Tag: Engineering Leadership

  • S2E30 – MX (not the DNS records!)

    Show Notes  In this episode of the TTL podcast, the hosts, Andy and Mon Chiao, discuss the concept of ‘Management Experience’ and its distinction from ‘Employee Experience.’ They explore the importance of management surveys, the challenges of delegation, and ethical implications in a hierarchical setting. They debate the effectiveness of the proposed four pillars for…

  • S2E29 – Critical, Tame, and Wicked Problems

    Show Notes One way of categorizing problems faced by engineering organizations is Keith Grint’s framework of wicked, tame, and critical problems. These problem types, each with their unique characteristics and challenges, require distinct approaches to effectively address them. Join Andy and Mon-Chaio as they provide practical insights and real-world examples to illustrate how engineering leaders…

  • S2E27 – Evaluating Leadership Excellence

    Show Notes It’s something that all companies do and yet it’s still a very misunderstood topic: evaluating the performance of people managers. The majority of methods regularly used for measuring managers rely heavily on superficial metrics and outdated practices that fail to capture the true essence of effective leadership. Join Andy and Mon-Chaio as they…

  • S2E26 – Out of the wartime crisis trap

    Show Notes  In this episode of the Tactics for Tech Leadership podcast, hosts Andy and Mon-chaio explore where leaders should spend their time, touching on the importance of signaling dedication, performance, identity, and power through time management. They discuss the contrast between crisis, wartime leadership, and peacetime stability, emphasizing the Eisenhower Matrix as a tool…

  • S2E24 – Leadership Insights from the Plato Elevate Conference

    Show Notes  In this episode of the TTL podcast, Mon-Chaio and Andy review the recent Plato Elevate Conference in San Francisco. As a unique gathering focused on engineering leadership, Mon-Chaio shares his key takeaways from sessions on effective reorgs, experiments in culture engineering, and the innovative EngOS. The duo also explores the broader value of…

  • S2E21 – VacationCast – A Small Story of Language Diversity

    Show Notes Join Mon-Chaio in this VacationCast episode where he recounts an anecdote from his past involving collaboration, inclusion, and using diverse language in a business environment. References Transcript Mon-Chaio: Hi everyone, and welcome to this week’s episode of The TTL Podcast. Andy is off on a bike adventure somewhere. I think the last I…

  • S2E18 – Leadership Beyond Extroversion

    Show Notes Both conventional wisdom and widespread anecdotes point to the conclusion that extroverts make better leaders. But is there any evidence of this, or is this another belief with little basis in fact? In this episode, Andy and Mon-Chaio examine the misconceptions around introversion and extroversion and dive into the research around the relationship…

  • S2E16 – Misleader Majority

    Show Notes The lack of exceptional leadership in tech companies is far from ideal, and this issue is exacerbated by the widespread presence of poor leaders. The situation becomes particularly troubling when these inadequate leaders believe they are competent or even exceptional. Join Andy and Mon-Chaio in their conversation as they explore the reasons behind…

  • S2E14 – Tactics for Remote Work (Remote Work Series – Part 3 of 3)

    Show Notes  This episode marks the third and final part of a series focusing on remote work, where Andy and Mon-Chaio delve into tactics that you can use when working with remote teams. Specific topics include maintaining company values and culture through computer-mediated interactions, the role of rituals and symbols like custom emojis and the…

  • S2E12 – Stories of Remote Work (Remote Work Series – Part 1 of 3)

    Show Notes In part one of this three part series, Andy and Mon-Chaio tell stories of remote work, both from their own experiences as well as those they’ve heard from their colleagues and the public at large. From those stories, they try to find themes to help answer a burning question: four years in, how…