Your team of engineers is not meeting project deadlines. How can you build your confidence as a leader?

After conducting an initial assessment, it's essential to bring the team together to ensure everyone understands the situation and can express their thoughts and concerns. It's also crucial to reaffirm to the team that we are all part of the same team, which means that any deadlines or time-critical issues must be identified earlier in the future to support each other and succeed, much like in a relay race. As a leader, I have always had confidence in the knowledge that my team works together and supports one another.

The firs step if your Engineering team are not meeting deadline is analize root cause and take action. It's important to accurately understand the capacity of each squad or team, which will enable you to undertake effective planning. This approach ensures that future projects are aligned with the team's capabilities, facilitating on time completion and enhanced productivity.

When we implement agile methodologies in our work, communication becomes a natural part of the process, allowing regular check-ins. However, effective communication doesn't always require a structured process and can be done anytime, depending on how you manage your project. The key is consistently monitoring progress and identifying any issues or risks that could cause delays. It's essential to set a warning threshold and hold meetings early if any stakeholder engagement is required. This approach will help keep the team alert and on track.

Establish trust by communicating confidence in their abilities. Set clear expectations using SMART goals and provide necessary resources. Encourage autonomy to drive ownership and creativity. Make sure you implement feedback loops for ongoing support and promote collaboration for collective success. By effectively delegating and empowering your team, you enhance their motivation, engagement, and sense of ownership. This not only optimizes resource utilization but also fosters a culture of trust, creativity, and innovation within your engineering team. Keep in mind not every team member needs the same kind of support.

Stay open to new skills, technologies, and methodologies to enhance performance. Embrace constructive feedback to improve quality and productivity. Adaptability, resilience, and competence are demonstrated through learning from successes and failures. I personally try to get 2 major courses done per year and a couple of microlearning sessions on a more frequent basis. Especially if you are within the same role or company for some time, outside knowledge keeps you competitive.