Kat (she/her)

Engineering director. American ex-pat in Hastings, UK. Perpetual target of adorable but deadly cat.

[Kat (she/her) @webbykat]

Bonus: I've now learned the term "haunted forests," which well describes too many corners of too many codebases.

[Kat (she/her) @webbykat]

"Strategy is made up of a diagnosis, a vision, and a plan." Enjoying @annashipman 's breakdown of how @FT survived the difficult teenage years after their overhaul by coming up with a resonant strategy and delivering on it.

[Meri 8x💉“Exiled for Good of the Realm” Williams @Geek_Manager]

“It can be tempting to step back in / micro-manage / helicopter manager because we used to do the jobs our manager reports do … because we feel comfortable at that job, we used to do it!”

@webbykat #LeadingEng

[Kat (she/her) @webbykat]

I'm interested in hearing from fellow managers about how this lines up with your own approaches - and from engineers and other ICs about how you've seen expectation setting go well (or poorly!) on your teams in the past.

[Kat (she/her) @webbykat]

Frustrated by a mismatch between what your team's doing and what you're expecting them to do? I used to struggle with this (a lot). I've written an article for @TheLeadDev about the approach I follow now to take out the guesswork for my teams. https://t.co/cD3MGC2vqt

[Kat (she/her) @webbykat]

@epersonae It looks as though the applesauce you suggested may be a good option - can freeze without canning equipment at least!

[Kat (she/her) @webbykat]

When you think you ordered 5 loose apples and 4 loose oranges, and it turns out you ordered 5 bags of apples and 4 bags of oranges...

We now have 45 apples and 20 oranges.

Recipe ideas welcome.

[Kat (she/her) @webbykat]

@hejhejnatalya That looks tasty! And amazingly, it uses more of them than the apple crumble recipe I just found. (Only three, seriously?)

[Kat (she/her) @webbykat]

@serraotweets Solid idea!

[Kat (she/her) @webbykat]

@1000cigarettes @SamSykesSwears Your wife is good people.

[Kat (she/her) @webbykat]

@trishanderton I've had the same realization with my cat. She has me fully trained to respond to her knocking things off tables by checking her food bowl to make sure it's full enough.

[Kat (she/her) @webbykat]

@WomenWhoCode 12. I was so excited to put something I made on the internet. It was built with frames and may or may not have had a starry sky background.

[Kat (she/her) @webbykat]

@ec_holland When I was a junior engineer/de facto PM, a manager who knew I was underwater asked me if he could help. I thanked him and asked for QA help.

"Oh, I would, but the client wouldn't like *my* hourly rate." He walked off.

It taught me a lot about how not to treat people.

[Kat (she/her) @webbykat]

@NessaFerrell Absolutely normal. I block 12:30-1:30 most days and I'm happy to move it around when asked - but I won't cancel lunch altogether unless the circumstances are extreme. Guaranteeing yourself a lunch break isn't even work/life balance, it's table stakes.

[Kat (she/her) @webbykat]

Love this article on being conscious of the power you wield as a manager by @amynewell - acknowledging your power, remembering that you take up more space than you used to, watching boundaries, and learning to listen to what people aren't telling you. https://t.co/H1EloKM3qa

[Kat (she/her) @webbykat]

Sometimes I feel like my "German word of the day" service has given up on me.

[Hanna Prinz @HannaPrinz]

I often see experienced devs (over)protecting juniors. Instead, create a space that allows them to break things (and fix them) and offer your assistance if needed. You both might be surprised by what they are capable of.

[Kat (she/her) @webbykat]

Reasons from @dancparkes to get involved with a union: in addition to providing social opportunities and feeling rewarding, it's also educational - it can help you grow in ways you won't elsewhere. #YouGotThisConf

[Kat (she/her) @webbykat]

.@RedRoxProjects on indicators to focus on for job satisfaction (work that engages you, helps others, uses your strengths, is with people you like, and meets your basic needs) and ones not to (income, low demands, and title). Keep your priorities straight. #YouGotThisConf