Aisha Blake - Breakout Session - RenderATL 2023

Summary

Aisha Blake, a director of developer relations at Pluralsight and co-owner of a tabletop game store, draws parallels between leading a team in chaos and guiding a role-playing game. She emphasizes the importance of team safety, feedback, and the B.I.C.E.P.S. framework (Belonging, Improvement, Choice, Equality, Predictability, Significance) for creating a cohesive and motivated team. Blake shares personal experiences from a 'cursed' team, offering insights on managing uncertainty, burnout, and conflict, and suggests strategies like 'session zero' for setting team expectations and fostering a supportive environment.

Takeaways

• 🙌 The speaker is a director of developer relations at Pluralsight and co-owner of a tabletop game store, Opel Grove Games, and draws parallels between game mastering and team leadership.
• 🛡 Prioritizing team member safety is crucial, including the leader's own well-being to ensure they can effectively support the team.
• 🔄 Encouraging feedback is essential; it should be incorporated into the team's routine and recognized as a powerful tool influenced by the leader's institutional power.
• 🤝 The acronym BICEPS CORE outlines the key needs for team members: Belonging, Improvement, Choice, Equality, Predictability, and Significance.
• 🏠 Belonging emphasizes the importance of community and respect within the team, not necessarily requiring friendship but ensuring no one feels excluded.
• 🚀 Improvement is about a team's sense of progress, which is demoralizing when lacking, and is crucial for motivation and engagement.
• 🎲 Choice highlights the necessity for team members to feel agency in their work, influencing decisions within their areas of expertise.
• ⚖️ Equality or fairness involves access to resources, equal treatment, and reciprocity, ensuring everyone feels valued and included.
• 🔮 Predictability is about providing a sense of certainty and foreseeability in the team's challenges and direction.
• 🌟 Significance is about ensuring that team members see the purpose in their work and how it contributes to the larger goals of the organization.
• 🔄 The speaker's personal experience with a 'cursed team' illustrates the importance of adaptability, empathy, and clear communication in leadership.
• 🎯 Setting clear expectations and having a 'session zero' for teams can help establish goals, working conditions, and mutual support mechanisms.

Q & A

What is the speaker's current role at Pluralsight?

The speaker is the Director of Developer Relations at Pluralsight.

What is the speaker's involvement in the gaming industry?

The speaker is the co-owner of a tabletop game store called Opel Grove Games.

What is the role of a 'game master' in role-playing games?

A game master leads players through the story and moderates the game during a collective storytelling experience.

What does the acronym 'BICEPS' represent in the context of the speaker's talk?

BICEPS stands for Belonging, Improvement, Choice, Equality, Predictability, and Significance, which are core needs for team members according to the speaker.

Why is team member safety considered the top priority by the speaker?

Team member safety is the top priority because it is essential for creating a safe space for the team to perform at their best, including the speaker's own well-being to effectively support the team.

What does the speaker suggest for incorporating feedback into team routine?

The speaker suggests making feedback easy and incorporating it into the work routine and the fabric of the team, while recognizing the power dynamics involved in feedback.

What is the importance of 'belonging' in a team according to the speaker?

Belonging is important as it creates a sense of community within the team, ensuring that all members feel included and respected, even if they are not all friends.

How does the speaker define 'improvement' in the context of team needs?

Improvement refers to the team's desire to feel progress and move forward in their work, which is demoralizing when lacking, leading to feelings of being stuck.

What does 'choice' in the BICEPS acronym entail for team members?

Choice means that team members have agency in their work, with the ability to make decisions and have influence over their tasks, making their work feel more meaningful.

How can a manager ensure 'equality' or 'fairness' for their team?

A manager can ensure equality by providing equal access to resources, paying attention to team members equally, and treating everyone as if they are important, including addressing bias and ensuring reciprocity.

What is the significance of having a 'North Star metric' for a team?

A North Star metric provides a clear sense of purpose for the team's work, showing how individual contributions align with the company's overarching goals and making work feel meaningful.

What challenges did the speaker face while being part of a 'cursed team'?

The speaker faced numerous challenges including team members being frequently injured or sick, organizational restructuring, and having to step into an acting director role without proper training or documentation.

What is the concept of 'session zero' in the context of the speaker's analogy?

In the context of role-playing games, 'session zero' is when a group comes together for the first time to set expectations, build the world, and create characters. The speaker recommends a similar approach for teams to reset expectations and discuss goals.

What are 'personal user manuals' and how do they benefit a team?

Personal user manuals are documents where team members outline their values, communication style, work preferences, and areas for growth. They help in understanding each member's needs and preferences, facilitating better communication and support within the team.

What advice does the speaker give for balancing preparation and improvisation as a leader?

The speaker advises being flexible while knowing the overall direction, learning one's own style to model behaviors for the team, trusting team members' expertise, and over-communicating to ensure everyone is informed.