In the fast-paced world of software development, the role of an Engineering Manager is crucial yet often misunderstood. As we embark on this series exploring the art of managing self-managing engineering teams, let’s start by demystifying what an Engineering Manager really does and why their role is pivotal in building successful tech organizations.
What IS an Engineering Manager?
If I had to distill the essence of an Engineering Manager’s job into one sentence, it would be this:
An Engineering Manager’s job is to build awesome teams.
At first glance, this might seem overly simplistic, but let’s unpack what building awesome teams really entails:
- Hiring the right people: This involves not just finding individuals with the right technical skills, but also those who align with the team’s culture and values.
- Onboarding new team members: Ensuring new hires can hit the ground running and quickly become productive members of the team.
- Skill set management: Making sure the team has the right mix of skills to execute on their projects and meet organizational goals.
- Coaching and mentoring: Helping team members improve themselves, grow in their roles, and reach their full potential.
- Career development: Providing opportunities and guidance for team members to progress in their careers.
The Split of Work
In my experience, the work of an Engineering Manager typically breaks down as follows:
- 30% hiring
- 70% everything else
While hiring is a significant part of the job, it’s that “everything else” that we’ll be focusing on in this series. It’s in this 70% where the real magic of building and nurturing awesome teams happens.
Why Focus on Building Awesome Teams?
You might wonder, “Why not focus on the technology or the product?” The answer lies in a fundamental truth of software development: great products are built by great teams, not just great individuals.
An awesome team:
- Collaborates effectively
- Innovates consistently
- Delivers high-quality work
- Adapts to challenges
- Continuously improves
By focusing on building awesome teams, Engineering Managers create the foundation for all of these positive outcomes.
The Shift Towards Self-Managing Teams
In recent years, there’s been a significant shift towards self-managing or self-organizing teams in the tech industry. This approach, championed by methodologies like Agile and frameworks like Scrum, presents both opportunities and challenges for Engineering Managers.
On one hand, self-managing teams can lead to increased ownership, engagement, and job satisfaction among team members. On the other hand, it requires Engineering Managers to adapt their leadership style and find new ways to guide and support their teams without micromanaging.
In the upcoming posts in this series, we’ll dive deep into how to initiate, nurture, and measure the success of self-managing teams. We’ll explore strategies for coaching these teams without undermining their autonomy, and discuss how to create meaningful KPIs that align with business goals.
Wrapping Up
The role of an Engineering Manager is multifaceted and challenging, but at its core, it’s about people. By focusing on building awesome teams, Engineering Managers set the stage for innovation, productivity, and success.
In our next post, we’ll explore what makes a team truly awesome, drawing insights from Google’s groundbreaking research on team effectiveness. Stay tuned!
What aspects of the Engineering Manager role do you find most challenging or interesting? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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