Tag Archives: talent
So You Want To Be a Manager? What Do You Do If…
Where I give advice for those transitioning from individual contributor roles to management. I use a story to illustrate how to be comfortable with the hard questions, and how to be supportive and honest with your people. Continue reading
You Gotta Do What Makes You Happy
Where I discuss the importance of pursuing personal happiness in work, what it means to be happy, and why you should help people be happy. Leaders check in with their team, because unhappy people are less productive. Perseverance is vital for growth, but leaders need to listen and help solve issues with compassion. Continue reading
Amazon, Salesforce, and (American History) X
In which I discuss how Salesforce is now a must-avoid company, and ask what we should do about the ultra-rich who are undermining our democracy, and the companies they lead. Continue reading
A Slightly Wonky Follow-up on Pay, After the “Talent is a Power Curve” Post
Where I compare Amazon’s pay structure against the fact that talent is a power curve. Is it possible that Amazon was trying to model the curve? Or are Amazon’s compensation ranges not adequately reflecting differences in performance? While I don’t have an answer, the question itself has interesting implications. Continue reading
Luck
In which I talk about how I’m very lucky in my life, and because of who I lived with in my sophomore year in college, I am even luckier still. Continue reading
Amazon’s Compensation Targets Exploit the Promotion Process and Pay Below Industry Rates
In which I review Amazon’s new compensation targets. This structure discourages promotion due to forcing newly-promoted people into the range minimum for 1-2 years, while insisting they perform at the next highest level for 2-4 years before they’re promoted. It also potentially places 80% of all employees at or below the midpoint for their level. Continue reading
Talent is a Power Curve, or Why Employee Top Grading is Driven by Bias
In which I discuss how talent distribution follows a power curve rather than a Gaussian “bell” curve, making it difficult to differentiate low performers. It critiques Amazon’s stack ranking policies, which ultimately lead to bias becoming the determining factor for who gets performance management. Continue reading
