We know from research that the majority of the time an employee leaves a company, the reason is their interactions with their direct manager. And while the technology industry is notorious for “promoting” people to management with no training at all, to the degree that training is provided (either internally or through external resources) it is almost exclusively aimed at managers.
But even if you don’t ever want to be a manager, you ideally want to pick your manager throughout your career. In this talk, we look at things to look for in a manager, as well as warning signs to avoid. We’ll also touch on knowing when the right time has come for you to move on, and what to look for when making a move (internally or externally) to a new role.
After that, we’ll talk about pottery. You may have noticed that many of the senior people in technology have drifted from primarily technical or work-related hobbies and into arts and crafts. We’ll talk a little bit about that, but mostly, we’ll talk about making pottery as a way of letting your mind rest and relax. After all, it’s just fancy mud.