Comment by struppi
8 years ago
Yes. And I think the article is also good advice for coaches / consultants.
When I come to a new team, I always try to find out a lot of things during the coffee breaks. But the approach from the article is more structured.
So, I guess I will try a mix of the two approaches next time ;)
I agree that the OP seemed to miss who the article is targeted at (managers, leaders). However I think this is still very good advice for an IC, even someone straight out of school.
Does it mean they start taking on projects that don't align with their role? Probably not.[0] What it does do is enable them to get a fresh perspective on the org, team and work and perhaps contribute ideas in group settings/meetings/social situations that others may not have considered, by virtue of not having executed the algorithm in the article.
If nothing else it gives one a structured way to gain valuable information about the org and the work, regardless of where you sit in the 'food chain'. It's also a great way to build a network.
[0]Often companies allow for 'stretch' time where ICs can take on side projects. Running this algorithm could be a great way to surface ideas for those kinds of projects.