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Jennifer Petoff

AI-generated watercolor painting created by Gemini in Google Workspace, depicting cats walking across rolling hills toward a large glowing open book, connected by golden threads.

Cat-Herding the Way to a Bestseller: 13 Program Management Tactics for Leading People Who Don’t Report to You

I once ran a two-year program to write a book fueled by more than 70 authors, and not one of them reported to me. I didn’t have budget authority. I wasn’t responsible for their performance reviews. There was no solid or even dotted line on an org chart. We all just shared the belief that… Read More »Cat-Herding the Way to a Bestseller: 13 Program Management Tactics for Leading People Who Don’t Report to You

Overhead view of the origami bouquet on the cushion with a rainbow-striped fan flower and multiple location-code cards visible among the mass of pieces

A Garden Leave Retrospective: Hope is Not a Strategy, But Origami Might Be

When my “gardening leave” began, I didn’t dig in the dirt; I am not an outdoorsy person. Instead, I decommissioned my proudest career achievement, the original Site Reliability Engineering book, and refactored its pages into a basket of origami flowers. For those unfamiliar with the term, “gardening leave” is a distinctly European concept. Employment contracts… Read More »A Garden Leave Retrospective: Hope is Not a Strategy, But Origami Might Be

Watercolor art showing luminous doors connected by glowing web lines across a green valley, illustrating how professional connections open career opportunities.

The Importance of Networking for Your Career: 9 Habits That Actually Worked for Me

Every single job I’ve had in my career came about as a result of someone I knew. Not a cold application. A person. Over two decades in program management, I’ve turned that observation into a set of concrete habits. None of the outcomes below were planned. I wasn’t executing a five-year plan in either example.… Read More »The Importance of Networking for Your Career: 9 Habits That Actually Worked for Me

A soft watercolor illustration of a woman standing triumphantly at the peak of a high mountain. She looks out over a vast, serene valley filled with lush green hills and a sparkling lake. The scene uses a specific palette of deep plum, teal, cream, sage green, and orange-amber.

How AI Makes Your New Year’s Health & Wellness Resolutions Achievable

The calendar ticking over is typically a time of reflection and for setting lofty goals for the new year that, more often than not, go unfulfilled. Some articles (click-bait, I suspect), suggest that less than 10% of people strictly follow through on their New Year’s resolutions. I was pleased to find a research-backed and peer… Read More »How AI Makes Your New Year’s Health & Wellness Resolutions Achievable

A watercolor illustration in a landscape format showing a seven-layer pyramid. To the left of the pyramid are a notebook, a pen, a mortar board, a first aid kit, and a stethoscope. To the right are a chef's hat, plates, cutlery, a headset, a juggling pin, and a party horn.

How to SRE Anything.

I’ve worked at the intersection of Site Reliability Engineering and Program Management for over a decade. One of the biggest “Aha!” moments I had in my career was realizing that the foundational principles and practices of SRE apply to situations far beyond large-scale distributed software systems. This realization led me to develop the “How to… Read More »How to SRE Anything.

A line-drawing illustration of a seaside town in Croatia. A white ambulance with blue and red lights is driving down a road next to a stone wall. A cluster of houses with orange roofs is visible across the water, with a church steeple in the distance.

How to “SRE” a Vacation Emergency: The Power of a Travel Retrospective

As The Reliable PgMTM, I’m dedicated to sharing how the principles of Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) can transform not just technical systems, but any situation—even a travel emergency. I’ve discovered that key SRE principles are incredibly valuable for cultivating personal resilience. This is especially true when navigating unexpected incidents, like being injured on vacation. Read… Read More »How to “SRE” a Vacation Emergency: The Power of a Travel Retrospective

An illustrated bridge spans a gap, connecting a server rack on the left to a house on the right. The words "SRE PRINCIPLES" in red are centered above the bridge. The bridge itself has a top arching beam and a lower, flat section made of interconnected gears, some containing smaller vignettes. On the left, within the gears, are elements like a calendar, a document with a heart, and a cog with a leaf. On the right, more gears reveal a steaming cup of coffee linked to a document and a person working at a computer. The server rack is a tall, dark gray unit with multiple horizontal compartments displaying binary code. The house is a small, brown, two-story dwelling with a red roof, a red door, a window and smoke rising from its chimney, set beside a green tree under a shining sun. The overall image symbolizes the application of SRE (Site Reliability Engineering) principles to connect technology and daily life, emphasizing efficiency and well-being.

5 SRE Principles that Will Help You Work Smarter and Live Better

Did you know that the principles, practices, and ethos of Site Reliability Engineering aren’t just for engineers. They are actually fantastic work and life hacks. Do you ever feel like you’re constantly swimming in a sea of tasks, requests, and responsibilities? Whether it’s in your job, managing everything at home, or both; life can feel… Read More »5 SRE Principles that Will Help You Work Smarter and Live Better

A long, straight dirt road stretches from the foreground into the distance, flanked by green grassy fields with scattered yellow flowers under a light blue sky. On the left side of the road, various tools and documents are piled, including wrenches, screwdrivers, papers with diagrams, and a notebook. Above these items, icons of gears, charts, and tools float, suggesting tasks or work processes. On the right side of the road, several wrapped gifts in orange, blue, and purple are stacked, with light bulbs, stars, and a medal icon floating above them, symbolizing new ideas, rewards, or achievements. The road itself has visible tire tracks, indicating a journey or path leading from tasks towards potential success or innovation. The overall style is illustrative and conveys a comparison between tangible tasks and the allure of new, perhaps more appealing, ventures.

24 Practical Tips to be More Effective at Work (What Would A Program Manager Do?)

Are you constantly juggling multiple tasks, feeling overwhelmed by incoming requests, or finding it hard to keep everything straight? Staying effective and managing stress at work can feel like an uphill battle given all the competing demands on our time and attention. It’s easy for things to fall through the cracks or for you to… Read More »24 Practical Tips to be More Effective at Work (What Would A Program Manager Do?)