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Leadership & Management
The art of self-organising teams (Part I of IV)
We all want high performing teams. One of the most important aspects of a high performing team is how team-members communicate. Tom Sommer of Redbubble makes the case that self-organizing teams provide the foundation to set a team up for success and high achievement. He clarifies what a self-organizing team actually is and how to leverage "Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose" to provide the structure and support necessary for a strong one.
Rock Stars vs. Superstars
When building your team, you should focus on two types of "stars"—rock stars and superstars. Rock stars are reliable and happy in their current role. Superstars are ambitious and on a fast track to move upward and onward. In our latest Leadership & Management article, Mike Karampalas discusses why each type of "star" is critical to your success as a leader. Learn the differences between them and how to keep each type happy and engaged in their work.
Collaborative Alignment for Product Managers
Arne Kittler of XING introduces us to Auftragsklärung, a simple canvas framework for collaborative alignment. Don't let the name scare you - it's actually quite easy and will help your team have a better shared understanding of any given project.
Let Teams Figure It Out
John Cutler explores what it would look like if a team designed their own agile framework. He argues that it could be just as effective (If not more) than following an out of the box approach like Scrum. The framework isn't as important as a commitment to continuous improvement, long-term support of the organization, and a sense of what success looks like so they have a goal to strive for.
Bust Remote Development Myths with These 5 Habits
Vasily Malyshev of Messapps debunks common misconceptions and myths that people believe are unavoidable with remote development. He goes on to provide simple (yet detailed) tactics to address the underlying problems that are at the root of those myths. This is a must-read for anyone considering a remote team or currently managing one.
Productivity & Estimation
The New Science of Team Chemistry
Suzanne M. Johnson Vickberg and Kim Christfort of Deloitte discuss Business Chemistry, a system that identifies four primary work styles and related strategies for accomplishing shared goals. It was crafted with help from biological anthropologists and molecular biologists, so it's not your average personality test. Discover the four work styles - Pioneers, Drivers, Integrators, and Guardians - and learn how to manage, interact with, and get the most out of each type and combination on your team.
Running in Circles
Ryan Singer of Basecamp describes some of the shortcomings with modern Agile approaches and outlines what Basecamp does to ship "on time and in good health." This is a great article for anyone that is tired of their team struggling to ship high-quality projects in a reasonable time frame.
People & Culture
Choose An Amazing Boss. Role Is Secondary.
Janessa Lantz of ThinkGrowth.org explains why finding an amazing boss is more important than finding an amazing role. "Working for a bad boss sucks the life out of you and your career. Working for a good boss is fun and pleasant. Working for a great boss can change the trajectory of your entire career." Check out the article for tips to help ensure your next boss is a great one.
Only Slightly Off-Topic
Concise electronics for geeks
In this 2010 guide from Michal Zalewski, you'll find all of the information needed to accurately understand the behavior of semiconductors, capacitors, and inductors - in a much shorter way than standard textbooks. If you've ever wanted to tinker with electronic circuits or understand how computers work, this is the guide for you.
Rewire Your Negative Brain for Optimism
If you find yourself leaning towards the glass half-empty side of the pessimistic-optimistic spectrum, this article is for you. Learn about Positive Retrospective Interpretation, a technique that can be used to strengthen our ability for optimism and create positive thought patterns. "When things happen that may aggravate other people, a well trained positive mindset will be able to maintain emotional peace and even smile with the knowledge that it is being offered a chance for something even better."
Have you tried Status Hero yet?
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