We are Dawn Kuczwara and Jer Lance, technologists, leaders, an people who are often accused of talking too much. Join us as we answer your questions about leadership, becoming a leader, and knowledge work in general. Our answers come from our experience, and arrive with a sense of humor. Email us at…
It's time to talk about No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hastings and Erin Miller Our next will be Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen by Dan Heath
In this episode, we answer the question:
Let's discuss Tribes by Seth Godin. Next up - No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hastings & Erin Meyer
This episode's question... My position is cross-functional - I work with people from across the business in a multitude of disciplines. One of the people that I interact with has no boundaries - he is constantly working, day and night and weekends. While that may work for him and his leader, it's not how I and my team operate. Additionally, he refuses to communicate with anyone over anything but a call or meeting. The problem comes in when my team needs to interact with him. He expects others to act the way he does - he sends out emails on Saturdays and Sundays demanding a call over the weekend, he expects others to be available at any time, anywhere, with no regard to their schedules. If they respond that they are booked or unavailable, he replies "It will only take a few minutes." This guy is the core of several projects, so we MUST interact with him, and his leader isn't really - he doesn't coach or train his team and refuses to deal with problems head-on, assuming they will just work themselves out. How do I reign this guy in and protect my team from his craziness? In case you're looking to make a Pink Squirrel for yourself after hearing about it, you can find the recipe over on Liquor.com. Don't forget about our bookclub! We're currently reading Tribes by Seth Godin
Let's discuss Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein. Next up - Tribes by Seth Godin. In this episode, we also mention Jer's blog post, A New Leader's Bookshelf.
This episode's question... How do you handle it when something happens at work that is unquestionably an affront to your principles, but the financial loss would be incredibly uncomfortable. Not disastrous, just very, very uncomfortable for you and your family. Don't forget about the book club! Currently, we're reading Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein
Welcome to the 100th episode of Leading Questions! We're doing something a little different to commemorate this episode - instead of a listener question, Dawn and Jer ask each other questions they want to hear the other person answer. So, this time, you get TWO questions! Dawn asks Jer... You've talked about the path you've taken from being an individual contributor to being a leader - How much of that was intentional, and what was your process for becoming a better leader? Jer's question for Dawn is... How do you coach someone in something you're actively bad at? In case you're wondering - here is the puppet that haunts Jer's nightmares: And here's the cross-stitch that haunt's Dawn:
Let's discuss The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win by Maria Konnikova. Next up, Range by David Epstein
In this episode we talk about... Recently, I started leading a new group of people at my work. In the process of getting to know everyone, I noticed something and I don't know how to approach it appropriately. There is this one person, who is overwhelmingly talkative and who refuses to even hear others' ideas if they contradict her own opinions. The only time she allows other people to contribute to the conversation is if they further her own plans. I'm concerned that she drowns out other people and is making the team less productive and, honestly, less enjoyable. How do I deal with this? Don't forget to join our bookclub! We're currently reading The Biggest Bluff by Maria Konnikova!
In this episode we talk about... At the beginning of 2021, I'm going to be taking on a lot of new projects and work. Over the past few months, I've been freaking out, trying to plan for the siege of to-do's coming my way. I think the planning may be making me more anxious, but I can't stop myself. How do I deal with the caseload? and how do I stop freaking myself out? Don't forget to join our bookclub! We're currently reading The Biggest Bluff by Maria Konnikova!
Let's discuss Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates (not Michelle Obama). Next up, The Biggest Bluff by Maria Konnikova.
This episode is all fun and games, other than the parts that aren't... My company moved everyone to WFH when COVID-19 hit our state. It’s been several months and my team has settled into their routine well, hitting their goals. In this time where people feel isolated already, the team is understandably feeling it as well. How do I keep them bonded, and maintain healthy relationships, when the most interaction you have is a square on a Zoom call? (Also, it was teambuilding.com) We are reading Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates for our bookclub, so, if you'd like to join us, get to reading!
In this week's episode, we answer... My family is a dual income home. My partner is still working, and I’ve been laid off. So I’ve taken over the household and our two young children. There is no in-class school, and there is no daycare, meaning they are with me all day. There are shifts I can make once I go back to work, but the days of the 8 - 10hr work day are long gone. If this is the new normal, what should working parents in this situation be expecting from their leaders? What should companies be doing to pivot with their employees new challenges? And what have you two changed to help your team succeed and meet them where they are? We are reading Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates for our bookclub, so, if you'd like to join us, get to reading!
Time to discuss the current bookclub book, The Art of Leadership by Michael Lopp. For our next book, we will be reading Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates.
In this episode... Like many, I’ve been furloughed. I work in the event industry, so being brought back full time is looking grim until spring next year. The company I work for is a small tight knit team that is committed to getting everyone back, and I love working there. There are still some projects and events that trickle in, and they’ve given us the option of working them, but they will have to back pay them when we come back on board. I want to be a team player to help us get back on our feet, but back pay doesn’t help me right now and working an event can be Russian roulette. How do I set boundaries between helping a team out of love for the place, and taking a stand on what I need to as a professional they hired? Don't forget to read along with us, The Art of Leadership by Michael Lopp is our next bookclub read!
This episode, we answer this: My brother works in a manufacturing engineering plant. The company is a week or more behind promised delivery dates to various customers and has been running frantic shifts 7 days a week, to the extent that they are pulling marketing and engineering staff out of their normal roles and having them hand assembly parts. Today, someone in his group tested positive for COVID-19. They are not allowing employees in the group to leave for testing; they sprayed everything down in the area with disinfectant and sent everyone back to work. What would you do in this situation? He's not long out of school, so hasn't gotten himself well established yet - walking isn't a great option, especially with the economy like it is. Don't forget to read along with us, The Art of Leadership by Michael Lopp is our next bookclub read!
It's time to talk about Radical Candor by Kim Scott! For our next book, we're reading The Art of Leadership by Michael Lopp.
In this episode, we answer the question: Each Christmas my team puts together a group gift that they give to me along with a card. Each year, I write a nice card for each of them, but, I don't buy a gift because I don't make that kind of money! Worse, because there are a lot of them, even pitching in 5 or 10 dollars each adds up to a really nice gift. Am I doing the right thing? Should I be getting them a gift? This would almost double my Christmas budget! Don't forget to read along with us, we will be discussing Kim Scott's Radical Candor next week!
So now we circle back and read The Phoenix Project after having finished the sequel. How did it hold up? Let's see... For our next trick, we'll read Kim Scott's Radical Candor!
Later than we'd have liked, we answer a question that is very timely and important: How do I talk about Black Lives Matter and the protests and all that with my team? I know we're supposed to leave religion and politics at home, but it feels like I should address this. Should I? If you have questions about this, or feedback about our handling of this conversation, we definitely want to hear from you... email jer@, dawn@, or questions@ leadingquestionspodcast.com If you want to learn more, some great resources: How to Be and Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum, PhD White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin Diangelo Be sure to follow up with Lauren Michele Jackson's What's Missing from "White Fragility" Save the Tears: White Woman's Guide by Tatiana Mac
In this episode, we answer: My boss has been trying to transition our team from everybody working all the time, day or night to setting realistic expectations for support and holding us to those. It's hard for me to take her seriously when she answers emails day and night within minutes of their arrival. I'm not talking about just high importance emails, but all emails. It's rare for an email that is sent between 6am and 11pm to fail to get a response from her within an hour. Sometimes, she even responds to emails at 2 or 3 in the morning! I don't feel right not paying attention to my emails when sometimes they're from her, and if it's important enough for her to be online at all hours, shouldn't I be too? What do you think she really wants us to do? And some special treats from us to you: Olive Garden by Shytown Puppy Monkey Baby Don't forget to join us as we read The Phoenix Project by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, and George Spafford!
Find out if we're crazy for reading them out of order, but this bookclub episode covers The Unicorn Project by Gene Kim. Next up, we'll go back and read The Phoenix Project to see how it stacks up with this newer work.
Our question for this episode is: I occasionally get invited to do social things with some of my employees and if I'm interested in the event itself I'll go - typically things like video games or even holiday parties. I don't go to every events, but I do go to the ones that sound fun. I'm not playing favorites. But it also means that I have gone to events for less than half of my team. Is that ok? Don't forget to tune in next week as we discuss Gene Kim's The Unicorn Project!
In this episode, a listener asks: I have a lot of vacation saved up. There are a few reasons for this. First, our company gives us a lot of vacation. But, second, we don't really get to use it. The team is always working long hours without breaks and if you take a vacation everyone treats you like you killed their cat. Plus, when I get back I just have a bigger pile of work to do. I've gotten another job that I think that I'll like, but I'm scared to switch and find out its worse or something that I'm not good at. I'm thinking of taking a bunch of my vacation days and starting the new job to see if I like it. I should be able to take a full month off pretty easily, possibly more. Personally, I think this is a great idea. But my friends say if it was a great idea, why doesn't everyone do it? Don't forget to read along in The Unicorn Project with us, we will be discussing it in our next bookclub episode!
Join us as we discuss Malcolm Gladwell's Talking to Strangers in the latest edition of our bookclub! For our next book, we are reading The Unicorn Project by Gene Kim.
In this episode we answer: At work we have a lot of mandatory "fun" events. If I don't participate, I'm not a team player. However, I don't enjoy them, and I'm here to work. How do I avoid participating and still keep my job? But we also mention Puppy Monkey Baby and Shytown's "Olive Garden"...we're not proud. Join us later this week as we discuss Malcolm Gladwell's "Talking to Strangers"
In this episode we discuss: I have a coworker who very religious--she does regular prayer luncheons at work and talks about her involvement in various Christian charities and programs, for example. As a rule, it's not an issue in any way at work except, she chastises her coworkers for swearing. Not just the "big words" but shit, damn, hell…everything. It's having an impact on team morale and they are starting to get irritated with her over it. What do I do? Don't forget to read along with us as we go through Malcolm Gladwell's "Talking to Strangers" for our next bookclub episode!
This month, we read "Peak: Secrets From the New Science of Expertise" by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool. Next up, we will be reading Malcolm Gladwell's "Talking to Strangers", so join us!
In this episode, in between rants we answer this question: My boss hates his job and bitches about it all the time. He doesn't complain to everybody, just to me and a few select others. It's annoying and it makes me not like my job as much. I'm also worried about my coworkers hearing this and it affecting them as well. Stay tuned later this week as we review "Peak: Secrets From the New Science of Expertise" by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool. Joey Bag o' Donuts And, A FUCKING TIMELINE:
In a very special episode relevant to world events we answer: The work our company does doesn't lend itself to work from home, and the industry we supply to is dead in the water during the pandemic. Because of this, I've been furloughed for at least one month and probably more like three. What should I be doing with my time off? Don't forget to read "Peak: Secrets From the New Science of Expertise" by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool along with us! Coming up after our next podcast...
Now that Jer is done being sick, we're back with this question: My work takes referrals and recently I referred a friend of mine that I thought would be a good fit for a position we were looking to fill. He went through the interview process and thought he did really well, but then the company sort of ghosted him. I suggested to my friend that he call and ask what was going on and when he did the company's explanation was they had decided to go another way. However, I know they are still looking to fill the role. Is it okay to ask why they didn't hire my friend? We are currently reading "Peak: Secrets From the New Science of Expertise" by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool. Because of a communication SNAFU, we will be doing this in one month, so look for our review after episode 83!
In this episode, we answer the question: What am I supposed to do when I feel so busy I can't get things done? How can I get out of this mind set, use it to my advantage, and then influence my team or the people around me with my experience? Don't forget to join us as we read "Peak: Secrets From the New Science of Expertise" by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool.
This month, we read "12 Rules for Life" by Jordan B. Peterson. Next up, we will be reading "Peak: Secrets From the New Science of Expertise" by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool.
In this episode, we answer: While working on a dev team a while ago, we were reviewing our job postings as a group to ensure they reflected our actual needs. One of the requirements was for a bachelor's degree. My leader challenged if that was needed, and another said yes. Never one to back down, the first leaders said "Really? Raise your hand if you have a college degree." Very few people present raised their hand - and this was a great team. That meeting has stuck with me for years. Why do companies insist on a Bachelor's degree in their job descriptions? Where do these presumptions come from? How do we work together without them - or better, how do we acknowledge that they aren't needed? Stay tuned later this week for our discussion of "12 Rules for Life" by Jordan B. Peterson.
We're back to single-question episodes with this one: Recently I was speaking with several other leaders from my company and the subject of Glassdoor came up. One leader mentioned that he'd run into a former employee that hadn't been happy with their experience at the company, and this person said "I should have paid attention to the Glassdoor reviews". The former employee was right - our reviews are terrible, the complaints are legitimate, and the few good reviews sound forced and false. The suggestion from several others in the group of leaders was that we should ask several people who would leave favorable reviews to go on and do so. My take was that would feel just as false as the other positive reviews. What's your take on this situation? Should the leadership ask people they know will leave positive reviews to do so? Wouldn't actually paying attention to the criticism be a better strategy? We're really hurting for resources right now. As promised, Maddox's rating of a children's drawing of a fire truck! We are currently reading "12 Rules for Life" by Jordan B. Peterson, if you want to read along!
This month's book is "How to do Nothing" by Jenny Odell Hear Jenny talk about this topic on Adam Conover's (absolutely fantastic) podcast! For our next book, we read "12 Rules for Life" by Jordan B. Peterson.
Join us as we continue to ask some of the quick hit questions posed to us over the past couple of years. The questions in this one are: Do you check the social media of people that work for you? How do you feel about visible piercings or tattoos on your employees? Does it matter if they talk to customers? Is it every okay to leave without 2 weeks' notice? Would you ever take a job you have absolutely no experience with? How important is grammar or typos in a resume or cover letter or whatever? How long should it take to get up to speed at a new job? Don't forget to join us as we discuss "How to do Nothing" by Jenny Odell later this week!
Over the past several years, we've accumulated numerous questions that probably aren't big enough to support an entire episode on their own, so, we bundled a bunch together and rocket through them in this two-part episode! The questions in this one are: How do you feel about start times/end times or set schedules? I am planning to quit my job, when do I tell my co-workers? Before or after my boss? Do you let your company put their software on your phone? Is it ever okay to say "if this happens I'll quit"? I like my job but hate a coworker, is it okay to just tell my boss that? Is it possible to be as successful as a remote worker as a local one? As promised, pictures of Dawn and her husband next to a tower! Catch us next episode as we finish up the next set of short questions, and don't forget to read Jenny Odell's "How to do Nothing" along with us!
This month's book is Ben Horowitz's "The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers" Next up...Jenny Odell's "How to Do Nothing", a concept that both of us could stand to learn from.
In this episode, we respond to the troubling observation... I think my boss is a racist. He has said things like: "I can't hire someone the team won't be able to understand" about two different Indian candidates He won't send our sole black engineer to client sites because he says it'll make our clients uncomfortable He recently said that given two equal candidates, he'd pick the white one even if he were a little worse because he'd work harder and have a better culture fit What should I do? I need this job. Don't forget to read along with us; we discuss "The Hard Thing About Hard Things" by Ben Horowitz later this week.
This episode's question is... Why is hiring and recruiting so broken? Why does nobody do it well? Read along with us as we read "The Hard Things About Hard Things" by Ben Horowitz!
This month's book is Jane McGonigal's "Reality is Broken" Next month we will discuss "The Hard Things About Hard Things" by Ben Horowitz with a completely straight face!
In this episode, we answer... As a leader, what is the best way to deal with coworkers who were mistakenly given your salary by upper management? Not only have they disclosed it but it's off by about 35%. How to deal with upper management undermining your leadership without taking a bazooka to upper management and undermining your own relationship with upper management and coworkers? And stay tuned on Thursday morning for the next bookclub episode where we discuss "Reality is Broken" by Jane McGonigal!
In this episode, we discuss a leader of leaders' struggle with a member of their team over-committing and throwing their team under the bus. I'm a leader of leaders. One of the leaders on my team has what we'll call a bad habit. At the start of a sprint, he will agree to a certain amount of features to be completed. Without fail, halfway through the sprint, he informs us that "the team" has decided that they can't finish all of the features, or that they will be late in doing so. I'm trying to coach him out of this habit, but it still happens, without fail, every delivery cycle. He seems to feel he's "voicing the concerns of the team", when in reality it feels like he's throwing them under the bus. What else can I say that makes it clear to him that his tactic is both passive-aggressive AND harmful to his team? Don't forget to read Jane McGonigal's "Reality is Broken" along with us for our bookclub!
This month, we read "Measure What Matters" by John Doerr.Join us next time as we read Jane McGonigal's "Reality is Broken"!
In this episode, we talk scrum masters and iterative delivery: I'm a product owner in a team that just started doing agile a few month ago and our scrum master is not great at it. He was a very waterfall technical guy in the past and now he makes it hard to be a product owner because he still acts very waterfally and mostly wants to get involved in solving technical problems and not doing all of the other things that a scrum master should be doing to help. What do I do? Stay tuned after for our discussion of "Measure What Matters" by John Doerr!
A listener asked a little bit about us, this episode: Why do you lead? Specifically, what made you change from technology to leadership? Clearly, we have thoughts! Don't forget to join us as we read "Measure What Matters" by John Doerr!
For our ninth book, we read "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" by Patrick (or Peter, if you're so inclined) Lencioni. Next up will be "Measure What Matters" by John Doerr, if you are one of the 7 people in the industry that hasn't read it yet!
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