How to be concise
The truth about why it’s so hard to be concise, and 9 tactics I use to tighten my communication.
^ADJ: Wes creates one of my favourite newsletters, full of practical and meaningful advice that can really make a difference - how to be concise is so important.
As many would appreciate I don't have time for dribble, I want to know is this under control, is this an opportunity to contribute to, am I getting a sense that the conveyer of the information has it together, or am I going to need to intervene?
Leads nicely into the two other articles, How to write a good executive summary and metrics in business.
Build Credibility by Writing a Perfect Executive Summary
You’re ready for the big meeting when suddenly an exec starts some tangent on slide #2 that completely derails the conversation. You never end up covering the actually important items, and there’s no meaningful next step. We’ve all been there. Knowing how to engage executives at the right level can be opaque and incredibly frustrating, especially if you need to adjust in real-time when the communication doesn’t go as planned.
^ADJ: A skill I have yet to master, I really like the 5 steps: * Understand your audience * Name the job to be done * Identify what’s out of scope * Focus both on what (content) and how (structured delivery) * Measure success
Tying Engineering Metrics to Business Metrics
Most engineering organizations I’ve worked in or led have tracked some form of engineering metrics. These range from simple metrics like uptime and incident count to more complex frameworks like DORA. As an engineering leader, you’ve probably been asked, either by someone within or outside of engineering: Why do these metrics matter? or How do they align with our business goals?
^ADJ: Ok, so not all of you in the audience are tech companies, but this article does apply to you, in that it will get you to think about leading and lagging indicators of success. and how you could break down your strategy into measures that have lead and lag. Will definitely make you think about the data that you want to be collecting within processes, and more in general - how long does it take to get a change initiative through the company?
Yves Morieux: How too many rules at work keep you from getting things done
Modern work - from waiting tables to crunching numbers to designing products - is about solving brand-new problems every day, flexibly and collaboratively. But as Yves Morieux shows in this insightful talk, too often, an overload of rules, processes and metrics keeps us from doing our best work together. Meet the new frontier of productivity: cooperation.
^ADJ: A fantastic TED Talk that I have shared widely.
How mastering stress and reinvention drive business partnerships
How mastering stress and reinvention drive business partnerships with Dr. Julie Gurner.
^ADJ: Dr. Julie Garner is one of my favourite business coaches, and always has practical, meaningful advice!
Personal Goals I 33 Surprising Tips To Boost Your Personal Motivation!
Personal goals…. they work! The positive results of personal goals are widely supported by substantial research. More than 100 scientific studies involving 40,000 participants from different industries prove personal goals will improve your performance.
^ADJ: Great motivation and reminders - especially about consistency. My favourite #22 - Build on your successes!