Empowering the Unsung Heroes of Technical Teams
Thursday, Aug 15
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
Junior Ballroom D
Description
The responsibilities of a "software engineer" often extend beyond coding, into the realm of essential (and undervalued) tasks referred to as "glue work." During this talk we'll all learn to recognize the critical glue work being done within our teams, or maybe even give a name to things we're already doing.
Delve with me into the telltale signs of doing glue work - from user interactions to onboarding new team members, keeping the team happy and working together well, and even managing the road map, glue work is the unseen force that ensures a team's success. Unfortunately, it almost always comes at a cost: potential stagnation in technical careers as individuals doing the glue work find themselves veering away from producing a bunch of code.
During the session, I'll shed light on the career-limiting impact of unacknowledged glue work and propose a paradigm shift. Let's discuss strategies to empower individuals engaged in glue work by recognizing and valuing their contribution. We need to acknowledge and reward the symbiotic relationship between technical prowess and interpersonal skills, and how exhibiting both should propel careers rather than impede them.
Delve with me into the telltale signs of doing glue work - from user interactions to onboarding new team members, keeping the team happy and working together well, and even managing the road map, glue work is the unseen force that ensures a team's success. Unfortunately, it almost always comes at a cost: potential stagnation in technical careers as individuals doing the glue work find themselves veering away from producing a bunch of code.
During the session, I'll shed light on the career-limiting impact of unacknowledged glue work and propose a paradigm shift. Let's discuss strategies to empower individuals engaged in glue work by recognizing and valuing their contribution. We need to acknowledge and reward the symbiotic relationship between technical prowess and interpersonal skills, and how exhibiting both should propel careers rather than impede them.
