Understand the business goals and the aims of your teams before introducing a new process. If you're not sure how a process would help them, take a step back, and identify what the root of the problem is first.
2. Processes aren't the only solutions
New processes can't solve everything. In reality, trying to fix behavior problems by introducing a new process is counterproductive. In these cases, retrospective team meetings and coaching sessions are more helpful.
3. Never stop improving
Check in with your team regularly, and have honest conversations about your processes. Make sure they remain useful and relevant to your teams and your goals.
Want to learn more about creating efficient and engaging processes?
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Set realistic goals for yourself at the beginning of each week. Instead of trying to make every second productive, focus on the output you want to achieve, and leave enough breaks and prep time between your activities.
2. Don't overbook yourself
Unexpected changes will inevitably happen. You might need to drop everything to help a colleague or prioritize an urgent task. Fill your calendar 75-80% at max to make sure you leave time for such cases.
Episode 72 is out now!
Steven Lopez, VPE at @deem discusses choosing the right tech stack for your business, especially when going through a digital transformation.
Here are the main aspects you need to consider in a digital transformation:
1. People
Always start with people. The key to digital transformation is getting your people to work with the technology. If you lack the people who can work with your tech stack, you can’t move forward.
2. Processes
Take account of the processes you have in place. Include the communication, project management, DevOps, QA, etc. Make sure you find every aspect that may be improved upon or changed to better fit your needs going through a digital transformation.
If you want to measure high performance, don't focus exclusively on the delivery. Make sure employee satisfaction is high, and your team understands the business goals, so they know how to plan their tasks effectively.
2. Do it one step at a time
Building a high-performance team takes time. First, define which areas you want to work on with your team based on your company's key values. Then, set action items with them to improve those areas one by one.
Don't release code without auditing it. A lot of hacks can happen if you put code into production without doing a proper audit first. Avoid this mistake, and prioritize security - before the latest release, 1inch had 10 audits to ensure safety.
2. Find the right contributors
In a DAO, people have shared access to the company's assets, so make sure you share your work with the right people. If somebody abuses the network for their personal gain, it's time to say goodbye to them.
The secret of building well-aligned teams is establishing the right hiring strategy. Technical knowledge is important, but focus on finding culturally aligned people who are deeply interested in their field.
2. Keep your teams aligned
When you have teams all around the world, you have to find the right balance between autonomy and alignment. Some practices must be standardized among teams so that you're able to run cross-functional programs.
As an EM, you talk to ICs, leads and the technical director regularly. Make sure you share helpful information with them while also creating a reporting structure where people can talk about their problems confidentially.
2. Coach engineers in their career development
Encourage engineers to evaluate their growth, to pinpoint areas to improve and to ask for help from their lead or seniors on the team. Have career development discussions with them, and discuss the expectations of the next level.