If you're an engineer transitioning to a managerial role, you might face some challenges and opportunities that require you to adapt your skills and mindset. Engineering management is not just about technical expertise, but also about leading people, projects, and processes. Here are some tips to help you succeed in your new role.
One of the best ways to grow as an engineering manager is to learn from other managers who have been in your shoes. Seek out mentors, peers, and coaches who can offer you advice, feedback, and support. You can also join online communities, podcasts, and blogs that focus on engineering management topics. By learning from others, you can avoid common pitfalls, discover best practices, and develop your own style.
Having worked with several managers in the production and construction industry, the most effective and successful were the ones who understood the technical intricacies of the process in addition to planning, prioritizing, and strategizing. Due to their core knowledge and understanding of the job being done, they were able to display traits of compassion and empathy, thus creating an environment where their engineers and subordinates felt valued and heard, especially when facing challenges.
Managing people is a totally different ball game than managing code or features. Now you need to learn delegation, strategy, task management, etc. You can either do it on your own which will cause time loss and a lot of errors. Or, you can learn from someone who has done it already. You would still make some mistakes but they would not be silly or rookie mistakes that can get you in trouble. Plus, your rate of growth would be much higher if you get a good mentor.
Time to ditch the solo problem-solving hat and wear a team champion one! Focus on empowering your engineers, delegate effectively, and become a master communicator. Learn to lead, manage projects, and navigate conflicts. Seek mentors, network, and keep some technical skills sharp. It's a climb, but you've got this!
As an engineering manager, you need to communicate with different audiences, such as your team, your stakeholders, your customers, and your senior leaders. You need to be clear, concise, and consistent in your messages, and tailor them to the needs and expectations of each group. You also need to listen actively, ask questions, and solicit feedback. Communication is key to building trust, alignment, and collaboration.
MS Dhoni once said that when you are managing people, there is no such thing as common sense. That means that you need to start actively communicating about the smallest of things. You would have to get in the habit of repeating things and making sure everyone else in your team is also overcommunicating. In addition to overcommunication, you need to understand how to best communicate with different people. Talking to a client will differ vastly from talking to members of your team. Your tone, frequency, language and a lot more will have to become adaptable to the situation and the person in front.
One of the biggest challenges for new engineering managers is to delegate tasks and responsibilities to their team members. You might be tempted to micromanage, do everything yourself, or intervene too much. However, this can undermine your team's autonomy, creativity, and motivation. Instead, you should delegate and empower your team by setting clear goals, providing guidance and resources, and trusting them to deliver. This will free up your time to focus on strategic and managerial tasks, and enable your team to grow and excel.
One of the hardest habits for new managers to conquer is the instinct to do everything themselves for the sake of speed and quality. Trusting someone else to get the job done when they are ultimately responsible for the work is extremely difficult in the beginning. Unfortunately, no amount of mentorship or courses can prepare you for this. Practice and conscious control are the only ways you will be able to develop this skill. But its an important skillset for anyone in a leadership position and you'd soon hit a glass ceiling if you are not able to leverage your team optimially.
As an engineering manager, you are responsible for developing your team's skills, performance, and career. You should provide regular and constructive feedback, recognition, and coaching to your team members. You should also help them identify their strengths, areas for improvement, and learning opportunities. You should foster a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and feedback within your team. By developing your team, you can increase their engagement, retention, and productivity.
Team mentorship and growth is one of the primary responsibilities of any leader. If people in your team are not learning and constantly getting better, then you are doing a disservice to them because their competition is getting ahead while they are stuck with the same skills and experience. When the tasks get repetitive or mundane, encourage the team to experiment and try innovative ways to optimize the solution further. Cultivate a habit of contributing to open-source projects. It will help your team grow while increasing both their and the company's reputation. One of our clients kept a separate budget for their engineering team to experiment with new technologies even if they were in no way related to the core product.
Another challenge for new engineering managers is to manage their time effectively. You might have multiple competing priorities, deadlines, and interruptions that demand your attention. You might also struggle to balance your managerial duties with your technical ones. To manage your time better, you should prioritize your tasks based on their urgency and importance, and plan your schedule accordingly. You should also set boundaries, delegate, and automate where possible. You should also carve out some time for yourself to reflect, recharge, and learn.
As an engineering manager, you need to be adaptable and resilient in the face of change. You might encounter changes in technology, customer needs, market conditions, or organizational goals. You might also need to implement changes within your team or department. To embrace change, you should be open-minded, flexible, and proactive. You should also communicate the vision, purpose, and benefits of change to your team and stakeholders. You should also anticipate and address any challenges or resistance that might arise.
I agree with your thoughts. Specially rather than own perspective, once we become manager, we have understand others perspective.