Many individual contributors (ICs) never experience a good manager due to a lack of good managers in the industry. The tech industry, particularly startups, had a negative perception of management and hierarchy in the past. However, good management is crucial for effective engineering teams and companies. The speaker wrote a book to provide valuable material and help people understand the technical discipline of management. The ideology of management being bad has become pervasive in startups because in the early stages, when a startup is small and everyone is closely working together towards obvious objectives, management is not seen as necessary. As the startup grows and more people are involved, coordination and structure become important. Some people mistakenly believe that success is solely based on getting smart people together and letting them do what they think is right, leading to a disregard for management. In the first 90 days of managing a team, a new manager should focus on getting comfortable with the routines of management, such as having one-on-one meetings with team members and addressing interpersonal issues. The most profound aspect of the topic is the importance of creating a cohesive team and fostering collaboration within the first 90 days of becoming a manager. Remote work and managing remote teams can be challenging, but there are strategies to build camaraderie and team culture, such as physically bringing the team together and regular non-work virtual meetings. Rookie managers often make the mistake of relying solely on coding to solve team problems and avoiding addressing interpersonal issues within their team. Letting people go in a technical team management role involves recognizing signs of misconduct and addressing productivity issues. Being a manager and still wanting to write code can be a struggle, and it's important to be patient and not force oneself to be a manager if it's not the right fit. Feeling overwhelmed as a manager is a common challenge, and seeking guidance from coaches, mentors, and friends can be beneficial. To get a team to gel and be productive, it is important to have clear values and reinforce them, as well as encourage collaboration and communication. Giving people kudos by being specific in praising individuals and allowing public recognition can create a positive work environment. Non-engineers running engineering teams is generally not preferred, as engineering management is a technical discipline and having engineers as managers brings credibility and understanding to the team. Staying technically legitimate as a manager involves regularly engaging with technical senior friends, receiving design presentations, reading design documents, and asking insightful questions to engineers. Leadership is a multifaceted skill that encompasses execution, strategic thinking, and interpersonal charisma, while management excels in execution and interpersonal skills. Successful managers possess strong leadership skills, providing clarity and simplifying complex problems. Building trust and a track record of good decision-making are crucial for developing leadership abilities.
Intro
- Camille Fournier is a managing director at 2 Sigma and former CTO of Rent the Runway
- She has written a book called "The Manager's Path" and is currently editing another book called "97 Things Every Engineering Manager Should Know"
Why do many individual contributors (ICs) never experience a good manager?
Many individual contributors (ICs) never experience a good manager due to a lack of good managers in the industry. The tech industry, particularly startups, had a negative perception of management and hierarchy in the past, considering it bureaucratic and a waste of time. However, good management is crucial for effective engineering teams and companies. The speaker, who had observed the importance of good management and had friends with bad management experiences, wrote a book to provide valuable material and help people appreciate and understand the technical discipline of management.
- Lack of good managers in the industry is a reason why many ICs never experience a good manager.
- The tech industry, especially startups, had a negative perception of management and hierarchy in the past.
- Good management is essential for effective engineering teams and companies.
- The speaker wrote a book to provide valuable material and help people understand the technical discipline of management.
How did the ideology of management being bad become pervasive in startups?
The ideology of management being bad has become pervasive in startups because:
- In the early stages, when a startup is small and everyone is closely working together towards obvious objectives, management is not seen as necessary.
- As the startup grows and more people are involved, coordination and structure become important.
- Some people mistakenly believe that success is solely based on getting smart people together and letting them do what they think is right, leading to a disregard for management.
- The transition from an individual contributor to a manager is a significant shift in responsibilities and requires a different set of skills.
What should a new manager do in their first 90 days?
In the first 90 days of managing a team, a new manager should focus on getting comfortable with the routines of management.
Key points:
- Have one-on-one meetings with team members to establish open lines of communication
- Address interpersonal issues, provide guidance, and address career and benefits concerns
- Navigate the balance between being approachable and maintaining authority
- Avoid intimidating employees and encourage them to bring up smaller issues
Getting better at 1:1s
- Developing empathy and treating people as human beings is crucial for creating a safe and trusting environment.
- Regular one-on-one meetings are recommended, with the frequency depending on the type of work and level of interaction.
- The goal is to build trust, encourage open communication, and create a psychologically safe team.
- Individuals should feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and concerns during these meetings.
More tips for the first 90 days
The most profound aspect of the topic is the importance of creating a cohesive team and fostering collaboration within the first 90 days of becoming a manager.
Key points:
- Regular team meetings to discuss projects, identify challenges, and build a sense of identity as a team.
- Moving away from individualistic work styles and encouraging teamwork, such as code reviews and collaborative design.
- Relevance of these practices in the context of remote work.
Remote work
Remote work and managing remote teams can be challenging, but there are strategies to build camaraderie and team culture.
Key points:
- Physically bringing the team together every quarter or twice a year fosters connection and collaboration.
- Regular non-work virtual meetings, like "afternoon tea," allow team members to socialize and bond.
- Timezone syncing is crucial for effective collaboration when team members are in different time zones.
Mistakes rookie managers make
Rookie managers often make the mistake of relying solely on coding to solve team problems, instead of identifying the root cause and finding alternative solutions. They should balance technical skills with broader team management responsibilities. Additionally, they often avoid addressing interpersonal issues within their team, which is crucial for effective management. Developing the skill of having difficult conversations is important for rookie managers.
Key points:
- Rookie managers default to writing code to solve team problems
- They should focus on identifying the root cause and finding alternative solutions
- Balancing technical skills with team management responsibilities is important
- Rookie managers often avoid addressing interpersonal issues within their team
- They should have difficult conversations and take necessary actions
- Developing the skill of having hard conversations is crucial for rookie managers.
Letting people go
Letting people go in a technical team management role involves recognizing signs of misconduct and addressing productivity issues. Key points include:
- Signs indicating the need to let someone go: stealing, lying, harassing colleagues, and screaming at people.
- Challenges of dealing with unproductive or negative employees without obvious misconduct.
- Using a performance improvement plan to address productivity issues and setting clear expectations.
- Importance of letting go of team members with consistently negative attitudes that drain productivity.
- Negative energy from such individuals can significantly impact team happiness and productivity.
- Removing negative individuals can surprisingly result in a positive impact.
Being a manager and still wanting to write code
Being a manager and still wanting to write code can be a struggle. It takes time to develop mastery in management and it's important to be patient. If after giving it your all, you still hate it, don't force yourself to be a manager. Good companies have separate career tracks that don't require managing people. It's rare to find experienced engineers who are comfortable not managing and can lead through influence. Don't force yourself to be a manager if it's not the right fit for you. The speaker discusses their opinion on side projects and the potential downsides of being too focused on them. They also mention the common feeling of being overwhelmed as a new manager.
Feeling overwhelmed as a manager
Feeling overwhelmed as a manager is a common challenge. It is important for managers to recognize when they need help and ask for it. Seeking guidance from coaches, mentors, and friends can be beneficial in managing technical teams effectively.
Getting a team to gel
To get a team to gel and be productive, it is important to have clear values and reinforce them. Teams that don't gel usually have a values mismatch. Managers should reinforce shared cultural values and set expectations for behavior. Collaboration and communication are key aspects of team gelling.
- Clear values and cultural fit are important for team gelling
- Reinforce shared cultural values and set behavior expectations
- Collaboration and communication are key aspects of team gelling
- Hiring individuals who are willing to collaborate and support their own software is crucial
- Clearly communicate expectations and cultural values during the hiring process
- Trial periods and alternative roles can be beneficial for team gelling
- Identify and leverage individual strengths for the benefit of the entire organization
- Find the right role for each team member based on their strengths and talents
- Recognize and appreciate team members for their contributions.
Giving people kudos
- The importance of being specific in praising individuals and understanding their preferences for public or private recognition is emphasized.
- Allowing team members to publicly thank their co-workers during all-hands meetings is mentioned as a practice to encourage open praise and create a positive work environment.
Non-engineers running engineering teams
- Non-engineers running engineering teams is generally not preferred
- Engineering management is a technical discipline
- Having engineers as managers brings credibility and understanding to the team
- Non-technical managers often struggle to answer technical questions
- Non-engineers end up playing a "manager telephone" role, which is inefficient
- Effective management involves more than just people management
- Understanding the work and challenges of an engineering team is crucial for effective management.
Staying legit technically as a manager
Staying technically legitimate as a manager involves:
- Regularly engaging with technical senior friends to discuss systems and their evolution
- Receiving design presentations and having experience in software and systems architecture
- Reading design documents and understanding the inner workings of systems
- Asking insightful questions to engineers, demonstrating knowledge and interest
- Recognizing the distinction between management and leadership.
Management vs leadership
Leadership is a multifaceted skill that encompasses execution, strategic thinking, and interpersonal charisma. Managers excel in execution and interpersonal skills, while leaders inspire others to follow based on trust or a compelling vision. Successful managers possess strong leadership skills, providing clarity and simplifying complex problems. Building trust and a track record of good decision-making are crucial for developing leadership abilities. The video emphasizes the importance of explaining and simplifying decision-making processes, as well as the significance of interpersonal skills in creating a positive work environment.