The Engineering Manager

The Engineering Manager Substack offers guidance and insights for engineering leaders at various stages of their careers. It covers strategies for managing teams, personal growth, decision making, leadership principles, remote work practices, and balancing professional and personal life. The content aims to support current and aspiring leaders in creating effective, fulfilling, and sustainable engineering environments.

Leadership Development Team Management Career Growth Decision Making Productivity Remote Work Work-Life Balance Engineering Culture Personal Development Communication Strategies

The hottest Substack posts of The Engineering Manager

And their main takeaways

The relationship with Product

0 implied HN points • 27 Jan 18
  1. In a successful product development environment, Engineering and Product teams should have a symbiotic relationship, combining innovative ideas with technical constraints.
  2. Issues arise when teams work in silos, with Product and Engineering not collaborating effectively or taking ownership of ideas and implementation.
  3. Engineers should contribute ideas, such as identifying useful functionality, suggesting new technology, and coming up with new concepts, while Product owners should show curiosity about the development process and contribute to implementation.

There's no shame in going back

0 implied HN points • 03 Jan 18
  1. It's okay to consider switching career tracks from management to individual contributor.
  2. Offering new managers a safety net to transition back to their previous role can reduce risk and anxiety.
  3. Allowing flexibility for staff to move between manager and IC tracks can create more career opportunities and help retain employees.

Coaching

0 implied HN points • 21 Dec 17
  1. Coaching is a tool to help improve staff performance through structured conversations.
  2. In coaching, consider different modes of communication like directive and following interest.
  3. Use the GROW model for structured coaching sessions to stay focused on problem-solving.

The contribution curve

0 implied HN points • 12 Dec 17
  1. As a manager, you'll be judged on your team's output and influence.
  2. It's important to address reasons for net-negative contributions like inexperience, poor placement, and poor performance.
  3. Help your team grow by providing support, recognizing misplacements, and addressing performance issues.

Mount Stupid

0 implied HN points • 05 Dec 17
  1. The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias where people of lower ability hold overly favorable views of their abilities.
  2. Impostor syndrome is when high-achieving individuals fear being exposed as a fraud despite their achievements.
  3. Managers can help by being aware of these concepts and employing strategies to help their staff overcome them.
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Scrutiny and judgement

0 implied HN points • 25 Oct 17
  1. People in positions of power, like public figures, face intense scrutiny and judgement from the public and colleagues.
  2. As you move up the management ladder, expect more scrutiny and be prepared to act as a role model for your team.
  3. Dealing with scrutiny involves being yourself, understanding your team's reactions, and empathizing with those above you in the hierarchy.

Your network inside the business

0 implied HN points • 25 Sep 17
  1. A manager's output is measured by their team's output and the organization's output under their influence.
  2. Building relationships with people outside your department can expand your influence and career opportunities.
  3. Regularly checking in with contacts in different areas of the business can lead to valuable insights and collaborations.

Culture

0 implied HN points • 22 Sep 17
  1. Culture is not just about perks, but about the vision and purpose of the company.
  2. Culture emerges from interactions within the company, based on decisions and relationships between individuals.
  3. The culture of a company extends beyond its walls, influencing interactions with the outside world.

The two tracks of growth

0 implied HN points • 29 Aug 17
  1. In the technology industry, growth can occur through two tracks: management track and individual contributor track.
  2. The management track focuses on people management and increasing influence within the organization.
  3. The individual contributor track celebrates technical expertise and influence without the management responsibilities.

Bringing yourself to work

0 implied HN points • 16 Aug 17
  1. As a manager, it's important to care about the personal issues of your team members and be present for them.
  2. Bringing your whole self to work means being open about your emotions, weaknesses, and creating an environment where others can do the same.
  3. Building trust through fostering close relationships allows for honest conversations and enables high performance in a team.

1 to 1s

0 implied HN points • 28 Jun 17
  1. 1. Have regular and scheduled 1 to 1 meetings with your staff in a private room.
  2. 2. The 1 to 1 meetings are crucial for building rapport, trust, and providing guidance to your staff.
  3. 3. Let your direct reports do most of the talking, focus on personal development, and assign actions for follow-up.

Contracting

0 implied HN points • 20 Jun 17
  1. Contracting is a useful exercise to openly discuss expectations between managers and direct reports.
  2. During contracting, ask questions like how to offer support, deliver feedback, handle challenges, and maintain confidentiality.
  3. Contracting helps set the tone for the manager-direct report relationship and provides topics for future discussions.

Book discussion with Lead Dev

0 implied HN points • 07 May 22
  1. The post is about a book discussion with a Lead Dev.
  2. The discussion covers the key themes and concepts of the book 'Effective Remote Work'.
  3. The conversation also delves into the impact of remote working on society.

A couple of podcasts

0 implied HN points • 06 Apr 22
  1. Engineers can be hesitant to transition into management roles.
  2. Remote work influences productivity and industry dynamics.
  3. Writing a book can be a valuable experience in professional growth.

Effective Remote Work is out in print

0 implied HN points • 02 Apr 22
  1. The book 'Effective Remote Work' is now available in print.
  2. Remote working can positively impact both work and family life.
  3. Undertaking writing a book involves highs and lows and requires support from others.

Effective Remote Work is out in beta

0 implied HN points • 19 Oct 21
  1. Effective Remote Work is now available in beta version.
  2. The book is DRM-free and can be accessed in various digital formats.
  3. The beta release includes over 50% of the book with new chapters being delivered over time.

Treat everyone as remote

0 implied HN points • 20 Jan 21
  1. Treat everyone equally by adopting a remote mindset for all workers.
  2. Shift to asynchronous communication to decrease interruptions and enhance collaboration.
  3. Use appropriate tools, etiquette, and habits to support remote collaboration effectively.

Upcoming December talks

0 implied HN points • 07 Nov 20
  1. The author will be speaking at three conferences in December about different topics related to engineering and communication.
  2. The conferences will cover areas like engineer onboarding, synchronous communication, and mastering distributed communication.
  3. The talks will delve into how these topics have evolved in 2020 and offer practical tips to implement in the workplace.

Delegation creates career progression

0 implied HN points • 04 Oct 20
  1. Delegation is essential for career progression in management.
  2. Transparency is key - share your work openly with your direct reports.
  3. Delegate tasks to empower your team, build trust, and plan for succession.

Recent videos and podcasts

0 implied HN points • 20 Sep 20
  1. The author has been participating in various videos and podcasts recently.
  2. He has been discussing topics like managing managers, asynchronous working, and one-to-one meetings.
  3. The author has been busy with these engagements over the past couple of months.

Forming the unicorn

0 implied HN points • 07 Sep 20
  1. Understanding a manager's output is crucial for leveling them up.
  2. Delegation, collaboration, and education are key activities for managers to focus on.
  3. Helping managers fill in skill gaps can lead to transformation and success.

Managing through interfaces

0 implied HN points • 23 Aug 20
  1. As a manager of managers, define clear interfaces for each team to focus on what's important and delegate implementation details.
  2. Managers have flexibility in how they run their teams, as long as they follow the interface contract set by you.
  3. Using interfaces helps set clear expectations, delegate tasks effectively, and work at a higher level of abstraction in managing multiple teams.

One-to-one meetings: a podcast

0 implied HN points • 19 Aug 20
  1. One-to-one meetings are important for various reasons.
  2. Frequency and preparation are key for successful one-to-one meetings.
  3. Dealing with challenging personalities and understanding differences when talking to ICs or managers are important aspects of one-to-one meetings.

The path to managing managers

0 implied HN points • 09 Aug 20
  1. To become a manager of managers, gain experience as an Engineering Manager with a proven track record.
  2. Working at a company with a strong management culture can provide clear paths for career progression.
  3. Opportunities for managerial roles may arise internally in fast-growing companies during periods of change.

#NoDeployFriday: helpful or harmful?

0 implied HN points • 23 May 19
  1. Consider the blast radius of a code change before deploying on Fridays.
  2. Invest in a mature deployment pipeline for safer and faster production deploys.
  3. Ensure the ability to detect errors and fix problems quickly before deciding on deploy timings.

We Must Fix AI's Diversity Problem

0 implied HN points • 02 May 19
  1. The technology industry, particularly AI, faces a serious diversity problem.
  2. The lack of diversity in AI can lead to biased algorithms that have negative real-world impacts.
  3. To address AI bias, we must prioritize diversity in the industry, promote transparency, and rigorously test and audit AI systems.

Carve out your own thinking space

0 implied HN points • 28 Feb 19
  1. Prioritize carving out time for yourself in your calendar for deep work
  2. Being a purely reactive manager can lead to burnout; aim for a balance
  3. Consider activities like mentally assessing ongoing projects and planning for the future

Who could be your Jeff Dean?

0 implied HN points • 14 Feb 19
  1. Jeff Dean is a legendary computer scientist at Google known for his impactful work on key projects like TensorFlow.
  2. Creating roles like Principal Engineer can empower engineers to work on innovative projects and drive company growth.
  3. Success like Jeff Dean's may involve factors like expertise, timing, and earned autonomy in the right environment.

The joy of caretaking

0 implied HN points • 17 Jan 19
  1. Focus on big, critical facets of life/work first, then smaller things will naturally fill the gaps.
  2. Challenge the idea that only high-ticket projects are valuable; recognize the importance of caretaking roles.
  3. Change the perception of caretaking work, prioritize and measure progress, and celebrate success to elevate the worth of caretakers.

Towards remote working

0 implied HN points • 10 Jan 19
  1. Consider different stages of remote working: On-site only, Flexible working, Remote friendly, Remote only.
  2. Not everyone thrives in fully remote environments; it takes a specific type of person to enjoy it.
  3. Transitioning to being remote friendly can bring numerous benefits, even if not all staff work remotely.

Management bugs: 18 months later

0 implied HN points • 13 Dec 18
  1. The management department has its own JIRA backlog for staff to raise 'bugs.'
  2. Most bugs were reported by non-managers, showing staff empowerment.
  3. Issues ranged from quick fixes to lengthy discussions, improving department processes.

Why do we have process anyway?

0 implied HN points • 01 Nov 18
  1. Processes aim to make results replicable, predictable, and consistent, benefiting from updates and revisions by those executing them.
  2. Innovative projects can benefit from temporary chaos to foster creativity and emergent practices before establishing a new process.
  3. Let chaos reign, then rein it in, trusting in the eventual stabilization and codification of emergent practices.

Ownership

0 implied HN points • 18 Oct 18
  1. Individual focus on productivity can hinder group productivity.
  2. Total ownership of collective output leads to faster task completion.
  3. Ownership mindset is more important than just following processes.

Don't make your staff afraid to fail

0 implied HN points • 30 Aug 18
  1. Don't make staff afraid to fail.
  2. Humiliation leads to incorrect behavior.
  3. It's okay to accept failure and focus on solutions.
  4. A positive culture around failure fosters innovation.

The trichotomy of control

0 implied HN points • 27 Sep 18
  1. The journey of working towards goals shapes us and defines us, more than achieving the goals themselves.
  2. In a complex work environment, focus on what you have control over and don't stress about things beyond your control.
  3. Internalize your goals to maintain tranquility, measure success against internal goals for better emotional balance.

Algorithms to make you more effective

0 implied HN points • 16 Aug 18
  1. Organizing time and mind for productivity is key
  2. Reducing context switching can boost effectiveness
  3. Defining a heuristic to focus on impactful tasks is crucial

Not invented here, revisited

0 implied HN points • 26 Jul 18
  1. Not Invented Here (NIH) syndrome is a mindset that can hinder progress by rejecting existing solutions just because they are from 'outside'.
  2. Reinventing the wheel can be justified if it's a core business function, leading to differentiation and success.
  3. Deciding whether to reuse existing technology or build from scratch should be based on achieving clear product-market fit and scaling beyond existing solutions.

The case for building from source

0 implied HN points • 09 Aug 18
  1. Consider building open source projects from source for more control and flexibility.
  2. Building from source allows for faster patching and debugging of issues.
  3. Choose to build from source for mission-critical systems where control is essential.

The importance of writing

0 implied HN points • 12 Jul 18
  1. Writing is a powerful skill that can elevate your impact as a leader.
  2. Communicating through writing provides equal access to leadership across distances.
  3. Practicing writing regularly can help improve your clarity of thought and ability to persuade.

Job hopping and what you can do about it

0 implied HN points • 10 May 18
  1. Job hopping is common in the technology industry due to various reasons like economic instability and desire for new challenges.
  2. To retain employees longer, organizations can map out clear career tracks, provide learning opportunities, encourage side-stepping, treat internal and external hires equally in terms of growth and compensation, and be transparent about pay discussions.
  3. While job hopping can't be completely prevented, taking steps to enhance employee retention can benefit both new hires and long-tenured staff.