Candost's Blog

Candost's Blog

Candost

I used to think that reading would make me wise. One day, ten pages before finishing a book, I realized that I had read that same book before. At that point, my perspective on reading and, therefore, my life had changed. Now, I don’t care how many books I read; I take many notes, connect dots, and share what I’ve found on my blog and newsletter. I’m interested in many things at the same time (I’m a multipotentialite). On this blog, you’ll find me talking to about multiple aspects of life like leadership, software engineering, philosophy, psychology, software architecture & design, urban & industrial design, exercising, finance, Formula1 Racing, eating healthy, and many more. I’m a software engineering manager; that’s my current job. At home, I’m a writer and an avid reader. I rarely watch TV, movies or TV series. I don’t have any social media account (except Mastodon where I have automated posting of my new articles). Hence, I often miss the popular culture references in conversations. That’s alright. I don’t have FOMO; I embrace JOMO. I rarely read fictional books.

Latest Posts

As an engineering director (or manager of managers at any level), you need to compartmentalize your teams around visions. Ask yourself what your vision for the group is. As a director, you don’t have full context on anything, so don’t...
As an engineering director, you should reduce your time on operational topics and increase your strategic thinking. Create space on your calendar to see how much time you spend on operational topics, and then reduce it. Related Note(s):...
When you want people who don’t know or like each other to work well together, assign them tasks that require cooperation. These tasks should not be achievable by only one side; they must utilize the skills and knowledge of both parties....
As a leader, your name should be attached to good things so that people will like you and follow you more. Not only good things but good people, too. When presenting or talking with others, be careful with what you are attaching yourself...
The more comfortable you are with yourself, the less you need the approval of others. If you know yourself and your strengths, weaknesses, and shortcomings, you’ll need less confirmation from outside. It’s a matter of awareness. If you...
Transparency ≠ Saying everything Transparency = Sharing the full context Why do many leaders struggle with being transparent? They fall short of their egos. They want to make decisions. That's why they became leaders, right? Wrong. The...
Entries: Communicating Decisions: 32 Open feedback culture creates resilient organizations: 36 Coupling system design with organizational communication lines: 56b Collaboration can be harmful if not intended: 56g1 Organizations need an...
Entries: Goals to set a direction and systems to find clues that distract from the goal. 37 Structuring teams: 56; 56c; 56l; Communicating organizational changes: 32b; Reply via email | Reply via Mastodon | Comment
Entries: Organizational leaders’ job is to bring clarity to everyone’s work 34; Continuous improvement means changing the system, not the goal: 1h; Open culture requires listening to people and addressing their concerns 54; If leaders...
In the circle of concern, there are many things over which you have no influence or control, such as economic changes, industry shifts, etc. This is the biggest group. In the circle of influence, you can work with others like your peers...
Give three Mississippi pauses before talking or asking another question. Use “I noticed…” and be a mirror to the person. In the end, ask, “What’s your key takeaway here?” and ask what they will do when they will do it and how to ensure...
You’re the torch as a coach that’s been used by a person in a cave. You’re not taking the journey by yourself; you’re there to light up the way for the other person. Coaching is not about giving advice directly. It’s about taking the...
According to the DORA 2024 Report: Organizations that prioritize the end-user experience produce higher quality products, with developers who are more productive, satisfied, and less likely to experience burnout. User centricity...
As an engineering leader, your job is to convince the business to invest in increasing developer productivity. This investment often needs time to bring returns, and you have to make it clear to the business. Start by aligning the...
Take the first step to share feedback. The rule of reciprocation can play a big role when you want to get feedback, too. Especially for the positive feedback, take the extra time to provide it in the most visible way. This favor will get...
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