The Power of an Internal Employee Portal: Boosting Engagement and Retention

Effective communication, seamless collaboration, and engaged employees are critical for organizational success. Enter the internal employee portal—a versatile platform that revolutionizes the way companies operate. In this blog, we’ll delve into the benefits of an internal employee portal, explore key modules to enhance its functionality, and provide actionable strategies to boost engagement and retention.

What is an Internal Employee Portal?

An internal employee portal serves as your organization’s digital nerve center. It’s a secure, private website that acts as a centralized hub for communication, collaboration, and information sharing among employees. Think of it as your company’s virtual headquarters—a place where everyone can access resources, documents, news, and tools, regardless of their location or role.

Continue reading The Power of an Internal Employee Portal: Boosting Engagement and Retention

Navigating the Challenges of Engineering Projects: A Guide for Business Leaders

I have been reviewing project efficiencies from the past to see where I was successful and where I was less successful. In addition, I have been studying for my Green Belt in Lean Six Sigma certification, and now I am trying to apply some of what I have learned to past roles and projects. Sometimes, a smaller continuous change approach ( Kaizen) is required, as personalities sometimes resist change from historical practices. Smaller continuous changes may take too long to see results, but sometimes, the only option is to work within your box ( try-try-again as much as you can ).

Let’s Talk About It…

Continue reading Navigating the Challenges of Engineering Projects: A Guide for Business Leaders

A Comprehensive Guide for Support Managers

Introduction

Being a new support manager or suddenly finding yourself responsible for the success of a support team is a little unnerving. There are plenty of resources online, but here is a summary of things I have learned while running a support team. I hope everyone else finds this helpful. Feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn with your questions or concerns or even to be mentored; I love meeting new friends.

Continue reading A Comprehensive Guide for Support Managers

Balancing Onshore and Offshore Engineering Teams

Introduction

In today’s globalized world, many companies leverage onshore and offshore engineering teams to optimize resources and maximize productivity. However, striking a balance between these teams and ensuring their success can be challenging. As a VP of Engineering, I’ve learned a few strategies that can help.

Balancing Onshore and Offshore Teams

  1. Clear Communication: Establish clear communication channels and regular meetings across all teams. This ensures everyone is aligned with the company’s goals and objectives.
  2. Defined Roles: Clearly define each team’s roles and responsibilities. This helps avoid confusion and task overlap.
  3. Cultural Sensitivity: Understand and respect the cultural differences within your teams. This fosters a positive working environment.
Continue reading Balancing Onshore and Offshore Engineering Teams

Crafting a Successful Software Development Roadmap – A Guide for Product Managers 

Introduction

As a product manager, one of your key responsibilities is creating and managing the software development roadmap. This strategic document serves as the guiding light for your development team, outlining your product’s vision, direction, and priorities over time. But how can you ensure your roadmap succeeds with developers and the business? This blog post explores best practices for planning, engaging, measuring, reviewing, and communicating your software development roadmap. 

Continue reading Crafting a Successful Software Development Roadmap – A Guide for Product Managers 

5 Essential Elements for a Successful Software Roadmap

Creating a successful software roadmap is akin to charting a course for a ship. It guides the team toward their goals, ensuring they stay on track and reach their destination. For engineers, a well-crafted roadmap is essential to meet targets efficiently. Let’s explore the five key elements that contribute to a successful software roadmap:

Continue reading 5 Essential Elements for a Successful Software Roadmap

Running Onshore and Offshore Development Teams – A Guide for Vice Presidents of Engineering

As a Vice President of Engineering, managing both onshore and offshore development teams can be both challenging and rewarding. Balancing the benefits of cost savings and access to global talent with the complexities of communication and cultural differences requires strategic leadership. In this blog, we’ll explore best practices for successfully running onshore and offshore teams, ensuring seamless collaboration and project success.

Continue reading Running Onshore and Offshore Development Teams – A Guide for Vice Presidents of Engineering

Andrew Pallant – A Strategic Leader in Engineering

Introduction

In the dynamic landscape of technology, effective leadership is crucial for driving innovation, fostering collaboration, and achieving organizational goals. As a Vice President of Engineering, I have had the privilege of witnessing Andrew Pallant’s remarkable journey—a journey that exemplifies technical excellence, strategic vision, and unwavering commitment to customer success. In this article, we’ll explore Andrew’s impact, his role in shaping engineering teams, and the principles that guide his leadership.

Continue reading Andrew Pallant – A Strategic Leader in Engineering

7 Soft Skills That Senior Developers Should Have

Developers often ask what they need to do to make it to the level of a senior developer. They can gain all the programming skills in all the popular and new software frameworks, but they will not be anything more than just a developer. A Senior Developer needs to have some fundamental soft skills.

What are soft skills?
Soft skills are how you interact with people, tasks and projects where hard skills are the skills we learn at college, online tutorials or books ( “HOW TO DO” skills ). Soft skills are tough to achieve and are often part of a persons natural tendencies. Soft skills like hard skills can be learned, but not easily. Soft skills can get better through practice and time just like hard skills. An example of hard skills is carpentry. An example of soft sills is a skill that is transferable to any job like being a team player.
Continue reading 7 Soft Skills That Senior Developers Should Have

Developer Engagement

I was throwing ideas around in how to increase our developer engagement. I was also thinking of a way to give our product development a little boost. I love the developers that I work with and would like to support their passions and boost their care for their jobs.

One idea I had was to take a day or two a month and let developers work on a pet project. The only caveat was that the pet project had to be related to the company somehow. Continue reading Developer Engagement