Practical Guide to More Effective Mentorship | Dave O'Connor (Google, Twilio, Elastic)

Practical Guide to More Effective Mentorship | Dave O'Connor (Google, Twilio, Elastic)

Author: Ronak Nathani, Guang Yang January 16, 2024 Duration: 1:50:04

After 17 years building SRE teams at Google and serving as the Site Lead for Engineering in Dublin, Dave joined Elastic as the Sr Director of Engineering and later VP of Engineering at Twilio. Following a recent career break, Dave now divides his time between coaching engineering leaders and consulting to help busy teams be more effective. In the heart of our conversation, Dave shares the frameworks and practical tips he's amassed for making the most of the mentorship experience.

 

Segments:

[00:01:45] Growing remote SRE team as the Google Dublin Site Lead

[00:19:49] Company Culture vs Company Values

[00:23:47] How to find companies that are serious about remote work

[00:34:26] Coaching vs Mentoring at Big vs Small companies

[00:38:35] How Google does coaching & mentoring

[00:41:38] What makes a good 1-1

[00:46:56] Considerations for seeking out a mentor

[01:03:27] Getting external mentorship while working at a small company

[1:08:20] How to set specific goals for mentorship

[1:20:13] The "CIA" Method for career decision making

[1:31:08] How to sunset mentorship 1-1s

[1:35:20] Venturing into consulting to help busy teams be more effective

[1:42:13] How to get started with consulting

 

Show Notes:

Dave on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerrowadat/

Dave's personal website: https://log.andvari.net/pages/about.html

Dave's coaching website: https://www.strategichopes.co/

Service Level Objectives by Alex Hidalgo: https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/implementing-service-level/9781492076803/

The Staff Engineer's Path by Tanya Reilly: https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/the-staff-engineers/9781098118723/

 

Stay in touch:

👋 Let us know who we should talk to next! hello@softwaremisadventures.com


Behind every line of code, there's a person with a story, and that's where Software Misadventures finds its pulse. Hosts Ronak Nathani and Guang Yang pull up a chair with engineers, founders, and investors, but the conversation rarely stays in the technical manual. Instead, it wanders into the human territory of career detours, hard-won insights, and those unpredictable stumbles that often teach the most. This podcast is built on the idea that the journey is just as important as the destination, especially in the fast-moving tech world. You'll hear guests recount the projects that went sideways, the decisions they'd rethink, and the moments of clarity that emerged from the chaos. It’s a refreshingly honest look at the industry, emphasizing that expertise isn't just about what you build, but what you learn when things don't go as planned. Tune in for conversations that are less about perfect solutions and more about the real, sometimes messy, process of creating with technology. Each episode offers a blend of professional wisdom and personal narrative, making it a compelling listen for anyone curious about the lives woven into our digital landscape.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 55

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