26:59

S02:E04 Nov 12, 2024

S2:E04 - What Puts the Senior in Senior Software Engineer?

In this episode of The Retrospective podcast, co-hosts Jeremy and Peter delve into the characteristics that define a senior software engineer. They explore the multifaceted nature of seniority, emphasizing that it is not just about years of experience but a blend of technical expertise, business awareness, team impact, and leadership skills. Through analogies and personal anecdotes, they illustrate how senior engineers are not just adept at coding but also act as multipliers of their team’s success. They discuss the holistic view and forward-thinking mindset expected of senior engineers, drawing on examples from their own careers. The episode also touches on the importance of fostering growth in others, handling technical debt pragmatically, and effectively communicating complex technical topics.  Advice is offered to engineering managers on how to guide team members aspiring to reach senior levels, emphasizing the importance of demonstrating these traits consistently over time. Here are some articles and further food for thought: Senior Engineers Reduce Risk Levels of Seniority Why senior engineers get nothing done An incomplete list of skills senior engineers need, beyond coding Looking a bit further ahead of the Senior level: What a Senior Staff Software Engineer Actually Does VP, Director, what? 00:00 Intro 00:36 Overview 01:40 Senior People Operate on a Different Time Horizon 05:07 The Impact a Senior Engineer Can Have 06:38 Technical Expertise 08:16 Team Impact 11:44 Business Awareness 16:02 How They Behave 18:34 Demonstrating Leadership 20:29 Advice for Engineering Managers 25:42 Summing it up! 26:18 Outro

36:47

S02:E03 Oct 29, 2024

S2: E03 - Engineering Manager Gets a New Team

In this episode of the ‘Retrospective’ podcast, Jeremy and Peter explore crucial strategies for engineering managers transitioning to new teams. Emphasizing the importance of early trust-building, quick wins, and effective communication, they reference ‘The First 90 Days’ by Michael D. Watkins. They discuss understanding team dynamics, emotional intelligence, and the role of the previous manager in easing transitions. Key topics include assessing team strengths, managing technical debt, aligning with business goals, and fostering a safe-to-fail culture. The episode concludes with practical advice for new managers navigating stakeholder relationships and ensuring team member growth.

32:39

S02:E02 Oct 14, 2024

S2: E02 - Recognising and Tackling Quiet Quitting

In this episode of The Retrospective, Peter and Jeremy discuss ‘quiet quitting’ in the workplace, a situation in which employees lose motivation and only do the minimum required. They discuss how to spot the signs and the reasons behind them, such as changes in company culture or personal struggles. The conversation also covers how managers can help motivate their team and maintain a positive environment, using strategies like giving feedback and recognising good work. They also mention the challenges of dealing with quiet quitting, especially when working remotely, and share tips on effectively supporting your team. 00:00 Introduction 00:25 Quiet Quitting 03:07 Situations that can trigger quiet quitting 05:55 It’s not always the company! 06:18 What Motivates People? 07:11 How circumstances can trigger quiet quitting 08:09 Recognising the signs in a remote and in office team members 09:08 Cultural differences 11:44 The consequences of quiet quitting 15:41 How to handle quiet quitting as a manager 20:19 Don’t forget to focus on the whole team 21:11 What are the levers managers have? 25:35 Don’t get sucked in! 27:22 Remove blockers 28:03 Provide Clarity 28:29 One to ones are critical 28:54 Praise and encourage 30:12 Get in touch if you are struggling 30:32 You can’t save everyone! 30:57 Summary

9:22

S02:E01 Oct 7, 2024

S2 E01 - A New Format

Join Peter and Jeremy as they kickoff the first episode of Season 2, reflecting on their learnings from Season 1 and outlining exciting changes and plans for the new season. They discuss their experiences with podcasting, the challenges of editing, and the valuable feedback they received. This episode covers their motivation to provide focused, impactful content for early-stage engineering managers and leaders, and introduces format changes like shorter, more focused episodes, audio-only format, and potential guest interviews around relevant topics. 00:00 Intros 00:29 Reflections on Season One 01:23 What We Learnt and the Feedback We Got 03:57 Plans for Season Two - focusing on Engineering Managers 04:38 Format Changes - 20 - 30 mins, Audio Only 05:50 One Episode Per Topic 07:13 Interviews and Special Episodes 08:31 Wrapping Up