2023 WK16
Poor Listeners, Calm Progress, Deterministic Thinking, Interruption, Metrics, Navigate Unpredictability
Sound Advice: How to Deal with Poor Listeners
It can take courage (one of the five Scrum values) to deal with poor listeners; it’s much easier to let it go but just think of how your conversations and relationship with that person could be so much better and let that motivate you. (10 min read)
Tobi Lütke: Calm Progress
Celebrated entrepreneur and Shopify co-founder and CEO Tobi Lütke discusses how Shopify endured through the COVID-19 pandemic, why he’s so optimistic about the future, the differences between founders and CEOs, how his job has changed as Shopify has grown over the years, how to fight bureaucracy, how he thinks about innovation in a large company, and how he manages to keep his head when everyone else is losing theirs, among other topics. (120 min listen)
Deterministic Thinking
Deterministic thinking is a blinkering force, the very opposite of rationality even though many people who espouse deterministic thinking believe themselves to be hyper rational. (9 min read)
Programmer Interrupted: The Real Cost of Interruption and Context Switching
Interruptions and context switching are the two most costly factors that directly impact a programmer's daily productivity. Although there is no permanent way to avoid them, there are some interesting strategies to minimize their impact. (3 min read)
The Three True-North Metrics that Your Product and Business Need
Imagine finding yourself in an elevator with your CEO or top investor. After a brief hello she lands the big question on you: “How is the product doing?” You have 30 seconds to answer. A simple “all good” won’t cut it — you need numbers. Your mind runs through your dashboard. Each metric conveys a part of the picture, but in isolation is not meaningful enough and might confuse the exec. If only there was one easy-to-understand metric that would capture it all. (5 min read)
Navigating the unpredictability of everything
We dramatically, repeatedly fail to predict the future. Does that mean “strategy” is senseless? No, it means you need these techniques to navigate a volatile world. (23 min read)
What is intellectual humility? How it works and how to develop it.
Intellectual Humility is one of the most exciting fields of study in current psychology and philosophy. Recent research has convinced me that getting better at it can change our lives—and make a big difference in the world. (41 min read)
Books
Understanding Organizations...Finally!: Structure in Sevens
For half a century, Mintzberg has been observing organizations, advising them, engaging them, and escaping them. Here he offers a masterful update and revision of his 1983 classic, Structure in Fives. Believing there is one best way to structure organizations is the worst way to do so. A better place to start is by recognizing different species of organizations. Mintzberg identifies seven—personal enterprises, programmed machines, professional assemblies, project pioneers, and others. He explores these forms and the seven forces that drive them toward hybrids and across their life cycles.
Confronting Our Freedom: Leading a Culture of Chosen Accountability and Belonging
In Confronting Our Freedom, a team of dedicated leadership coaches delivers an exciting and engaging new take on management and leadership. Drawing on recent events in the market and in the world, including the Great Resignation, the COVID-19 pandemic, and widespread digital transformation, the authors invite you to reimagine ideas of freedom and accountability in the context of work. You’ll explore how freedom of action―for managers and employees―is what gives rise to true accountability, both in the community and in the workplace.