Posts
All the articles I've posted.
Observability
Posted on:June 21, 2024 at 7 min readObservability is the ability to query our system's telemetry data to understand its current state and find "unknown unknowns". It allows us to answer the question, "Why is this happening?".
The Trifecta Model
Posted on:June 5, 2024 at 3 min readThe Trifecta model (or a Triad) is a group of three leaders who share a goal and have clear accountability and autonomy to deliver a valuable, feasible, usable product.
Support Engineer
Posted on:May 16, 2024 at 3 min readThe support engineer is a temporary role assigned to an engineer every week. The idea is that this person will spend a portion of their time monitoring the team services proactively to ensure the product runs smoothly (keep the lights on) and handle unexpected requests, such as answering client queries, patching security vulnerabilities, leading incidents, etc.
Graph Club
Posted on:May 6, 2024 at 4 min readGraph Club is a weekly or bi-weekly meeting where the team reviews the system’s observability. During this meeting, the team will look into the service SLIs, review alerts, incidents and investigate anomalies that happened over the past weeks.
Lead by Delegating
Posted on:April 19, 2024 at 5 min readThe goal of a software engineer is to solve problems cost-efficiently. Most of the time, the solution involves writing some code and delegating the work to a machine. Being an effective manager means learning to delegate work to people to create a more engaged and efficient team.
Effective 1:1s
Posted on:April 2, 2024 at 7 min readThe 1:1 meeting is an opportunity to support your direct reports and enable their potential. It is the time of the week when both give up on their time to be together. Using this time effectively can positively impact their performance.
The Art of Feedback
Posted on:March 15, 2024 at 8 min readFeedback is one of the most powerful tools for building synergies and continuously improving your team's performance. If you are practising active management, you should consistently give and ask for feedback.
SMART Goals
Posted on:March 3, 2024 at 4 min readSetting clear and measurable goals for your direct reports is a great way to coach, set expectations, and track their progress. It contributes to their development and team success.
Performance Improvement Plan
Posted on:February 10, 2024 at 5 min readA performance improvement plan (PIP) is a formal process to help low performers meet their role's expectations. It shouldn't be seen as a punishment or a disciplinary action but rather as a tool to improve their performance and address their issues.
Performance Reviews
Posted on:February 4, 2024 at 5 min readThe performance review cycle is a sensitive period where people expect a salary raise or a promotion. It's not a wrong way to see it this way, but it is much more than that. It is an opportunity to get feedback and understand where people are on their journey.