This article discusses the difficulties faced by a woman leader in the corporate world in India. It outlines the actions taken to address the problem, such as bi-weekly catch-ups, building relationships, and reading a book on how to win friends and influence people. It also provides lessons learned, such as understanding people's emotional baggage, managing people differently, and not taking on too much responsibility.

Plato

Shivani Sharma

Senior Engineering Manager at Slack

How to deal with a team with broken communication

When the author joined a team that had not had a dedicated manager for six months, they noticed that communication between its members was broken. To fix the problem, the author sought to understand the team and each team member's perspective, and used weekly team meetings to educate them on teamwork and how to give effective feedback and have difficult conversations. After a few weeks, the team was able to interact effectively without conflict, and gave each other peer-to-peer recognition. The author was able to work with the team to improve communication and build strong working relationships.

Plato

Sabeen Syed

Founder, CEO at SkinGenie at SkinGenie (skingenie.ai)

Creating an Evolving Process to Address Customer Issues

The team was facing an increasing number of issues from different sources, which was disrupting the engineers' workflow. To address this, a community engineer role was created and rotated throughout the team, with the responsibility of handling all ad hoc issues and requests. However, as the team grew, this was too much for one engineer to handle, so the role was decreased and the process was evolved. The importance of having processes and enabling engineers to work undistracted was highlighted, as well as the need for managers to encourage their team to share their thoughts and ideas.

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Marco Ziccardi

Director of Engineering at Doctolib

Managing Underperformance

This article discusses how managers can support team members who are suffering from mental health challenges, such as depression. It outlines the steps taken to support the team member, including acknowledging the issue with other team members, talking to the teammate without diagnosing, giving them time off, talking to HR, and setting up boundaries and expectations. Ultimately, the team member was let go after five months of chaos, but the experience taught the manager valuable lessons about transparency, red flags, and the need for professional help.

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Scott Jones

VP of Product at Real Eyes

Pleading With Your Executive Team

This story is about a company that specialized in mobile app downloads and wanted to get into programmatic ad-buying. The author was recruited to manage the product and business development, and worked closely with the engineering team to increase the throughput of the system. Despite the author's efforts to optimize the system and acquire users for as little as a dollar, the CEO chose to ignore the data and shut the product down a few months later. The author learned that leaders can make ego-driven decisions, and it can be difficult to disagree with them.

Plato

EVP, CTO

There Is No Commitment Without Disagreement

This article discusses a situation in which a team of eight engineers had to deal with a top performer who was not performing up to their usual standards. The team tried various methods to re-engage the individual, but nothing worked. Eventually, the team leader realized that the individual had to be allowed to express their disagreement with the project direction in front of the team. This allowed them to feel comfortable advocating for their point of view and ultimately led to a successful outcome. The article highlights the importance of allowing team members to express their disagreement and creating an environment where everyone feels safe to do so.

Plato

William Bajzek

Sr. Director of Engineering at Sapphire Digital

Inviting Juniors to Learn New Skills

After two decades of software development, the author was looking for a new challenge and found it in team leadership. By taking the initiative to get to know new team members and giving them opportunities to exceed themselves, the author was able to cultivate their talent and eventually pass on their responsibilities as they grew within the company. This experience taught the author the importance of investing in new employees and training their successors.

Plato

Gaurav Sharma

Engineering Manager at GlobalLogic

Bridging the Gap Between Engineering and Product Teams

This article discusses the challenge of dealing with ambiguities in software development and how to bridge the gap between product teams and engineering teams. It outlines the steps taken to set up fundamental agile principles, conduct workshops, and introduce lightweight, agile practices. It also highlights the importance of understanding the “why” behind a need and building trust in order to foster collaboration and innovation.

Plato

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Latest Stories

Ringo Tsang

Engineering Manager at

Balancing Work and Parenthood: Strategies for Engineering Leaders

This text provides tips and strategies for engineering leaders on how to balance the demands of work and parenthood. It emphasizes the importance of managing team expectations, delegating responsibilities, fostering career growth, and effectively managing time zones. The text concludes that with careful planning, effective communication, and a supportive team, it is possible to successfully navigate the challenges of parenthood while excelling in an engineering leadership role.

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Limor Bergman Gross

Executive Coach at LBG Consulting Service Ltd

Navigating the Challenges of Transitioning to an Engineering Manager Role

Transitioning to an engineering manager role comes with its own set of challenges, but by being strategic, building relationships, and advocating for oneself, success can be achieved. It is important to proactively plan one's career and advocate for personal growth and development. Building relationships with key stakeholders and finding allies within the organization can greatly help in advocating for oneself and influencing change. Understanding the motivations of others and aligning interests can also aid in gaining support for ideas. If promotion opportunities are limited, focusing on expanding responsibilities and taking on more challenging tasks can showcase potential for future growth. Seeking out mentors within the organization can provide guidance and support throughout the career transition process. Overall, being proactive, building relationships, and advocating for oneself are key to navigating the challenges of transitioning to an engineering manager role.

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Jose Ciccio

Senior Engineering Manager at Ladder Health

Delegation: The Human Way to Scale Up

Delegation is a crucial tool in engineering leadership that allows teams to scale up effectively. While automation streamlines processes, delegation reflects the human artistry in leadership and has positive side effects such as boosting morale and helping team members grow in their careers. Delegation empowers individuals within a team, leverages diverse skill sets, nurtures leadership skills, enhances decision-making, and adapts to change. By strategically delegating tasks, leaders create a harmonious and empowering work culture that propels their teams towards scalability.

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Harsha Shekar

Senior Engineering Manager at Atlassian

Effective Metrics for Engineering Teams

This article explores the topic of effective metrics for engineering teams. It discusses the importance of metrics in evaluating team performance, the different types of metrics that can be used, and the challenges associated with their use. The article also suggests leveraging personality tests and establishing clear role definitions to improve collaboration and provide guidance for team members. By using metrics in a fair and unbiased manner and implementing these strategies, engineering teams can enhance their performance and achieve their goals more effectively.

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Vikas Malhotra

Senior Engineering Manager at Facebook

Best Practices for Written Communication in Engineering Leadership

This article discusses best practices for written communication in engineering leadership roles. It emphasizes the importance of providing direct and concise answers to questions, while also considering the audience and avoiding unnecessary details. It suggests addressing conflicts diplomatically through in-person or one-on-one meetings, focusing on shared goals and understanding perspectives. The article also highlights the need for improving technical writing skills by being clear and concise in documentation, seeking feedback, and setting goals for professional growth. Overall, effective written communication is crucial in engineering leadership roles, and tailoring communication to the audience is essential.

Plato

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