devops talks conference australia and new zealand - a … · 2019-09-12 · devops talks conference...

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DEVOPS TALKS CONFERENCE 2019

A Confluence Of Concerns

Mental Health.EQ.

Performant Leadership.

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It’s Business. It’s Personal.

High performance.

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It’s Personal

Mental health

Social media BS at it’s worst:

#yachtlife isn’t success or high performance.

Constant smiling

isn’t high performance.

?

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It’s Business

2017:

4 teams in disarray

Contract at risk

Failed product pipeline

2019:

Multiple product releases

Highest engagement scores

12 internal promotions

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Why?

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Mastery,

Autonomy,

Purpose.

Your leadership has influence over these domains.

What motivates us?

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Mass (study) Effect

10,308 civil servants in England were studied from 1985-1990

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Mass (study) Effect

95% correlation between low job control and increase in heart disease.

"Men at the bottom were four times more likely to die than men in charge”.

"Low job control and risk of coronary heart disease" - 1997, British Medical Journal, https://www.bmj.com/content/314/7080/558

https://www.bmj.com/content/314/7080/558

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Choose life.

“It is not about stress. It is about your level of control.

A lack of autonomy literally kills you.

The more control you feel able to exert over your situation,

the more likely stress is to be stimulating rather than corrosive."

(Marmot, Status Syndrome, 2004)

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A self-care performance hack

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Disconnection from:

1: meaningful work 2: other people3: meaningful values4: childhood trauma5: status and respect6: the natural world7: a hopeful or secure future& 8, 9: the real role of genes and brain changes

Disconnection: 9 causes of depression and anxiety

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Disconnection from:

1: meaningful work 2: other people3: meaningful values4: childhood trauma5: status and respect6: the natural world7: a hopeful or secure future& 8, 9: the real role of genes and brain changes

Your leadership has influence over these domains.

Disconnection: 9 causes of depression and anxiety

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Our mental health and our success at work depend on these needs being met.

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It’s Personal

?Disconnection from:

1: meaningful work

2: other people

5: status and respect

7: a hopeful or secure future

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It’s Business

You’re a leader? Give away your authority and control.

World Health Org 2011: "We need to move from focusing on chemical imbalances to focusing on power imbalances…

Mental Health is produced socially."

Paul Verhaeghe, 2014, 'What About Me? The Struggle for Identity in a Market-Based Society" 191-3

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Serve those you work with

Autonomy and Accountability are a high-powered combination:• Clear team designs with purpose, performance and accountabilities written down

• Explicit authority delegations. Write down “we have the authority to…”

• Sign up for the accountability, deliver results and earn more authority

Moving from Directive to Supportive leadership:• Happy/Sad/Confused retros : emotions are more insightful than burndown rates

• Open mic / anonymous Q&A : read them out load word for word

• Monthly team demo meetings for peer accountability. No more HIPPO demos.

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Looking after yourself

Be honest about your own mental health.

Talk to someone you trust when you need help. Flying solo is for losers.

Looking after your health means you can look out for those around you.

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Looking after others

Serve those around you by being mentally healthy.

Create a safe space by being honest. “How are you, are you OK?” shouldn’t be a throw away question. Take it seriously and expect the same from others.

Asking that question could save a life.

When in doubt, call or refer others to 131114:

devops talks conference australia and new zealand - a … · 2019-09-12 · devops talks conference...

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