIS?
111. OPTION 1: THE ONLY ONE THAT FEELS POSSIBLE
112. OPTION 2 EMERGES Tool 15: The Power of Vulnerability by Brené Brown
113. THIS IS THE PART WHERE YOU ASK FOR HELP
114. A FEW DAYS IN THE HAMMOCK LATER…
115. YOU START DELEGATING FOR REAL Tool 16: Delegation frameworks
116. WHAT IF YOU’D HAD SOMEONE TO GUIDE YOU THROUGH THIS? Tool 17: Podcasts about holistic leadership (Reboot)
118. WHY ARE WE SO FIXATED ON BEING “BRAINS IN JARS”?
119. Tool 18: Breathing Exercises
120. YOU START SHOWING SOME LOVE TO YOUR BODY Tool 19: Exercise & Meditation
121. YOU’RE STARTING TO BE ABLE TO SEE OVER THE MOUNTAIN OF CHALLENGES
122. NOT THE JOB: • SAVE EVERYONE • BE ALL-KNOWING • CREATE A FAILURE-FREE UTOPIA • SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS
123. THE REAL JOB: • BE AVAILABLE • LISTEN, GUIDE, & COACH • UNBLOCK & SUPPORT • BUILD BRIDGES OF TRUST • FIND & CONNECT PEOPLE TO THEIR STORIES & PURPOSE • FIND & BUILD FRAMEWORKS
124. WAIT, THIS IS WHAT MANAGEMENT IS ABOUT?
125. BAD MANAGEMENT IS POISONING OUR INDUSTRY The real moral imperative:
126. THIS INDUSTRY NEEDS YOU The real moral imperative:
127. MY REAL FIRST CALL
128. REMEMBER HOW YOU GOT HERE Tool 20: Gratitude & Journaling
129. BEING YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF IS ENOUGH
130. YOU ARE ENOUGH
131. YOU GET TO WRITE YOUR STORY
132. WE NEED YOU. TAKE CARE OF YOU.
133. THANKS. @tehviking Brandon Hays
134. Every 2 weeks Biweekly? Fortnightly?
135. Hey, we’re cool. But let’s take a vacation soon, OK bud?
136. Blog Posts First 1:1 by Lara Hogan https:/ /larahogan.me/blog/first-one-on-one-questions/ 87 1:1 questions by Lighthouse https:/ /getlighthouse.com/blog/one-on-one-meeting-questions- great-managers-ask/ 9 Steps to organizational culture change https:/ /www.tlnt.com/the-9-clear-steps-to- organizational-culture-change/ scrumbook.org Building a Growth Framework https:/ /blog.songkick.com/building-a-growth- framework-2464435e9e46 Tired: Engineering interviews, Wired: engineering auditions https:/ /medium.com/@trek/tired- engineering-interviews-hired-engineering-auditions-5f9f00147a57 Killing the Coding Interview http:/ /pete.holiday/blog/2018/05/killing-the-coding-interview Managering in terrible times https:/ /larahogan.me/blog/being-a-manager-in-terrible-times/ Time management for managers https:/ /blog.hubspot.com/marketing/manager-time- management-tips Stop/Start/Continue for performance https:/ /www.smartpassiveincome.com/start-stop-continue/ Successful Delegation https:/ /www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_98.htm
137. Videos Spotify engineering culture https:/ /vimeo.com/85490944 Autonomy, mastery, purpose by Dan Pink https:/ /www.brainpickings.org/2013/05/09/daniel-pink- drive-rsa-motivation/ Radical Candor by Kim Scott https:/ /www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj9GLeNCgm4 The Power of Vulnerability by Brené Brown https:/ /www.ted.com/talks/ brene_brown_on_vulnerability Podcasts Reboot https:/ /www.reboot.io/podcast Managing Up http:/ /www.managingup.show/ Manager Tools https:/ /www.manager-tools.com/all-podcasts
138. Books Radical Candor by Kim Scott https:/ /www.amazon.com/Radical-Candor-Kick-Ass-Without-Humanity/dp/ 1250103509 Measure what Matters by John Doerr https:/ /www.whatmatters.com/ The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier https:/ /www.amazon.com/Coaching-Habit-Less-Change- Forever/dp/0978440749/ The Manager's Path by Camille Fournier https:/ /www.amazon.com/Managers-Path-Leaders-Navigating- Growth/dp/1491973897 Daring Greatly by Brené Brown https:/ /www.amazon.com/Daring-Greatly-Courage-Vulnerable- Transforms/dp/1592408419 Crucial Confrontations by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler https:/ / www.amazon.com/Crucial-Confrontations-Resolving-Promises-Expectations/dp/0071446524 Phoenix Project / DevOps Handbook / Accelerate by Nicole Forsgren, Jez Humble, Gene Kim https:/ / www.amazon.com/Accelerate-Software-Performing-Technology-Organizations-ebook/dp/B07B9F83WM/ Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni https:/ /www.amazon.com/Five-Dysfunctions-Team- Leadership-Lencioni-ebook/dp/B006960LQW/ Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull https:/ /www.amazon.com/Creativity-Inc-Overcoming-Unseen-Inspiration/dp/ 0812993012 Story by Robert McKee https:/ /www.amazon.com/Story-Structure-Substance-Principles-Screenwriting- ebook/dp/B0042FZVOY
139. Photo Credits DSCN8605 by mtneer_man https:/ /www.flickr.com/photos/mtneer_man/5247813293/ 2007-11-04+060 by mtneer_man https:/ /www.flickr.com/photos/mtneer_man/1883543556 Bull Run Powerhouse drill press by Sam Beebe https:/ /www.flickr.com/photos/sbeebe/7153666475 Antique Drill Press by njtrout_2000 https:/ /www.flickr.com/photos/njtrout/8098617703 Old work bench and tools by Overwater Photography https:/ /www.flickr.com/photos/goverwater/ 9359415879 Man Hold Wood Planer by John Jones https:/ /www.flickr.com/photos/160462157@N08/45175333751 Teeth you don't brush by Let Ideas Compete https:/ /www.flickr.com/photos/question_everything/ 4051194009 Tools by David Merrett https:/ /www.flickr.com/photos/davehamster/2337387039 Two people in a business meeting by rawpixel.com https:/ /www.flickr.com/photos/byrawpixel/ 45739276432 Business people in a meeting by rawpixel.com https:/ /www.flickr.com/photos/byrawpixel/ 30849318307 Very Quiet by Sergio Garau https:/ /www.flickr.com/photos/veryveryquiet/3984595506 Breathing animations by Nathan Pyle https:/ /twitter.com/nathanwpyle/status/ 1023366305280339968