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

Manage your capacity, not your time

23 implied HN points • 15 Oct 23

Focus on managing your capacity instead of just your time for better work quality.
Allocate your workload leaving some time unallocated for unexpected events.
Be mindful of your energy levels as they directly impact your work capacity.

Should I change job?

19 implied HN points • 01 Aug 23

💼 Business Career development Job Satisfaction Professional Growth

When considering if you should change jobs, focus on learning, earning, or quitting.
Learning and earning have a symbiotic relationship that can lead to growth and opportunities.
Career growth is not always linear, and it's important to assess if you're learning and earning enough to reach your goals.

Trifectas go all the way up

10 implied HN points • 27 Jan 24

💼 Business Leadership Collaboration Decision-making Accountability

Trifectas, consisting of engineering, product, and UX, are powerful for creating scalable and beautiful products.
Trifectas should be present at all levels of an organization to prevent siloing and ensure cross-functional collaboration.
Having trifectas all the way up the org chart leads to clear accountability, balanced decision-making, quick issue resolution, and a structured roadmap.

The tragedy of the common leader

10 implied HN points • 30 Nov 23

💼 Business Management Collaboration Leadership Teamwork Communication

Having a strong peer group in middle management is important but can be challenging.
The tragedy of the commons can result in self-interest and competition among peers with the same leader.
Building relationships with peers based on value, conflict, or neutrality can improve collaboration and effectiveness.

It's all just leadership after all

10 implied HN points • 07 Nov 23

💼 Business Leadership Management Career progression Delegation Collaboration

Progression in management isn't just about managing managers, but also senior individual contributors.
You can use the same management strategies for both senior managers and senior individual contributors.
Focus on developing leadership in both roles by controlling the target and delegating the how.

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Growth in a downturn

9 implied HN points • 08 Sep 23

💼 Business Career development Management Professional Growth

In uncertain times, focus on what you can control, like supporting your team's growth.
Avoid making promises about outcomes you can't control, instead focus on building trust and providing support.
Invest in increasing your impact, even if you can't control the scope of your role.

Read widely, apply selectively, share regardless

8 implied HN points • 18 Aug 23

💼 Business Management Leadership Career development Knowledge sharing Professional Growth

Read widely, apply selectively, and share regardless.
Human knowledge progresses through a diverse collective sharing experiences.
Share your unique experiences and insights regardless of personal doubts or insecurities.

There is no number one tip

6 implied HN points • 12 Jul 23

💼 Business Management Leadership Skills Experiences Tools

There is no ultimate tip or shortcut to becoming a good leader.
Develop your leadership intuition by learning from experiences and tools.
Continuous exposure to new experiences and tools helps in growing as a leader.

The problem with your manager...

3 HN points • 30 Dec 23

💼 Business Management Leadership Career development Organizational dynamics Conflict resolution

Your manager may disappoint you, but it might not be their fault.
As you grow in leadership, there will be friction with your manager.
Choose to embrace differences with your manager for growth and success.

Parkinson's Law: It's Real, So Use It

2 HN points • 29 Feb 24

💼 Business Management Productivity Leadership Organization Communication

Setting challenging deadlines can lead to better results by manipulating scope, resources, and time.
Deadlines are crucial for productivity and help create a sense of urgency that leads to tangible progress.
Utilizing weekly reporting cadences and communicating clear deadlines can reshape how people approach their work and drive productivity.

How many direct reports should a manager have?

1 HN point • 24 Sep 23

💼 Business Management Organization Team Dynamics Leadership Workplace dynamics

There is no hard and fast rule for the number of direct reports a manager should have.
The ideal span of control for most managers is around 5-10 direct reports.
It's important to periodically review the span of control for managers to ensure they are set up for success.

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