The World's Best Book Summaries
What’s the best approach for mentoring engineers? What do new engineers need from a mentor, and how can you use your experience to help others? Mentoring engineers requires communicating well, both listening and explaining thoughtfully. Effective mentorship also means planning your mentee’s workload strategically. Learn more about how to be an effective mentor with these mentoring tips and strategies.
How should managers work to improve themselves? How can you run efficient meetings? In The First-Time Manager, organizational risk expert Jim McCormick explores tips for excelling in your management role. These tips include using your time and resources wisely, developing yourself, working with your superiors, and preparing for future opportunities. Below we’ll dive into these management tips so you can be the leader you’re meant to be.
What does a tech lead do? Within a software engineering team, what’s the role of a technical lead? A tech lead does strategic planning and oversees engineering projects from start to finish. The role of a technical lead is to ensure that each person on the team knows their role and contributes meaningfully. Learn more about technical lead roles and responsibilities in engineering.
What does it take to be a software engineering manager? In The Manager’s Path, how does Camille Fournier describe the path from engineer to manager? In The Manager’s Path, Camille Fournier describes each step in the engineering career ladder, from early mentorship roles to large group management. She also details key skills necessary for engineers looking to move into management. Learn more about the path from engineer to manager as laid out in The Manager’s Path.
What does strategic management look like in information technology? When you’re managing an engineering team, how can you plan for success? Strategic management of information technology involves learning how to prioritize projects, divide tasks, and foresee future challenges. A manager must plan engineering strategy with business goals in mind. Read on to learn strategic technology management skills in engineering.
How do you prioritize tasks at work? When you have limited time, how do you decide what gets done? To prioritize tasks at work, you can use the Eisenhower Priority Matrix, which takes into account both the urgency and the importance of each task. From there, you can decide what needs to be done now and what you can plan to do in the future. Learn more about managing priorities at work with these strategies from Camille Fournier’s The Manager’s Path.
How does question-storming work? Is it a superior alternative to brainstorming? Warren Berger says that many organizations value knowledge and obedience over curiosity and creativity. But, the most successful companies are those that encourage employees to ask questions and search for innovative answers. He recommends that organizations hold question-storming sessions. Keep reading to learn about this intriguing alternative to brainstorming.
What does it mean to have adaptability in software engineering? How does this demonstrate why adaptability is important in the workplace? Adaptability in software engineering means successfully handling and creating change, including changes in technology, workflow, or responsibilities. Learning how to be more adaptive can help you grow in your career in any industry. Learn more about the value of adaptability at work and how to develop adaptive leadership skills with these insights from the field of software engineering.
What’s it like to work for Elon Musk? How does he bring his personality into his businesses? Renowned biographer Walter Isaacson shadowed Elon Musk for two years. He found that Musk’s leadership mindset is entirely mission-focused with an emphasis on challenging workers rather than nurturing them in any way. Keep reading to learn about Elon Musk as a leader.
What question launched Uber? What questions did Toys “R” Us leaders fail to ask? The most successful companies ask a lot of questions. And, they ask the right questions. That’s the view of Warren Berger. In his book A More Beautiful Question, he explains why every person in every workplace needs to ask the fundamental questions “why,” “why not,” “what if,” and “how.” Continue reading to learn about these “beautiful questions” to ask in business.