Tag: High-Purpose Environments

Things I love and hate about the state of software companies in 2024

This started as a rant, not meant to be published. But sticking to my “New Year’s resolution” to write about what triggers me most, I decided to publish it anyway. I wanted to publish it as a LinkedIn post, but it got too long. So here is the unshortened, unpolished and authentic original version of this document, most of which I wrote on my phone after waking up on a Sunday at 5:45am. 😬

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Self-organizing companies don’t need managers but coaches

This article advocates for self-organizing companies where coaches replace traditional managers, emphasizing the benefits of adaptability, resilience, and a collaborative culture over hierarchical structures, and invites discussion on the evolving role of leadership in modern organizations.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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