Management Bits and Tips

A few years ago I introduced the notion of a process parasite. After reading biographies for some time I decided to extend this to the notion of a contributing process parasite:

Let me give you an example. Recall that Einstein made his discoveries while working in a patent office where he had free time. Would have the management of that office tolerated if they knew what he was doing while processing patents for clock devices? So let’s give a definition of a contributing process parasitism:

an extension of a process parasitism between an employee and an organization in which one, the process parasite, makes a contribution to humanity or to a specific domain of activity in general.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ ManagementBits.com -

Previously announced book (publication date is 1st of September, 2010) now got preliminary front and back covers.

Front cover:

Back cover:

- Dmitry Vostokov @ ManagementBits.com -

Observing people maturing in their profession I found these signs of overqualification visible when a person:

- Becomes more proficient with foundational issues in contrast to specific minutiae.
- Spends more time on specific issues due to the accumulation of the deep foundational knowledge in the respected discipline.
- Delivers less from the current job requirements, for example, an architect as a builder.
- Starts reading and thinking a lot.
- Publishes a seminal book.

I would be grateful if you comment on above and share other signs you see.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ ManagementBits.com -

Stress can be relative. Instead of internalizing stress, an employee can stay calm and stress his or her environment. If everyone externalizes stress than no one is under stress. This seems like a paradox - where has stress gone? The explanation is very simple: there was no stress initially!

- Dmitry Vostokov @ ManagementBits.com -

“… those people who are really good at what they do and yet are at the bottom of a management hierarchy have a power that no one else in the hierarchy has. They can’t be demoted.” 

Robert Glass, Facts and Fallacies of Software Engineering

Understanding and overcoming resistance is one of the tasks of a manager. A public performance (transcript) of the manager is different from an inner transcript and the same can be said about transcripts of engineers. I now recall that in one of my previous companies I worked for, a senior engineer was telling one recently hired junior colleague in a private setting (canteen) to always tell VP of Engineering how he loves the work. I recently became interested in analysis of managerial domination and of various forms of hidden resistance and stage performances of subordinates and internal pressures they experience. Doing my research I stumbled across this book on Amazon and bought it:

Domination and the Arts of Resistance: Hidden Transcripts

The book is written in almost jargon free style and highly recommended as a stimulating and refreshing read to remind about additional perspectives on relations inside teams and engineering organizations, between customers and their relationship managers (inverse domination). 

- Dmitry Vostokov @ ManagementBits.com -

If you move to work in another country it is always useful to read about local workplace norms, redundancy regulations, various employment acts and other smart knowledge. If you happen to be the native of that country then you should prefer to read such books as well. More than 8 years ago when I moved to work in Ireland I bought this guide (one of the previous editions):

Working And Living In Ireland

Today I was visiting a local bookshop and browsing the bargains section where I found this book written by the same author and immediately bought it. “Exit” chapter is recommended to read during the current turbulent times in Irish economy.

Smart Moves at Work in Ireland

- Dmitry Vostokov @ ManagementBits.com -

A definition: 

This is a people manager who abdicates and becomes one of former subordinates to increase customer satisfaction in crisis times when no head count is available.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ ManagementBits.com -

The title of this post employs an operating system metaphor for a team member as a thread in a process (team).  I recalled this morning a book that I was reading 3 years ago and dug it from one of my dark dusty office corners:

My Job Went to India: 52 Ways to Save Your Job (Pragmatic Programmers)

I think it is relevant in this economic downturn if you replace India as an empty set or empty string: My Job Went to “”.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ ManagementBits.com -

From time to time it is useful to have formal thank-you-for-your-service letters emphasizing how customers need your services for day-to-day running of their business processes and / or during their critical situations (bit). Have ready templates for asking about such letters (tip).

Follow-through prioritized service requests with feedback templates. If there are no critical issues schedule periodical questionnaires. When people ask you for a service-favour request a letter clarifying how your service-favour reply helped them to do their business.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ ManagementBits.com -

To my shame I have never read the famous book “AntiPatterns: Refactoring Software, Architectures, and Projects in Crisis”. Being interested in antipatterns which I often figure out myself in the practical domain of software technical support (see Crash Dump Analysis AntiPatterns) I looked for the most recent collection of the management ones and found this book which I’m reading now:

Antipatterns: Identification, Refactoring, and Management (Auerbach Series on Applied Software Engineering)

In addition to their own patterns, the authors of the book provide the description of Brown’s antipatterns (the book mentioned earlier, “AntiPatterns: Refactoring Software, …”), provide two tables for easy antipattern identification in an organization or a team (Management Antipattern Locator and Environmental Antipattern Locator), list and comment on Myers-Briggs personality types, discuss Keirsey temperament groupings and Bramson’s human personality phenotypes. Highly recommended. I especially liked “All You Have Is a Hammer” antipattern of which I was guilty myself during my earlier Team Lead role experience.

- Dmitry Vostokov @ ManagementBits.com -