Category Archives: Engineering Manager
Fostering Innovation
When I was at eHarmony, they wanted to transform the company to a culture of innovation. They did not succeed. This is not something that can be proclaimed to declared. There are three things that need to exist to foster … Continue reading
Evaluating an offshore team
There are five things I look for in evaluating an offshore team: Language – How well do they speak your language. Most can read and write (at times with the help of Google translate) but struggle with verbal communication. If … Continue reading
Individual MBO for Engineers
There is plenty of information of what comprises a good goal (SMART). However, creating good goals for creative roles is something I’ve always struggled with. I’ve broken the goals down into 4 main categories. Professional Development Present one topic for … Continue reading
Video Chatting with Distributed Teams
I always prefer face-to-face meetings to teleconference meetings. In preparation for out next Sprint Planning Meeting, we tried to establish a reliable, decent quality, and free video conferencing solution between a PC and a MAC. Here are the results from … Continue reading
Money is not an asset
If somone gives you money, you should spend it! If I give you money, you should spend it! The money I gave you is an investment and I expect a return. If the money is sitting in the bank, the … Continue reading
Working Remotely and Team Synergies
Whenever I discuss disparate work environments (telecommuting), I hear a common complaint about the need for people to work together for the purposes of bonding. I am very close to several friends that I only see once a year. I … Continue reading
You can’t measure what I do
I can’t imaging anyone investing in a fund that they would not be able to measure the performance. Employees are no different. Every employee must be measured. We’ll get into how to measure them in subsequent articles, but for now, … Continue reading
New Hire Incubation Program
We have 4 new people starting on Monday. Each new employee places a burden on the organization. The new employee is like a new baby, where the parents (current employees) need to dedicate time and energy until the newborn is … Continue reading
Negotiating with Contingency Recruiters
Recruiters can provide a great value to the organization if you use the right ones and have good contract terms. Here are some of the must-have items I include in my contracts: Fee – This is a percentage of the … Continue reading
The 3-Hour Work Day
I just got finished with The 4-Hour Work Week, by Tim Ferriss. The basic premise of the book is to cut the interruptions out of you day-to-day job (allowing you to work less), work from home (allowing you to work … Continue reading
