How do managers get stuck

  • Need to attend to details. Communicate timely what is accomplished, setback, challenges, decisions make
    • Push it before being asked, and provide details if necessary
  • Professional verbal, written, and body communication in front of the senior management. Can you present to the peers of senior management alone?
  • When you are asked to do something by your manager. Either do it or say you don’t want to do it. Just don’t fail to do it

How do ICs get stuck

Common cause:

  • Don’t try to be 100% prepared before starting off the project
  • Timebox the research, especially prototyping
  • Limited refactoring
  • Helping others when they have assigned task
  • Jump to fires when not on-call

Common symptom of difficulties

  • finish the last 20% of the project
  • Start project from scratch
  • Project planning
  • Working with unfamiliar lib/system/code
  • Deal with surprises and setbacks
  • Deal with bureacracy or external partners
  • Deploy to prod