This article discusses how managers can create a stronger working relationship with their reports by changing the type of questions they ask from closed to open, and by creating a space of psychological safety and vulnerability by sharing their own frustrations and challenges. This exercise helps to build a deeper understanding of each person and can lead to productive conversations around feedback.

Plato

Sachin Shah

CTO at Self Employeed

How to Manage an Employee With Depression

A team leader took on a person with depression for a short-term assignment, and had to manage the person's mental wellbeing alongside the team's delivery timelines. The leader signposted the person to relevant support services, was empathetic, transparent with the team, and encouraged the person to join a mental health programme. The leader also created a calendar for the person to manage their work and time off, and had regular conversations with them. This experience taught the leader to do research, not make assumptions, and be vocal about their support for diversity.

Plato

Fabrice S Robini

Senior Director of Engineering at Thinkific

Remaining Stable and Collaborative While Scaling

This article discusses strategies for keeping engineers motivated and committed while scaling a startup. It suggests using squad/cross-functional team organizations, delegating ownership, tracking performance expectations, doing continuous deployment, tracking KPIs, introducing a squad weekly summary, and allowing engineers to switch squads at a semester frequency. It also emphasizes the importance of giving engineers the right context to make decisions, investing in one-on-one meetings, and avoiding changing organization too often.

Plato

Oscar Mwanandimai

Engineering Manager at HelloFresh

When Asking “WHY” Becomes Counterproductive.

As a manager, it is important to be conscious of the impact of communication and language. Asking too many questions can make others feel defensive and lead to arguments. To avoid this, it is important to change the way of questioning and be prepared for meetings in advance. This will help to have productive discussions and create a positive team culture.

Plato

Dale Bruce Hopkins

CTO at Vendasta

The In-Between of Being an IC and a Manager

A company attempted to create a split role between management and individual contribution, but after two years, realized that it was not working. The role was difficult to succeed in because it was incompatible with the two activities, and many people chose one over the other. The company then decided to make management a dedicated role and to have realistic expectations communicated to team leads.

Plato

Vikash Chhaganlal

Head of Engineering at Xero

DevSecOps: Why, Benefits and Culture Shift

DevSecOps is a combination of development, security, and operations that enables organizations to quickly and securely deliver applications. It is characterized by speed, scale, safety, simplicity, and stewardship. Business benefits include early identification of risks, faster time to market, faster feedback loop, lower cost of change/delivery, and evidence of compliance. Principles for building a DevSecOps culture include short and frequent development cycles, incorporating and automating security, leveraging technologies, wider collaboration, frequent communication, lesser hand-offs, influencing culture shift, and practicing what is preached.

Plato

Jeremy Wight

VP of Engineering at CareMessage

Little ‘P’ Product Owner

To encourage engineers to take ownership of their products, the author suggests having them think of themselves as the "little 'P' product owner" and to think of the product as if it were their own. This encourages them to think about user experience, latency, and other higher-level questions, and helps them to feel more secure about bringing up ideas and working harder.

Plato

Rafal Leszczynski

Engineering Manager at Sourcegraph

Finding Common Ground With Those of Different Backgrounds

A person from Eastern Europe was having difficulty communicating with their team due to cultural differences. After taking time to observe the person, the root cause of the problem was identified and a book on intercultural communication was used to bridge the gap. New expectations were set and the person eventually became one of the top performers. The lessons learned were to never make assumptions, be clear about expectations, and to provide positive feedback.

Plato

Who to follow

Jeffrey Wescott

Technologist, Founder, Dad

Avinash Palayadi

Tech Leader

Janssen Choong

Founder, VP, CTO. Built a few teams & companies, some got acquired.

Mario Hebert

Growth Engineering Leader | Advisor | Mentor | Board Member

Leonardo Andreucci

Experienced Startup VP with 20yrs in Apontador & Creditas. Expertise in people management, mentoring, leadership development

Mark Peter

Engineering Leader | Advisor | Board Member

Connect and Learn with the Best Eng Leaders

We will send you a weekly newsletter with new mentors, circles, peer groups, content, webinars,bounties and free events.

Latest Stories

Hakim Hanif

Sr Software Engineer at Amazon Web Services

Top 7 software bloggers to follow

This blog highlights the top 7 bloggers in the field of software engineering and product development. These bloggers provide valuable insights and ideas on software design, processes, and methodologies. The list includes Martin Fowler, known for his expertise in software patterns; Kent Beck, the creator of Extreme Programming and Test Driven Development; Paul Graham, co-founder of Y Combinator and an expert on startups and entrepreneurship; Jeff Atwood, co-founder of Stack Overflow; Andy Hunt, founder of the Pragmatic Programmer series; Joel Spolsky, a blogger who offers both sensible and surprising perspectives; and Steve Yegge, known for his entertaining content. Following these bloggers can help software engineers improve their skills and gain knowledge from the best in the field.

Plato

Bertrand Deriot

ex VP of Engineering & VP Products at Veepee

Building High-Performing Engineering Teams: Lessons from a Manager

This article discusses the insights and lessons learned from a top-tier engineer on building and leading successful engineering teams. It emphasizes the importance of team dynamics, workload management, performance evaluation, minimizing context switching, and leveraging diverse expertise. By prioritizing these factors, managers can create an environment that fosters collaboration, productivity, and success, ultimately leading to exceptional results.

Plato

David García

Head of Engineering at Cense AG

Challenges Faced by Engineering Leaders in Scaling Teams

Engineering leaders face several challenges when scaling their teams. One key area of focus is providing effective feedback and recognition to team members, which fosters growth and improvement. Building strong relationships and collaboration between engineering and product teams is also crucial. Remote work presents unique challenges, such as lack of trust and engagement, which can be addressed through proactive communication and trust-building. Hiring qualified senior engineers is another challenge, but implementing a rigorous hiring process can help overcome this. By addressing these challenges, engineering leaders can create successful and high-performing teams and a positive work environment.

Plato

David García

Head of Engineering at Cense AG

Effective Strategies for Providing Feedback to Managers

This article discusses effective strategies for providing feedback to managers in the engineering field. It emphasizes the importance of constructive feedback for personal and professional growth. The article provides insights from top-tier engineers, including tips on framing feedback objectively and addressing the manager's impact. It also highlights the significance of promoting junior team members and offers strategies for providing feedback, such as asking for permission and being solution-oriented. Overall, the article emphasizes the value of effective feedback in fostering a positive and productive work environment.

Plato

Jose Ciccio

ex-Senior Engineering Manager at SchoolMint

Maximizing Your Growth: A Guide to Getting the Best from Platohq Mentorship

Plato platform's mentorship program is designed to empower individuals on their journey towards success. By setting clear objectives, establishing a strong relationship with your mentor, actively engaging and participating, seeking feedback and implementing suggestions, continuously learning and growing, and reflecting on the experience, you can maximize the benefits of the mentorship program. Mentorship is a continuous journey of learning and growth, and by embracing the opportunity, you can unlock your full potential in pursuit of your professional aspirations.

Plato

Product

Home Circles 1-on-1 Mentorship Bounties

Explore

Engineering Management Leadership & Strategy Career Growth Roles & Titles Technical Expertise Diversity & Inclusion

Company

Blog Contact us

Legal

LinkedIn Twitter YouTube