Productivity

productivity

career

Career

Mentoring and coaching activities look similar, but the impetus is different. In mentoring relationships, usually the mentee sets the agenda. In a coaching relationship, usually the coach sets the agenda. Coaching also tends to be more formal and more transactional. (People hire coaches, not mentors.)Sponsorship is very different. A sponsor uses their authority and influence to create opportunities and recognition to advance someone’s career.

Mentoring, coaching, or sponsoring?  

One way to think about the distinction is whether there are direct consequences to following or ignoring advice. Mentors advise; coaches assess. This is one reason why people often seek mentors outside the management chain. It’s hard to trust a manager to separate these two roles. Senior individual contributors – while they may also coach – are often better positioned to provide consequence-free advice.Code review is a pervasive example of coaching being confused with mentoring. Code review is part of the job. Every time I review someone’s code, I might find opportunities for teachable moments

Concrete Examples

I’ve found that these conversations fall into three broad categories, ranging from the strategic to the tactical:<ul><li>Goals - figuring out what they really want</li><li>Situations - handling the unfamiliar or difficult</li><li>Skills - getting promoted</li></ul>In all three areas, I think that <a href="https://www.radicalcandor.com/our-approach/">radical candor </a>– caring personally while challenging directly – is essential to effective mentoring. You have to have someone’s best interest in mind and you have to be willing to help them see uncomfortable truths. If that’s not in your personality or you don’t feel that way towards a prospective mentee, then please send them elsewhere

3 Levels Of Mentor Conversations

To help someone understand their goals, ask questions that help them reflect on their current situation, consider potential futures, and chart a course from one to another.In the simplest form, it’s the “where do you see yourself in five years?" question, but that’s a big leap for most people. Instead, probe for how well they understand their current situation . What’s going well? What’s not going well? What about your role do you enjoy the most? What’s most frustrating? If you could change one thing, what would it be and why?

To mentor goals, ask questions

Faced with the question “what should I do?" , tell a personal story instead.First, sharing a related experience reassures a mentee that they’re not alone. Second, they engage the listener’s brain, helping them focus more completely on what they’re being told rather than their own problems. Third, they let a mentee consider a situation through an abstraction – to enable them to see more objectively and consider different perspectives. A story is a teaching tool but you leave the decisions up to them.

To mentor situations, tell stories

Let them take the lead without being prescriptive. You can still be sounding board for their ideas and help them wargame an approach to what they’re dealing with. Even without a story to guide them, having someone in their corner is valuable support.

If You Have No Stories

First, you have to observe the mentee’s activities or output. For coding skills, code review or pair programming would work. For communication skills, sit it on a meeting they expect to actively participate in or watch them practice a presentation. For technical writing, read what they’ve written.The most important thing you can do is provide actionable feedback . This means being specific about your observations of their work. It also means providing direction about what they could have done differently or what they need to learn or practice in order to improve.

To mentor skills, observe them in action

Sometimes, you see someone that you think has potential, but they’re not where they ought to be and they aren’t seeking advice. You could approach them – tell them you think they have potential and offer to mentor them. If your company has a formal mentoring program, you could sign up. If they don’t, you could invite people to come to you. That doesn’t have to be a formal declaration “hey, if anyone wants to work with me as a mentor, let me know ”. It could be as simple as announcing office hours for anyone who wants to talk and seeing what happens.

What if you want to mentor, but people don’t ask?

There’s one take away I’d like you to have: mentoring is about listening. Resist the temptation to offer unsolicited advice. Listen to what they’re asking about. Goals? Situations? Or skills? Then listen (or observe) before sharing your questions, stories, or feedback.If you’ve read this far, you may realize that nothing I’ve said is specific to software engineering. Mentoring is a general skill; your experience makes it industry-specific.

Start with listening.

communication

Communication

teamwork

Teamwork

leadershipandmanagement

Leadership & Management

softwareengineering

Software Engineering

How to mentor software engineers

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result"

New York Times Bestseller Over 2.5 million copies sold For David Goggins, childhood was a nightmare - poverty, prejudice, and physical abuse colored his days and haunted his nights. But through self-discipline, mental toughness, and hard work, Goggins transformed himself from a depressed, overweight young man with no future into a U.S. Armed Forces icon and one of the world's top endurance athletes. The only man in history to complete elite training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller, he went on to set records in numerous endurance events, inspiring Outside magazine to name him The Fittest (Real) Man in America. In this curse-word-free edition of Can't Hurt Me, he shares his astonishing life story and reveals that most of us tap into only 40% of our capabilities. Goggins calls this The 40% Rule, and his story illuminates a path that anyone can follow to push past pain, demolish fear, and reach their full potential.

philosophy

Philosophy

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

books

Books

New York Times Bestseller Over 2.5 million copies sold For David Goggins, childhood was a nightmare - poverty, prejudice, and physical abuse colored his days and haunted his nights. But through self-discipline, mental toughness, and hard work, Goggins transformed himself from a depressed, overweight young man with no future into a U.S. Armed Forces icon and one of the world's top endurance athletes. The only man in history to complete elite training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller, he went on to set records in numerous endurance events, inspiring Outside magazine to name him The Fittest (Real) Man in America. In this curse-word-free edition of Can't Hurt Me, he shares his astonishing life story and reveals that most of us tap into only 40% of our capabilities. Goggins calls this The 40% Rule, and his story illuminates a path that anyone can follow to push past pain, demolish fear, and reach their full potential.

David Goggins is an American ultramarathon runner, ultra-distance cyclist, triathlete, public speaker, and author. He is a retired United States Navy SEAL member who served in the Iraq War.

David Goggins

Can't Hurt Me

<ul><li>We convince ourselves that massive success requires massive action. </li><li>Actually, the inverse is true: Small improvements accumulate into remarkable results.</li></ul>

The Power Of Atomic Habit

<ul><li>A slight change in your daily habits can guide your life to a very different destination.</li><li>If you get 1% better each day, you’ll end up with results nearly 37x better after 1 year</li></ul>

1% Better Every Day 

<ul><li>Goals are about the results you want to achieve.</li><li>Systems are about the processes that lead to those results.</li><li>Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress.</li><li>The purpose of setting goals is to win the game.</li><li>The purpose of building systems is to continue playing the game.</li></ul>

System>Goals

<ul><li>Cue: Make it obvious.</li><li>Craving: Make it attractive.</li><li>Response: Make it easy.</li><li>Reward: Make it satisfying.</li></ul>

How To Create A Good Habit

<ul><li>Cue: Make it invisible</li><li>Craving: Make it unattractive</li><li>Response: Make it difficult</li><li>Reward: Make it unsatisfying</li></ul>

How To Break A Bad Habit

…….“When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.”

How To Stop Procrastination By Using Two-Minute Rule 

The #1 New York Times bestseller. Over 3 million copies sold! Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you'll get a proven system that can take you to new heights. Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field. Learn how to: • make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy); • overcome a lack of motivation and willpower; • design your environment to make success easier; • get back on track when you fall off course; ...and much more. Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits--whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

habits

Habits

The #1 New York Times bestseller. Over 10 million copies sold! Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you'll get a proven system that can take you to new heights. Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field. Learn how to: <ul><li>make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy);</li></ul><ul><li>overcome a lack of motivation and willpower;</li></ul><ul><li>design your environment to make success easier;</li></ul><ul><li>get back on track when you fall off course;</li></ul>...and much more. Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits--whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.

James Clear is the author of "Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones" He writes about habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement at jamesclear.com. His website receives millions of visitors each month and hundreds of thousands subscribe to his popular email newsletter.His work has appeared in the New York Times, Entrepreneur, Time, and on CBS This Morning. He is a regular speaker at Fortune 500 companies and his work is used by teams in the NFL, NBA, and MLB. Learn more at jamesclear.com

James Clear

Atomic Habits

<ul><li>Digest, you are no longer a part of your current firm and your monthly in-hand will completely be dried up in the next couple of months (depending on your firm’s HR policy) if you don’t have any secondary source of income. The sooner you train your mind and body with this reality the better your chances become to fight.</li><li>Pro Tip: Don’t spend your resources in getting back to the HR/Managers as this won’t be of any help since the decision is already made and there are very fine to no chances of rebuttable.</li></ul>

Digest, you are a part of layoff program

Be honest with yourself, family, friends and professional network. There’s no harm in announcing (probably on all your social handles) that you are open for opportunities, who knows what’s waiting for you on the other side. If you want to change your industry, business role or even upgrade yourself, this would be the best time to hit that nail.Pro Tip: Make sure you keep conversing with your family and friends, if condition allows, schedule a visit to the ones with whom you love spending time. Keeping your mind at peace and relaxed will def help creative solutions to flow in.

Be Honest!

Can’t emphasise enough the importance of sending cold emails, LinkedIn connection requests or maybe joining Facebook groups. Remember, before sending any cold text it is important to gain understanding about the firm, role, etc, and prepare your job application/resume in accordance with the company’s vision and requirement.Pro Tip: Create cover letters, resumes (and customise your resume as per need of the role for which you are applying) briefly explaining your skillsets and how this you would be able to connect dots for your career/personal progression if you join this role/company.

Send cold emails to all the recruiters/connections in your network.

Interesting to read if you are ever a part of layoff program and are now ready to bounce back! 

With changing market conditions and business requirements, firms do bulk layoffs to keep striving for their core objectives. Here are ways to bounce back!

business

Business

Guide to Bounce Back if you are a part of any layoff program

First try to figure out the reasons why you don't want to work...is it because you are unwell?...or is it because you are worrying about something else...

Think and Analyze

Write down the things bugging you...this will help you get things off your mindTry talking to yourself, explain the situation to yourself

Do a brain dump

It's never bad to take a break, even a small one works...do something that makes you happy or go out and see the outside world...

Pamper Yourself 

Listen to some good musicWatch an inspiring YouTube video or a ted talkYou can even talk to your colleagues maybe they are in a similar situation as you

Do something motivating 

WASH YOUR FACEDRINK WATER TAKE A DEEP BREATHE (and realise that you are not  suffering alone)START WITH A LIGHTER TASK AND YOU WILL FIND THE WORKAHOLIC YOU AGAIN :)

Returning back

Take frequent breaks and don't overwork yourself Everyone has tough times......

Believe in yourself

I have had my fair share of days procrastinating and not knowing what to do...these are some things that usually work for me so I hope it does for you too :)

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

How to work when you don't want to...

<ol><li>Solving a Rubik's cube</li><li>Learning to play a song on a musical instrument</li><li>Bottle flip or Juggle</li><li>Learn Humor</li><li>Learn to break an apple with your bare hands</li><li>Learn to attach papers without a stapler</li><li>Folding your clothes in less than 2 seconds</li><li>Origami Art</li><li>How to tie a tie</li><li>The basics of coding</li><li>Touch typing</li><li>Learn to whistle with a finger</li><li>Learn to MOONWALK</li><li>Magic tricks</li><li>The basics of Coding</li><li>Learn to write with your non-dominant hand</li><li>Speak the alphabets or numbers reverse</li><li>Roll a coin across your knuckles</li><li>Learn the basics of a new language</li><li>Learn the basics of martial arts</li></ol>

Skills you can learn within 1 week to impress just about anyone

You can use your free time productively by investing in these skills to impress anybody!!!

Day Zero Project • The Home of the 101 Things in 1001 Days Project

education

Learning & Education

problemsolving

Problem Solving

50 Skills You Can Learn Independently in Five Hours or Less! – Day Zero Project

Don't get freaked out with the failure,setbacks, disappointments and so many disheartening events in your life. Always remember that failures precedes the success. Just keep going every day regardless of the results. Even when you win, keep pushing. Remember that the reward you get for overcoming a challenge is the next challenge ahead. Stay safe fam. ♥️

Your Time Is Certainly Coming.

Don't get worried, depressed over your current ordeals, with time is gonna all work out for your good. 

Don't give up despite the disappointments, turn-offs and failures. Keep pushing and it's gonna be soft and all good one day.

podcasts

Podcasts

Your Time is Near by Emmanuel Podcast

Middle management used to be the place where careers stalled, but the pandemic has turned that notion on its head. In fact, mid-level leaders possess more agency now than at any other time in recent history.
The tight job market is opening up new opportunities for capable middle managers who show initiative. The old saying “people don’t leave organizations; people leave people” has never been truer. Companies that don’t tangibly show that they value their best people—by developing their skills and helping them reach their full potential—will lose them, perhaps to competitors.

The Rise Of Mid-Level Managers

Companies tend to gauge capacity based on leaders’ technical execution of tasks, but that perspective overlooks foundational elements that help these professionals reach a higher level—the T-shaped leader.
In this development model, the vertical line of the T represents depth of expertise, and the horizontal line reflects broadening experiences aimed at preparing the individual for enterprise-level leadership. The goal is to build technical competencies in both directions. The T-shaped manager framework has a critical flaw: It overlooks the importance of emotional intelligence.

The T-shaped leader

This approach builds on the Day, Harrison, and Halpin’s view of leader development, which argues that improving leaders’ knowledge, skill, and attitudes will increase their capacity.
The pyramid shaped MSK Framework takes these principles a step further, offering organizations a way to apply these three principles:
<ul>
<li>M: Mindset</li>
<li>S: Skills</li>
<li>K: Knowledge.</li>
</ul>

MSK Leader Development Framework

The foundational level of the MSK Leader Development Framework pyramid targets a leader’s mindset, in particular, the beliefs that orient the way we handle situations and sort out what is going on.
In order to assess what a leader can do and build additional capacity, the organization must create the space for the leader to gain clarity about conscious and unconscious beliefs they hold. An understanding of those beliefs and how they inform actions is critical to understanding different perspectives and thinking more broadly.

M: Mindset

The middle tier of the pyramid addresses a leader’s skills. Conventional thinking considers skills merely a person’s abilities. In the MSK Framework, the skills level seeks to answer the question: Who are you as a leader? Emotional intelligence reigns supreme here.
Leader development work around skills presents both the leader and the organization the opportunity to assess whether the leader is flexible, resilient, adaptable, empathetic, and self-aware, among other qualities.

S: Skills

The top tier of the Framework considers a leader’s knowledge. Knowledge includes the leader’s technical training, socialization, and executing abilities. Some organizations focus on this tier at the expense of the previous ones, but a shift in perspective can produce significant results, particularly for middle managers.
Whereas the T-shaped model emphasizes technical competencies in the vertical and horizontal axes, the MSK Leader Development Framework assumes that leaders are technically competent and will continue to grow.

K: Knowledge

To begin exploring and cultivating a leader’s mindset, organizations should shift from “telling” to “inquiring.” Directive dialogue teaches your direct reports about how you think. 
Inquiry creates the opportunity for your direct reports to slow down and gain insight into how they think. When you engage with direct reports, inquire about the beliefs that underpin their assumptions. Avoid questions that begin with “why,” as they tend to place people on the defensive and stifle dialogue. Instead, ask questions that begin with “how” or “what.”

Cultivate the Leaders Mindset

Organizations should invite leaders to identify no more than two areas in the emotional intelligence domain on which they would like to focus. The areas selected will offer greater insight into the question: Who are you as a leader?
<ul>
<li>During periodic assessments, organizations can ask leaders:</li>
<li>What are they noticing in themselves?</li>
<li>How have they responded to evolving events?</li>
<li>How do they use those insights as they lead their teams?</li>
<li>How do they want to respond to the next challenge they encounter?</li>
</ul>

Facilitate The Exploration of Skills

Too many companies fail to see the potential of their best middle managers—and lose them to other firms. Hise Gibson and Shawnette Rochelle offer a framework for helping these promising leaders grow.

Want to Build Better Leaders? Focus on Mindset, Skills, Knowledge

The workforce is suffering from a rise in mental distress from the pandemic. There is a risk that returning to the workplace will cause millions of people to encounter stress and anxiety. A new McKinsey survey found that a third of respondents did not want to return back to an office setting as it would negatively affect their mental health.  Employers who prioritise psychological safety in post-pandemic operations can help employees' mental health and attempts to cultivate inclusive workplaces.

Prioritising psychological safety

According to the June survey, those who have not returned from remote to on-site work,<ul><li>19% expect that returning will have a positive impact on their mental health</li><li>49% anticipate going back will have negative effects</li></ul> Of those who worked remotely during the pandemic and have returned to on-site work,<ul><li>36% reported adverse mental health effects of on-site work</li><li>37% reported positive effects</li><li>44% of respondents with children reported negative mental health impact compared with 27% with no children at home</li></ul>

Safety and flexibility

COVID-19 safety and flexible work arrangements could help alleviate stress.<ul><li>62% of respondents requested improved air filtration.</li><li>60% of employees asked for autonomy in determining when and where work gets done.</li><li>62% of employees report that additional time off could alleviate stresses associated with returning to work on-site.</li></ul>

Interventions 

Many organisations are planning lasting changes to operating models and adaptable mindsets to ensure their employees can work in inclusive environments. <ul><li>Employers can design strategies that take diverse needs into account.</li><li>Communicating policies clearly and early can help manage anticipatory stress and help employees to plan for changes to their lives.</li><li>Some employers use a test-and-learn approach to flexible and hybrid work and adapt their practices.</li><li>Employees' well-being can be improved by addressing negative attitudes and discriminatory policies.</li></ul>

How employers can help

Easy to implement strategies to revamp work practices in ways that benefit employees’ health

health

Health

timemanagement

Time Management

Wellbeing at Work

Employers can potentially reduce stress and anxiety for workers by considering their on-site return plan.

remotework

Remote Work

corporateculture

Corporate Culture

Returning to work: Keys to a psychologically safer workplace

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