| Hola Chicos Weather turned cold in Madrid this week. Locals had warned me that it can go from air conditioning to central heating overnight but, I didn’t expect to be diving into my scarves draw so early in our winter. I hope the sun is shining wherever you’re based and that you’re ready to tuck into another edition of the ‘5 Minute Tech Break’. At the end of a week that included ‘National Kindness Day’, please make sure you commit at least one act of SEVERE kindness this weekend … Until next time. Andrew Weaver CTO Academy [email protected] |
Most Embarrassing Mistakes As A Programmer Nice article from David Neal (@reverentgeek). “My most embarrassing mistakes as a programmer, in no particular order:I didn’t ask for helpI was afraid of what others would thinkI didn’t follow through on a promiseI didn’t step up and take responsibilityI avoided conflictI didn’t encourage othersI didn’t publicly celebrate the success of others. My biggest mistakes had nothing to do with programming. The most difficult parts of any job, and the most valuable activities of any job, have nothing at all to do with technology. It’s people. How we value ourselves. How we value others. “Soft skills” is an awful term. The things we call “soft skills,” such as listening, communication, team dynamics, empathy, ought to be given so much more priority in our workplaces. These are core skills that apply to anyone in any profession. Here’s the mindset I want. To be the most effective member of any team, I must first strive to model integrity and work ethic. I need to be respectful, helpful, patient, gracious, trustworthy, and hardworking. I need to be transparent, such as asking for help, owning mistakes, and asking forgiveness, regardless of my fear of the outcome, because it’s the right thing to do. When I see a failure in our system, not just in the work we create but also our system of work and treatment of people, I need to take responsibility, speak up, and see it through correction. I need to give people the benefit of the doubt, try to understand their perspective and circumstance, be slow to anger, and be quick to forgive. I need to encourage and lift others up and help them to see their career and life through a bigger lens.I am a work in progress. I may not achieve these things every day, but that’s my goal. I hope this post gets you thinking of ways you can have a positive impact on the people you work with.Remember, every day is a fresh start to be more awesome!”Original Article Posted Here  |
Reasons why start ups fail Many of you are involved in the start up and fast growth phase, indeed so are we here at CTO Academy. So I’m sure you’re delighted to see an article headlined, “Reasons Why Start Ups Fail”. Well here is an interesting list of failures, with quotes from many of the people involved in start ups that went bump in the night … They say you only improve your chances of success with each failure, these guys will be hoping so.  |
| Must Read Books For New Managers Been asked a couple of times this week for recommendations on good books about managing people. There are so many mediocre management books crowding those bookshop shelves that it’s sometimes difficult to decipher the good from the truly awful.“Must Read Books For New Managers” is allegedly based on direct feedback from 1,000 managers, rather than an authors individual preferences. Includes two of our favourites; Mindset : The Psychology of Success Radical Candor: Be A Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity [which we’ve covered before on earlier tech break]  |
Video of the week : Performance vs. Trust From the organizational / motivational guru Simon Sinek.One of those videos which kind of tells you what you already know. But he’s an engaging communicator and it’s a good reminder of the importance of trust in leadership and in a team. Watch Here  |
Next Webinar: Where Mentors Have An Impact Pt .1 Tuesday 19th November 2019, 11am (GMT) Our next webinar is the first of a two part review into the how, where and when you should use a mentor and where they can have the biggest impact.It’s a subject close to our hearts … having been mentors and mentees. Part 1 is next Tuesday and looks at how they can help with management issues and making you feel less isolated with key decisions. |
Quote of the week “There is so much fascination with technology innovation, but so much fear when it comes to management innovation. There are however many companies opening admitting they have no competitive advantage in what they produce and sell. They find it in the way they lead and manage” |
90 Things You Need To Know To Become an Effective CTO
An IT Manager (a.k.a Information Technology Manager) oversees and manages IT operations, systems and infrastructure. Additionally, they serve as a connection between technology strategies and the broader goals of the organisation. As such, they a) ensure the efficient, secure operation of IT resources and b) nurture the overarching objectives of the business. Common types of […]
As many of you will be aware, one of our key missions at CTO Academy is to see a CTO on every board. A part of that mission is to research the real value of a CTO. Now, we can all agree that it is nonsensical not to have deep technical knowledge at the board […]
In this post, we explain the relatively new Field CTO role and how it differs from a more traditional Chief Technology Officer role. We will see how a Field CTO job description determines the type of person suitable for the job. We will take a look at the job prospects and, of course, the average […]
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