Herding Squirrels Episode 3: Building Bridges and Breaking Patterns with Cole Christie

In this enlightening episode of Herding Squirrels, host Brandon Wetzstein sits down with Cole Christie, Senior Engineering Manager for Site Reliability Engineering at Gap. With 18 years of experience in tech and 10 years in leadership positions, Cole shares profound insights about team dynamics across various industries.

Episode Highlights

The Art of Team Communication

Cole emphasizes that communication breakdowns are universal challenges across all industries and experience levels. He memorably explains that “you don’t bring facts to a feelings fight” – highlighting the importance of understanding emotional contexts before attempting to resolve technical disagreements. According to Cole, genuine curiosity and asking questions without assuming the answers are crucial to effective leadership.

From Individual to Team Perspective

Cole’s journey from engineer to leader taught him an essential shift in thinking: moving from “I can do something” to “we can do something.” This transition means focusing less on personal capabilities and more on enabling the entire team to succeed together. Cole explains how this requires understanding team members’ perspectives, learning about their beliefs, and respecting their experiences.

Building Strong Teams Through Challenges

Using a powerful blacksmithing analogy, Cole describes how teams are forged through overcoming difficulties together. Like metal that’s heated and hammered repeatedly to gain strength, teams develop cohesion by facing and conquering challenges as a unit. This process helps transform a collection of individuals into a truly unified team.

Remote Work and Team Building

Cole discusses how the pandemic fundamentally changed team dynamics, creating new challenges for building connection in distributed workforces. While technological tools have improved our ability to collaborate remotely, he emphasizes focusing on smaller, daily interactions to build team cohesion when large in-person events aren’t possible.

The Cup of Learning

In his final LEGO® model, Cole presents a simple yet profound piece of advice for new leaders: maintain an open mind and never stop learning. What appears as a solid block from the outside is actually a cup – representing how leaders should remain receptive to new ideas and knowledge every day.

Key Takeaways

* Effective team leadership requires empathy and understanding different perspectives

* Communication failures often stem from focusing on facts when emotions are involved

* Strong teams develop through shared challenges and experiences

* Remote work demands creative approaches to building team connections

* Continuous learning and openness are essential for leadership growth

Don’t miss this insightful conversation about modern team dynamics, leadership evolution, and how to build bridges across different perspectives through effective communication and shared purpose.

Herding Squirrels uncovers the nuts and bolts of teams with host Brandon Wetzstein. Follow us for more insights on team leadership, collaboration, and modern workplace dynamics.

Cole Christie is an experienced Engineering Leader with 18 years in the field, including 10 years in management roles. Starting his career in System Administration, his technical expertise spans various domains, including software development, architecture, distributed systems, and automation. Cole is proficient in multiple programming languages and has extensive experience with cloud technologies like AWS, Kubernetes, and observability tools.At GAP Inc., Cole leads the Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) team, implementing automation and driving reliability improvements across the organization. His efforts have streamlined processes and reduced false alarms, significantly enhancing team performance. Prior to GAP, Cole worked across diverse industries including SMS advertising, healthcare, academia, and defense subcontracting. Despite the varied industries, his focus remains consistent: helping people bring their best selves to work to achieve collective success.Cole holds a Master’s degree in Information Security from Georgia Tech and a Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems from UCR. His leadership style is influenced by principles from “Extreme Ownership,” “Growth Mindset,” and “Start with Why.”

Find Cole on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrcolechristie/

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