Hey! 👋 I can’t believe it’s almost 2022. I had to look back through my planner to recall what even happened this year. It went by unbelievably fast for me. What about you?
At the end of every month, I write down ten things I accomplished. Here are just a few of my favorites:
Over 340,000 learners in my LinkedIn Learning Programming Foundations course 🤯
Completed Parts 3, 4, and 5 of my Android Essentials course on LinkedIn Learning
Documented a Native App strategy for my company (presented it to the Board 🔥)
Self-care: massages, perfumes, and personal training 💪
If you don’t have a process to look back on each month, I recommend it. Especially if you’re in a leadership role at your company. It can feel like all you do is “put out fires.” However, by having this monthly retrospective, of sorts, you will have a more realistic perspective of what you’ve achieved.
On another note, I received the best surprise in the mail. A lovely pair of earrings from my friend, Samantha, the owner of DabbleMade! I can’t wait to show these off at my next Zoom meeting. I especially loved the extra touch of the enclosed card featuring me as an Android. 😍
Want to support a small, woman-owned business? Consider purchasing some of her wonderful handmade jewelry.
Hopefully, you and yours are safe and hanging in there. Now on to the books, podcasts, and cool tech.
Books I’m Reading
The FIVE Dysfunctions of a TEAM
I’ve been meaning to read this book for a while now, just never got around to it. However, after a recent chat with my brother, I decided to put it in my cart. In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, the author, Patrick Lencioni, shares a leadership fable. The fable is about a new CEO who needs to unite her executive team.
Throughout the story, you learn about each of the five dysfunctions that lead teams to struggle even when they are comprised of talented people. One thing that stuck with me is the concept of your “first team.”
As a leader in the company, you may run a particular area or department, that’s your team. And it’s easy to be close to your team and protective of them. However, your “first team” should be the one you’re in with the other leaders. This will allow the company to be more effective and aligned across departments.
The concepts shared in this book are simple, yet I can see how it would be difficult to implement in any organization where you don’t get full buy-in to the ideas. Have you read this already? Have you been able to apply the concepts at your company? Drop me a line.
Let’s Talk Podcasts
Darknet Diaries - @Tennessee
This is a new podcast for me. It was recommended by a colleague. Darknet Diaries shares stories about hackers, breaches, cybercrime, and more.
In this episode, the host interviews the owner of the @JW Twitter handle. He was harassed for years online to give up or sell his coveted username. But that was just the beginning. Since I don’t want to give it all away, let’s just say this story had several unexpected twists and turns.
It made me keenly more aware of the dangers present on the Internet. I ended up ordering the book that was recommended, The Smart Girl's Guide to Privacy. Can’t wait to share my thoughts on it.
Either way, they have a new fan of the show. 💯
All About Android - Developer's Guide to Android 12...
I was interviewed on this episode of All About Android. I chatted with Jason and Ron about how a team prioritizes adding Android 12 features to their apps. I was nervous in the beginning, but then the conversation flowed naturally. I had a lot of fun recording this one.
I don’t tend to buy the latest tech. I’m the “if it ain’t broke” type of person. However, it was interesting to get to hear about the new Pixel 6, the Balmuda phone, and updates on the upcoming foldable devices. If you want to stay up-to-date on all things Android, this is the podcast for you.
Current Tech Fave
Balsamiq Wireframes is my go-to tool for creating wireframes. I constantly have product ideas that I want to share and being able to put together a quick low-fi wireframe has been essential for getting buy-in.
I created numerous wireframes this year. Some explain technical concepts like the one pictured here that shows how deferred deep links behave. Others share ideas about how we might modernize user settings or integrate with a third party.
Balsamiq has keyboard shortcuts that speed up the creation process. I’m able to quickly create variations of my ideas and get them over to the Product team within minutes.
If you find yourself struggling to convey your ideas verbally or in writing, give wireframing a shot.
Until next time, thanks for reading!
"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”
- Maya Angelou
Blog: http://www.adavis.info
Twitter: https://twitter.com/brwngrldev
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