Author Archives: Chris Sims

IEEE Technology Management Council Meets Tomorrow

Panel Discussion

Today’s engineering managers need to be able to manage projects where some, or even all, of the engineers are located offshore. While the situation is becoming more common, the challenges and opportunities are still not widely understood. On the evening of March 6, the Silicon Valley IEEE Technology Management Council is bringing together 4 panelists, with diverse backgrounds and experience, to answer your questions about managing with offshore engineers.

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Innovative SWOT

Tonight I will be presenting my SWOT analysis workshop to the East Bay Innovation Group’s Software Development Best Practices SIG. The event is free and they will feed you!

When:
Tonight at 5:30 PM

Where:
Communications Technology Cluster
300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Suite 210
Oakland, CA 94612

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One-On-Ones
February Engineering Managers Support Group

Nothing influences motivation, satisfaction, and retention more than the relationship an engineer has with their manager. Give your direct reports your time and attention, show them that you value them for who they are, as well as for what they do, and they will go to the wall for you. One of the most effective tools for establishing this kind of rapport is the weekly one-on-one meeting.

We will discuss the elements of effective one-on-ones, including what should be on the agenda, how to schedule them, and where to have them. We will also discuss how to initiate one-on-ones if you aren’t already doing them. If you are doing one-on-ones, bring your experience and suggestions to share with the group.

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IEEE Offshore Panel Discussion

Today’s engineering managers need to be able to manage projects where some, or even all, of the engineers are located offshore. While the situation is becoming more common, the challenges and opportunities are still not widely understood. On the evening of March 6, the Silicon Valley IEEE Technology Management Council is bringing together 4 panelists, with diverse backgrounds and experience, to answer your questions about managing with offshore engineers.

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Grand Central

One of the secrets to being a great engineering manager is mastering the fine art of coordinating the work of others; keeping all the parts moving in sync. Or perhaps, not moving in sync… or maybe I just thought this was so cool I wanted to post it and the reference to engineering management is just an excuse…

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IEEE Group Answers: “What makes an engineering manager great?”

Last night the San Francisco / Silicon Valley IEEE Technology Management Council met to examine the question: “What makes an engineering manager great?” Nearly 30 people participated. Over 40 good ideas were presented and considered. In the end the group ranked the following skills, attributes, and behaviors most important.

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IEEE Presents: What Makes Engineering Managers Succeed?

Have you worked for a great manager? What were the qualities that made him or her stand out from the rest? Share your experience and tap into the collective wisdom that will be present. We will uncover the most important qualities and skills for a technical manager to posses.

Tonight (Wednesday, January 30), I will be facilitating this workshop for the IEEE San Francisco / Silicon Valley Technology Management Council. The event is open to the public, and will be held at the Ramada Silicon Valley. Details here.

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.NOT

I occasionally still get calls to do software development. Recently, a potential client indicated that they would like a Windows shell extension created in C#. I’ve never built a shell extension, nor done any C#. Before meeting with the client, I decided I should take an hour or two to see how hard it would be for an old-school C++ and COM guy like me to get up to speed.

I downloaded the ‘Express’ version of C# and started playing with it. Pretty quickly, I had a command line app that worked like Eliza, but got the response text from Google searches. Fun!

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