Individual Contributor Roles

Managers: The One-on-One is not your meeting

One-on-One meetings should not be used by managers as a platform to set their own agenda, but rather as an opportunity for team members to communicate their own topics and seek guidance. Managers should encourage team members to come prepared with their own agenda and goals, and should foster an environment of honest dialogue and deep understanding. Managers should also use these meetings to identify growth opportunities and provide support and guidance. By approaching one-on-one meetings as collaborative sessions, managers can facilitate personal growth, honest communication, and a more productive and motivated team.

Making New Hires Effective Quickly

This article discusses the importance of assigning a mentor or "buddy" to new hires in a fast-growing startup. It also outlines the concept of "Leave a Trace," which is a practice of having new hires improve the new hire process. The article further discusses the importance of fostering a growth mindset and having a well-defined spin-up process. It also provides links to various resources related to developer productivity.

Deciding if Management Is Right for You

After taking a year to reflect on the implications of a management role, this engineer decided to take the leap. They started small, mentoring other engineers and leading an initiative to unify the organization's architecture. This gave them the confidence to decide that they could be a good manager, and they learned that being a great engineer doesn't necessarily mean being a great manager. They also realized the importance of being a mentor and giving back to the community.

My experience shadowing an Engineering Director for a week

During the first week of February 2023, I shadowed Wayne Haber, the leader of the Secure, Govern, Data Science, and Growth teams at GitLab. GitLab is an open source, remote-first company, and Wayne opened up his Development Director Shadow Program to external participants. I had to sign an NDA and complete a checklist before my first day, and I followed Wayne's meetings and took notes. At the end of the week, I provided honest feedback and he welcomed and appreciated my suggestions. I found my shadowing experience worthwhile and highly recommend it to anyone interested in engineering management.

Effective Feedback Mechanism

Feedback is a powerful tool for Leaders, but it can be daunting for those who are new to it. To use it effectively, Leaders must have the right mindset, skillset, and toolset. This includes appreciating the good work of the individual, communicating what needs improvement and how to improve, delivering feedback in a positive way, building trust and rapport, and understanding the individual's career aspirations. With the right mindset, skillset, and toolset, Leaders can use feedback to help their team members grow and reach their goals.