In this discussion, Henry Poydar, CEO and founder of Steady with over 25 years in tech leadership, shares insights on continuous coordination, an open-source framework he co-created. He emphasizes the need for asynchronous communication while maintaining effective meetings, using historical examples like Apollo 13. Poydar also explores the balance between micro-management and team autonomy, the evolving dynamics of remote collaboration, and the significant role AI plays in enhancing productivity and communication for modern teams.
Continuous coordination offers a framework emphasizing structured communication to enhance collaboration in modern distributed engineering teams.
The podcast highlights the balance needed between communication and creativity, cautioning against the 'alignment trap' of excessive meetings.
Deep dives
Evolving Work Dynamics After the Pandemic
Work dynamics have undergone significant changes since the pandemic, with time and place for work becoming more flexible. This shift necessitates a reevaluation of the tools and processes used by engineering teams, particularly since many were developed in a pre-pandemic context. Continuous coordination emerges as a framework designed to address the new challenges teams face today, advocating for structured communication to enhance collaboration. The framework encourages a departure from traditional methods, adapting them to the realities of modern distributed work environments.
The Principles of Continuous Coordination
Continuous coordination is built around seven key principles aimed at facilitating better teamwork and project outcomes. One fundamental principle is 'keeping a steady beat,' which emphasizes the importance of structured communication to avoid the pitfalls of excessive meetings and chaos in information dissemination. Another vital principle is 'telling the future,' allowing team members to share their intentions and plans with others, thereby fostering alignment and allowing for early intervention if misalignments are detected. Collectively, these principles provide a comprehensive guide for teams to enhance their operational efficiency in a modern context.
Navigating the Alignment Trap
The discussion highlights the concept of the 'alignment trap,' where teams may mistakenly believe that constant meetings lead to better alignment and productivity. It underscores the necessity of distinguishing between good and poor alignment, suggesting that too much alignment can result in micromanagement and stifle creativity. Effective communication should balance structured updates with the freedom for individual team members to operate independently, allowing creativity and initiative to thrive. In this way, teams can maintain a productive workflow without overwhelming members with unnecessary meetings.
Adapting to the AI Revolution in Workspaces
The integration of artificial intelligence into the workplace presents both opportunities and challenges for engineering and product teams. While there is a push for AI to enhance productivity, the reality is that most developers spend only a small fraction of their time coding, which limits the potential impact of AI tools. As expectations around AI shift, teams must focus on how to effectively harness these technologies to support better communication and collaboration rather than relying solely on AI to replace human roles. This balanced approach can help organizations navigate the complexities of modern work while maintaining productive, engaged teams.
Today's guest is Henry Poydar!
Henry is CEO and founder at Steady, with more than 25 years of experience in tech leadership roles.
With Henry, we talked about continuous coordination, an open source framework he co-created, providing a set of principles and practices for running modern, effective engineering teams.
Here is what we talked about:
(01:25) Introduction
(02:25) Henry's Career
(13:23) Create async communication
(16:47) Keeping a steady beat
(23:02) Define a necessary meeting
(26:00) The proper alignment
(30:58) Applying continuous coordination
(37:06) Discovering how your team works
(38:38) Managing in the AI era
(44:27) How remote can improve working
(48:20) How AI is affecting team work
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