For a long time, tech culture has focused too narrowly on technical skills; this has resulted in a tech community that too often puts companies and code over people. Greater Than Code is a podcast that invites the voices of people who are not heard from enough in tech: women, people of color, trans and/or queer folks, to talk about the human side of software development and technology. Greater Than Code is providing a vital platform for these conversations, and developing new ideas of what it means to be a technologist beyond just the code. Featuring an ongoing panel of racially and gender diverse tech panelists, the majority of podcast guests so far have been women in tech! We’ve covered topics including imposter syndrome, mental illness, sexuality, unconscious bias and social justice. We also have a major focus on skill sets that tech too often devalues, like team-building, hiring, community organizing, mentorship and empathy. Each episode also includes a transcript. We have an active Slack community that members can join by pledging as little as $1 per month via Patreon. (https://www.patreon.com/greaterthancode)
103: The Org You Were Born Into with Marcus Blankenship
01:12 – Marcus’ Superpower: Helping Engineers Become Good Bosses
02:30 – Bosses Who Don’t Wanna Boss: Ending Up in Management
10:37 – Are there people who just aren’t cut out for management or leadership?
14:20 – Applying Rationality to Organizations
20:23 – Alignment Not Agreement
24:52 – Is there a safe way to try and fail at management? Trying on Hats
31:16 – What does “BOSS” mean?
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
36:03 – The Up/Down of the Hierarchy
Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling by Edgar H. Schein
36:03 – What are the skills that good managers have? How do you know if you’re doing a good job?
Managing Humans: Biting and Humorous Tales of a Software Engineering Manager by Michael Lopp
53:26 – Giving and Receiving Feedback and Support, Reinforcing Behavior, and Focusing Attention
Reflections:
Jamey: Management vs. leadership.
Sam: “I need this from you,” vs. “Why didn’t you do this?”
Jess: When we react to something, it’s rarely about the thing we think we’re reacting to.
Career narratives by Will Larson
Additionally, management is like being on stage and you can be uncomfortable in your own role.
Marcus: Listening to others is critical and impactful. Also, letting people taste and see what it’s like to be in management and leadership without the commitment.
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Special Guest: Marcus Blankenship.