Tobias Mende, Author at unblocked.engineering

From Conflict to Collaboration in Engineering Teams

July 1, 2023

Conflict, when managed correctly, can spur innovation and strengthen team cohesion, fostering a healthier, more productive engineering culture. This article explores the transformation of conflicts into powerful catalysts for collaboration and innovation within engineering teams. It provides practical tips on embracing a positive view of conflict, improving communication, reframing conflicts as collaborative problem-solving exercises, promoting empathy, sharing responsibility in conflict resolution, and celebrating successful conflict resolution.

How to Measure Developer Experience: The Danger of Metrics

June 24, 2023

In the data-driven decision-making world, quantifying developer experience and productivity can be a challenging feat. This article illuminates the possible pitfalls when solely relying on hard metrics to gauge developer productivity. It draws attention to the importance of considering qualitative factors such as job satisfaction and team morale and how an unhealthy fixation with numbers can lead to misleading interpretations. Moreover, the article suggests how to include these seemingly ‘immeasurable’ elements into the evaluation mechanism to attain a more comprehensive understanding of the team’s performance.

Developer Experience at Risk: Red Flags for Engineering Leaders

June 17, 2023

In an environment where Developer Experience is the pivotal determinant of productivity, engagement, and job satisfaction, its neglect can derail even the most ambitious projects. This article highlights essential alarm signals of a declining developer experience, drawing from real-world examples and seasoned insights. It underlines key strategies and coping mechanisms that could indicate looming issues, from job crafting and risk-taking to burnout and resignation. Leaders must heed these signs to prevent their teams from slipping into a state of low motivation and productivity.

Engineering Strategy: Actionable and Specific Guidance for Growing Engineering Teams (High-Purpose Environments, Part 6)

June 10, 2023

In this final article, I will delve into engineering strategy — a crucial element that translates high-level objectives into actionable and specific guidance for growing engineering teams.

Engineering Excellence through Mission-Driven Teams (High-Purpose Environments, Part 5)

June 3, 2023

In software engineering and product development, high-purpose environments are vital for driving innovation, creativity, and collaboration. A strong sense of purpose, clear values, and a commitment to continuous growth and improvement characterize these environments. In this article, I will expand on the concept of an engineering mission and its critical role in shaping high-purpose environments.

The Importance of Values and Guiding Principles for Distributed Decision-Making (High-Purpose Environments, Part 4)

May 27, 2023

Values and guiding principles are crucial in enabling distributed decision-making within an organization. They empower individuals to make decisions autonomously, without constant supervision or hierarchical approval. This leads to increased efficiency and agility and fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility among team members. This article is about the difference of values and guiding principles and how to come up with good ones.

Crafting a Compelling Engineering Vision (High-Purpose Environments, Part 3)

May 20, 2023

Creating a solid engineering vision is essential to building a high-purpose environment. A well-defined vision acts as a guiding star for your team and ensures that everyone is working towards the same goal.
Having a clear, motivating, inspiring, and achievable vision is one of the crucial pillars of distributed decision-making and leadership. In this article I will share 7 steps on how to create a compelling vision.

The Importance of an Engineering Vision (High-Purpose Environments, Part 2)

May 13, 2023

Have you ever seen organizations and teams spinning in circles, having endless discussions, and never seeming able to make progress? Have you witnessed environments where every decision was made by a leader in the hierarchical sense? Or even worse, by someone able to exert a specific power and overrule others?

The scenarios that come to your mind might have one thing in common: They lacked a clear vision, mission, or applicable guiding principles and values (or all of those).

In this article, I want to dive into the exciting and essential topic of engineering vision.

Creating High-Purpose Environments (High-Purpose Environments, Part 1)

May 6, 2023

High-purpose environments are cultural spaces that inspire, motivate, and empower individuals to work toward a common goal. A strong sense of purpose, clear values, and a commitment to continuous growth and improvement characterize these environments. In this article I will share how to create high-purpose environments in software engineering

Author: Tobias Mende