"Herding Cats" is now "Leading Software People"
As of June 1, we've changed the name of this newsletter from "Herding Cats" to "Leading Software People." Nothing against cats, but it turns out the phrase gets attached to all sorts of non-relevant situations, so we decided to go with something that describes the content you'll find here a little more accurately.
We've also created an accompanying website where we'll be publishing new articles of our own, along with contributions from other veteran software team leads and managers.
You're reading Leading Software People, a curated newsletter for people who are managing software teams, brought to you by Status Hero. We hope you find it helpful!
Team Communication
Mossberg: The tyranny of messaging and notifications
Walt Mossberg of The Verge discusses how messages and notifications aren't saving us time — they're doing the opposite. Check out his recommendations for how to combat the barrage of distractions.
How to Run an Effective Meeting
Poorly run meetings waste people's time, impact team productivity, and are way too common. So when you have a meeting, make sure it's worthwhile. Adam Bryant of The New York Times gives us a solid set of tactics to ensure the meetings we have are useful. From setting an agenda to giving everyone a role and making them contribute, learn what you can do today to start having more effective meetings.
Leadership & Management
44 engineering management lessons
New to engineering management or looking to be more effective? Slava Akhmechet of Stripe lists out 44 quick lessons he's learned over his career in engineering management. "What worked for you before won’t work now. You’ll have to acquire a new set of skills, and shed some bad habits in the process." Check it out and learn to be a better manager and leader.
Building and Motivating Engineering Teams
Camille Fournier, author of The Manager's Path: A Guide for Tech Leaders Navigating Growth and Change, describes the 3 axes that she uses to build and motivate engineering teams. Learn how to balance money, purpose, and respect in order to attract and retain the best engineering talent for your company.
Productivity & Estimation
Feedback Loops and “Done”
Is your company focused on outputs instead of outcomes? More worried about moving on to the next big project instead of iterating on what you've just shipped? Are you taking the time to measure and track the impact of your work? John Cutler advocates for us to stop trying to get it perfect with the first release — start small, measure, learn, and iterate.
The Problem With Heroes In Software Development
Beekey Cheung describes the problems that come with having "heroes" on your dev team — go-to people that consistently step in to save the day during a crisis. Negative side-effects include burnout, hindering the development of junior developers, and a tendency to devalue proactive crisis prevention vs. reactive crisis management. Learn how to reduce "hero culture" and make things better for your team.
People & Culture
How to Work With Software Engineers
Ken Norton gives product managers some tongue-in-cheek advice on "how to work with software engineers". You'll definitely appreciate this one if you've ever had the misfortune of working with a terrible PM.
Here’s How to Triumph in a Toxic Office
Landed at a company where the culture is toxic? If you excitedly took a new job only to be surprised by the negative environment or a terrible boss, you're not alone. In this article, Karen Wickre provides useful tips to help you deal with difficult work environments and bully bosses.
Only Slightly Off-Topic
Teller Reveals His Secrets
Teller, of magic duo Penn & Teller, explains the psychological tactics employed by magicians. Discover some of the secrets behind classic magic tricks and find some techniques to help you influence people at work.
Less Than Serious
Did we miss something noteworthy?
Let us know! We're always on the hunt for helpful articles. Just email us at leadingsoftwarepeople@statushero.com.
Have you tried Status Hero yet?
Status Hero is a lightweight, automated reporting tool for teams, and works using your existing team communication channels, like email and Slack. Give it a shot with a free trial).