The Retrospective

Effective Delegation Using Task Relevant Maturity In this episode of the Retrospective podcast, Jeremy and Peter kick off the third season by discussing the concept of task relevant maturity in engineering leadership. They explore the common challenges new managers face, such as micromanagement and hands-off leadership. Jeremy introduces the idea from Andy Grove’s book ‘High Output Management,’ emphasizing the need to adjust management styles based on the maturity of a person and the task at hand. They delve into how to assess an individual’s maturity, the benefits of pairing team members, and the importance of maintaining a balance between autonomy and oversight. They also provide actionable insights on how to help team members grow and how to use task relevant maturity to improve overall team performance. 00:00 Introduction to Season Three 00:38 Understanding Task Relevant Maturity 00:56 Challenges Faced by New Managers 03:05 Framework for Assessing Task Relevant Maturity 10:51 High Task Relevant Maturity 26:21 Balancing Critical Projects and Personal Growth 30:22 Conclusion and Resources Links from the episode: High Output Management by Andy Grove - The original source of Task-Relevant Maturity The Most Important Management Concept You’re Missing: Task Relevant Maturity The Most Important Aspect of Task Relevant Maturity Many Leaders Forget The Manager’s Path by Camille Fournier - Builds on TRM concepts for engineering leadership Share your thoughts about the episode (and the podcast) at feedback@the-retrospective.com!

Péter and Jeremy discuss the last stage of the interviewing process: the offer. They include strategies for managing job transitions, including securing roles, negotiating offers, and resigning professionally. The conversation shifts to the transformation of content creation with the rise of social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok, examining the initial advantages and later toxicities induced by engagement-driven algorithms. The discussion concludes with Péter's new website, whatistiling.com.Share your thoughts about the episode (and the podcast) at feedback@the-retrospective.com!

In this episode of 'The Retrospective' podcast, engineering leaders Jeremy and Peter discuss Peter’s series on getting hired as an engineering manager, focusing on the interview process. The conversation covers preparation strategies, building relationships with recruiters, adapting to the current job market, and the importance of diversity in hiring. Throughout, Jeremy and Peter provide practical advice on handling technical screenings, in-office interviews, and telling compelling career stories. They emphasize the need for thorough preparation, understanding the company, and presenting oneself effectively in interviews.Share your thoughts about the episode (and the podcast) at feedback@the-retrospective.com!

In this episode, we discuss the critical importance of career security over job security in the changing tech landscape, highlighting strategies for sustaining and advancing one's career in 2024. Then, we explore the Innovation Framework based on the Möbius Loop for balancing discovery, delivery, and options in the software development life cycle. We also urge organisations to consider capturing structured practices with the Open Practice Library. Additionally, we discuss the value of pair programming and mob programming for strengthening collaboration, learning, and problem-solving. 00:00 Hey! 00:25 We Are Slowing Figuring Out The Show Format and Target Audience 02:09 Politics - The Morning After The Night Before - EU and Hungarian Election Results 04:21 Artistic Pairing - The Twin Peaks Soundtrack 12:30 Pair Programming and Collaboration 24:08 What's Old Is New in Tech 30:36 How to maintain career security in the 2024 tech climate? 46:22 A Framework for Innovation 50:37 Implementing Standard Practices 01:08:47 Wrapping UpShare your thoughts about the episode (and the podcast) at feedback@the-retrospective.com!

Chapters (notes below): 00:00::00 Awkward intros 00:00:51 Reflecting on Benoit's (CPTO of Lunii) guest appearance last week and the 4 day work week 00:14:28 What correlates with happiness? 00:28:59 Peter's articles on getting hired as an EM - part 1 & 2 00:32:32 Hands on/Hands off Engineering Managers 00:39:02 You need to have multiple CVs! 00:44:07 Drop some nuggets in your CV 00:46:34 Is AI being used to screen me? 00:51:16 Should I use AI to write my CV? 00:53:01 Hot tips for how to use AI 00:58:08 Clickbaity AI 01:01:59 Four Key Questions for Managers That Boost Team Performance 01:09:32 Trust and performance management 01:15:26 Should I share my answers? 01:18:11 Layoffs and low performers 01:22:58 Low performers, the vampire in your team 01:24:25 Retention risk and tracking over time 01:25:40 Give it three months 01:26:23 How to get started 01:28:09 Share your work at 20% done 01:31:55 Being right the first time and the Ikea Effect 01:34:09 Jeremy's pivot 01:36:48 Should our newsletters be perfect? 01:39:49 Homelabbing woes 01:48:44 Looking forward to next week Show notes Our previous show about Lunii’s 4-day workweek experiment: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7199358260410245121/ Peter’s earlier article about a Hungarian company trying the same: https://peterszasz.com/the-end-of-a-4-day-workweek-experiment/ Timsons, a family-owned business focusing on employee happiness: https://www.timpson.co.uk/ you can read more about how they are run here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1J7x50pDt5DrcPJ57B7kkM9/6-things-we-learnt-from-the-ceo-of-timpson-s The History of Guinness and it’s social impact - https://faithandleadership.com/stephen-mansfield-god-and-guinness Peter’s newsletter including the activities / happiness correlation research: https://peterszasz.com/week-21-2024-frustration-and-happiness/ Not the article Peter mentioned, but a great talk on why we should not send money to Africa: https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/media/series/39/20090409-dead-aid-why-aid-is-not-working-and-how-there-is-a-better-way-for-africa Hungarian charity giving targeted help to specific homeless people: https://vanesely.hu/english/ Peter’s articles about Getting Hired as an EM: Women less likely to apply for jobs they don’t feel fully qualified for: https://hbr.org/2014/08/why-women-dont-apply-for-jobs-unless-theyre-100-qualified Jeremy: AI prompting article to ask for clarifying questions: https://www.descript.com/blog/article/11-best-chatgpt-prompts Growth design website to give tips in design experiences: https://growth.design/ Jeremy’s recent Performance Questions article: https://www.jeremybrown.tech/four-key-questions-for-managers-that-boost-team-performance/ …and the original one about debunking performance rating myths: https://www.jeremybrown.tech/17-debunking-performance-rating-myths/ Nine Lies about Work book: https://goodreads.com/book/show/40086702-nine-lies-about-work Jeremy’s article about the Baseline Principles for Teams: https://www.jeremybrown.tech/21-baseline-principles-for-teams/ The Five Dysfunctions of a Team book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21343.The_Five_Dysfunctions_of_a_Team The 9-Box Performance Evaluation Model: https://www.bamboohr.com/blog/9-box-grid Jeremy’s article about sharing your work early: https://www.jeremybrown.tech/the-20-percent-rule/ …and his earlier one about the IKEA Effect: https://www.jeremybrown.tech/the-ikea-effect/ Peter’s article about Homelabbing for Engineering Leaders: https://peterszasz.com/homelabbing-for-engineering-leaders/ Craft Conference 10: https://craft-conf.com/2024 Share your thoughts about the episode (and the podcast) at feedback@the-retrospective.com!

Episode #2 of The Retrospective Live Show Show Notes:Apple ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntjkwIXWtrc Peter's Focus article: https://peterszasz.com/why-cant-i-focus/Linktree: https://linktr.ee/, OSS alternative: Link Stack https://linkstack.org/ Tom Demarco: Slack https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123715.Slack Timeboxing hobby article - https://bulletjournal.com/blogs/bulletjournalist/how-to-set-boundaries-using-time quotes: Time-boxing creates boundaries that force us to think inside the box, that is, at a much more granular level. If we can only dedicate thirty minutes, three times a week to something, we have to figure out what we can get done in that short amount of time. That shift in thinking can make all the difference. By only granting ourselves a limited amount of time, we’re primed to make the most of it, and we’re left wanting more. This is a powerful way to stay motivated, and gives us something to look forward to each day. Lastly, time-boxing can be very practical for those whose passions often get in the way of their commitments. Article on questions to ask ceo - https://getlighthouse.com/blog/questions-to-ask-a-ceo-healthy-culture/ CTO survey: https://ss-usa.s3.amazonaws.com/c/311833600/media/1935663a48f6d7f0702329394031256/CTO Craft Compensation Survey Report 2024.pdfShare your thoughts about the episode (and the podcast) at feedback@the-retrospective.com!

Raw and unedited, this was our pilot or test recording that motivated us to take this experiment further.Share your thoughts about the episode (and the podcast) at feedback@the-retrospective.com!