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@ -11,26 +11,26 @@ tags = [
# Learning to be a manager
Some time ago I took on a Management role at work. This is a role that, seven
Some time ago I took on a Management role at work. This is a role that, seven
ago, I swore I never wanted, but life experience has a way of changing how you
feel about certain things. Before joining this company I experienced one of the
most incompetent engineering managers I've ever worked with. I've had some sub-par
experiences but never true incompetence. I realized that I needed a better
understanding of what an engineering manager should do. I needed
some survival skills and the best way to do that is to learn by doing. If I
got a chance to experience some of that in future roles I decided I would take
the opportunity. So here I am with a role that is 80% managment and 20%
technical contribution. In theory I think it was intended to be 50/50 but reality differs
most incompetent engineering managers I've ever worked with. I've had some
sub-par experiences but never true incompetence. I realized that I needed a
better understanding of what an engineering manager should do. I needed some
survival skills and the best way to do that is to learn by doing. If I got a
chance to experience some of that in future roles I decided I would take the
opportunity. So here I am with a role that is 80% managment and 20% technical
contribution. In theory I think it was intended to be 50/50 but reality differs
quite a bit.
> Engineering Management is **hard**
I don't think I realized just how hard managing people is until I experienced
I don't think I realized just how hard managing people is until I experienced
it for myself. Some of the problems are fundamentally unsolvable. The most you
can hope for is to mitigate the fallout. You can't just hack your way around
people problems and management has a considerable amount of people problems
to solve. I've been learning a lot in my on-the-job training experiment, and
I'd like to talk about what I've learned.
can hope for is to mitigate the fallout. You can't just hack your way around
people problems and management has a considerable amount of people problems to
solve. I've been learning a lot in my on-the-job training experiment, and I'd
like to talk about what I've learned.
# Communication
@ -41,8 +41,9 @@ In many ways being an engineering manager is about being a translator. You are
a conduit between the needs of the business and the capabilities of the
engineering team. Walking a fine line between what the business needs to stay
in business and what it takes to create scalable technology is not an easy
task. You have to tell both sides no sometimes. I've learned that honesty,
transparency, and tact are the among the most important attributes of a good manager.
task. You have to tell both sides no sometimes. I've learned that honesty,
transparency, and tact are the among the most important attributes of a good
manager.
## Honesty
@ -57,46 +58,45 @@ If you lose the trust of either side you'll be ineffective in your role.
> and diligent in addressing them
Come clean when you mess up. You aren't any more perfect than the next guy.
Sometimes you'll drop something on the floor. When it happens acknowledge
your mistake and work to address it. People appreciate when you are
honest about your failings and diligent in addressing them. It gives them faith
that you will be honest with them and they can trust you.
Sometimes you'll drop something on the floor. When it happens acknowledge your
mistake and work to address it. People appreciate when you are honest about
your failings and diligent in addressing them. It gives them faith that you
will be honest with them and they can trust you.
Being transparent when you can and being forthright about when you can't be
transparent are important. Everyone like to understand the reason for decisions
they don't like. If they are able to put those decisions in context it
goes a long way toward calming them and helps them to see whether there is a
light at the end of the tunnel. They understand that you can't always
share everything with them but they appreciate when you are honest about
that handicap.
they don't like. If they are able to put those decisions in context it goes a
long way toward calming them and helps them to see whether there is a light at
the end of the tunnel. They understand that you can't always share everything
with them but they appreciate when you are honest about that handicap.
## Tact
Being honest doesn't imply you need to be harsh. It's possible to deliver
the truth without triggering an unnecessarily negative emotional response. Your
goal should be to ensure that any emotional response is derived from the factual
content of your communication and not the method of delivery. This can be harder
than it sounds. Trying to eliminate any emotion from your delivery can be just as
bad as including negative emotion.
Being honest doesn't imply you need to be harsh. It's possible to deliver the
truth without triggering an unnecessarily negative emotional response. Your
goal should be to ensure that any emotional response is derived from the
factual content of your communication and not the method of delivery. This can
be harder than it sounds. Trying to eliminate any emotion from your delivery
can be just as bad as including negative emotion.
> I have found that focusing on empathy is helpful
Try to understand how your audience is going to percieve the news you need to deliver.
It goes a long way when it's clear that you understand the impact what you have to say.
Empathy can inform which type of emotion you should inject in your delivery.
Try to understand how your audience is going to percieve the news you need to
deliver. It goes a long way when it's clear that you understand the impact what
you have to say. Empathy can inform which type of emotion you should inject in
your delivery.
Be sure to listen as well. In many ways listening does as much as to give people an
impression of tact as your delivery does. Follow up your delivery with an opportunity
to listen and see how it was recieved.
Be sure to listen as well. In many ways listening does as much as to give
people an impression of tact as your delivery does. Follow up your delivery
with an opportunity to listen and see how it was recieved.
# Team Culture
By default culture flows from the top down, and for any team you manage, you
are the source of that flow. You have an outsized impact on
your teams culture. If you are negative then your team will tend to be
negative. If you are positive then your team will tend to be
positive. I've been thinking a lot lately about what you can do to
create a good team culture.
By default culture flows from the top down, and for any team you manage, you
are the source of that flow. You have an outsized impact on your teams culture.
If you are negative then your team will tend to be negative. If you are
positive then your team will tend to be positive. I've been thinking a lot
lately about what you can do to create a good team culture.
## Identity
@ -127,20 +127,20 @@ be productive and make the business successful.
> If you aren't honest in your narrative then the cracks will start to show
A good narrative is believable, one that everyone can buy into. Telling
a story about where the company is going and how the team will be able to
contribute to that direction does wonders for team cohesion. Make sure that the story is
accurate and not a fabrication. If you aren't honest then the
cracks will start to show and people will share their own narratives. Narratives
that, in many cases, lead to bad places for the team.
A good narrative is believable, one that everyone can buy into. Telling a story
about where the company is going and how the team will be able to contribute to
that direction does wonders for team cohesion. Make sure that the story is
accurate and not a fabrication. If you aren't honest then the cracks will start
to show and people will share their own narratives. Narratives that, in many
cases, lead to bad places for the team.
> If parts of your narrative are in conflict with itself then the
> team won't know how to self direct
An inconsistent narrative will kill productivity. If parts of your narrative
are in conflict then the team won't know how to be self directed.
They'll be backtracking all the time and it will appear to them that the ground
is shifting under their feet. If you craft a good narrative then the team will
are in conflict then the team won't know how to be self directed. They'll be
backtracking all the time and it will appear to them that the ground is
shifting under their feet. If you craft a good narrative then the team will
have a shared story. They will know where they fit.
> Acknowledge change and the need to adapt to it
@ -156,9 +156,9 @@ on how to change it. Don't try to shoehorn the changes into the old narrative.
> for employees and a bad one
If the above challenges appeal to you then you might be interested in some
managerial roles. The impact you can have on a team and a company make it worth it.
You can be the difference between a good work environment for
employees and a bad one. You have the potential to remove barriers to
productivity for a team if you do it well. If you do it poorly though, you could
be the reason a team's productivity stalls. The risk/reward here is
considerably different than any other role I've had.
managerial roles. The impact you can have on a team and a company make it worth
it. You can be the difference between a good work environment for employees and
a bad one. You have the potential to remove barriers to productivity for a team
if you do it well. If you do it poorly though, you could be the reason a team's
productivity stalls. The risk/reward here is considerably different than any
other role I've had.