Resources
Short intros to the ideas I use most when coaching engineering leaders
Why silicon programs lose time between milestones, and why nobody owns it.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Most engineering leaders were promoted for being great engineers. Nobody taught them how to lead themselves first, and that's where Covey starts.
This intro covers the foundation:
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The maturity continuum: dependence, independence, interdependence
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Principles vs. values
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The four human endowments that let you choose your response
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Circle of Concern vs. Circle of Influence
I was certified as a 7 Habits facilitator and have taught this to hundreds of people. I still use it today, at work and at home.
An Introduction to
Leadership and Management
Leading Silicon Development Organizations Today
We used to deliver one product at a time. Now we run several in parallel, with derivatives on top, and leading from the top of the org chart works a little less every year.
This intro covers:
- How leadership styles evolved, and why the older ones are breaking down
- Complex systems, and why plans get less predictable as work gets more complex
- What the next generation of leaders does differently
Workflow Design
Design Your Work Like Engineers Design Products™
Complexity and change are making work harder to get across teams, and leading from the top by watching results works less every year. Managing by results alone is like driving your car while sitting on the roof.
This intro covers:
- Why workflow design matters, and how it drives profit up, costs down and improves work-life balance
- Manage by Results vs. Manage by Means, and why leaders who stay connected to the work thrive
- Designing workflows the way we design SoCs: modules in a nested hierarchy, each with an owner
- The concepts behind good workflow design: flow, queuing, batch size, cadence, feedback, synchronization and more
This is the foundation of the Silicon Systems Development Flow Architecture™ and the work I led for Intel's NAND Group.
One of the Flow Accel Greats
Steven Spear
The High-Velocity Edge and Wiring the Winning Organization
Steve spent more than two decades studying why a few companies pull away from their peers in every industry. Same tools, same talent. The difference is that they learn faster than their competition.
This intro covers:
- The four capabilities that separate standout organizations
- Slowification, simplification and amplification
- Why the best leaders act as teachers and mentors
I worked directly with Steve for six years at Intel.
