There are many things to take away from our discussion with Douglas Squirrel. However, one major point is that we should learn from coworkers. Technology workers are not immune to seeing other departments as less important than they are. We look at how “suits”, marketing, and other groups should be partnered with and not ignored. We will find our job easier and more successful when we build relationships and trust instead.

Expand Your Influence When You Learn From Coworkers

Some would love to be able to walk into a company and tell everyone how things should be. Fortunately, a company only has one such person, and they are called CEO. The rest must work together and use their diverse skills and talents to provide customers with the best products and services. That is how a business succeeds. When customers are not happy, the organization suffers.

About Squirrel

Squirrel​ has been coding for forty years and has led software teams for twenty. He uses the power of conversations to create dramatic productivity gains in technology organizations of all sizes. Squirrel’s experience includes growing software teams as a CTO in startups from fintech to biotech to music and everything in between. He has consulted on product improvement at over 170 organizations in the UK, the US, Australia, and Europe. Also, he has provided coaching to various leaders in improving their conversations, aligning with business goals, and creating productive conflict. He lives in Frogholt, England, in a timber-framed cottage built in 1450.

Learn More

Check out his community at:
This is a community of tech and non-tech executives learning together. It is free to join, and the weekly events and online forums are free. The community discusses radical ideas like “centaurs for Artificial Intelligence” and “stop your tech team estimating.” Likewise, participants ask tough questions with hard-hitting responses from Douglas and community members.

Rob Broadhead

Rob is a founder of, and frequent contributor to, Develpreneur. This includes the Building Better Developers podcast. He is also a lifetime learner as a developer, designer, and manager of software solutions. Rob is the founder of RB Consulting and has managed to author a book about his family experiences and a few about becoming a better developer. In his free time, he stays busy raising five children (although they have grown into adults). When he has a chance to breathe, he is on the ice playing hockey to relax or working on his ballroom dance skills.

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