When we think about successful technology teams, there is a tendency to primarily focus on the technology being created rather than the people who are creating it. While both approaches can lead to successful products, a technology-first approach is often the default when software engineers become managers without necessarily having the right tools to manage effectively. Becoming an engineering manager requires an entirely new skill set that involves different communication styles, time management, organization, tools and software, scoping work, learning how to effectively delegate and identifying the right people to complete the team.
As a CTO, and having gone through this transition, I have noticed that the more a manager is able to be in sync with the people on their team, the less burnout they experience, the higher the employee retention rates and the better work their employees will do.
While most people won’t be entirely people- or technology-focused, here is a quick overview of the differences:
- A team-oriented manager knows the personal and professional struggles their people are experiencing, and there’s a sense that the team they run is all working together on a mission toward the same goal. When you talk to this type of manager, they will naturally gravitate towards giving status updates on the wellbeing of individuals.
- Managers who tend to see the team through a more technical lens will instead identify parts of the project or technological or strategic roadblocks that are impacting the team.
The same issues will be dealt with very differently by these different types of managers. It can be beneficial to record yourself when you are talking about your team to identify where your focus is, and evaluate if that feels right for you.
Building Effective 1:1 Communication with Team Members
An individual contributor is normally accustomed to arriving at weekly 1:1s and working with their manager to solve any problems they may have. When they become a manager, it becomes their role to coach team members to solve their own problems, in addition to building trust. This role change takes preparation, and, if you are unsure how to do it well, you may find it helpful to draft out an agenda that you can follow if needed. You can also gain knowledge about this process by talking to more experienced managers.
What do you talk about in your 1:1 meetings? Even if you are more a technology-oriented person, 1:1 meetings with your team should be less about the status of projects and more about how the person you are speaking to is doing and how you, as a manager, can help. Having started as a software engineer myself, and now as a CTO, I have found the below questions to be helpful as I navigate how best to help my team thrive in their roles.
- “How are you doing?” If you are speaking with a team manager, another great question is, “How is your team doing?” You want to genuinely understand the status of the individual outside of the technical aspects of the job.
- “Do you have any feedback for me?”
I always ask for feedback. For a while, they may not have any; but I often find they start with a small one like “Better options for snacks.” This is an excellent opportunity to build trust by improving the work experience. The next time, they will probably share more until you receive really important feedback, while also improving the relationship. The important thing to remember, here, is to respond to the feedback. - “On a scale of zero to 10, how much fun are you having at work?”
I really want people to have fun at work. You can ask them to give you a number between zero and ten. When they respond with a number, say, six, a great follow-up question can be to ask what is needed to change the situation so that number becomes a seven. How can you help get them there? I have heard a wide spectrum of answers to this question, ranging from easy to complex; from things like permission to be unresponsive for an hour a day to the desire to learn the skills needed to do a different type of job. - “Where do you see yourself in the next two years and 10 years?”
Helping your team define both long and short term goals is a really important part of being a manager. Specifically for engineers, it is a great idea to think about if you want to continue moving up in an engineering role, or if making the switch to a managerial role is a better fit. - “How can I help you get to the next level in your career?”
It is common to get sidetracked when balancing your day-to-day work with your personal life. You can also use 1:1 meetings to help your team members identify what they can do to hit their short- and long-term goals, and how to maintain a better work-life balance.
Supporting Colleagues
This last year has been tough for most people, to varying degrees, which has solidified the idea that we need to be there for team members during difficult times; this goes beyond the pandemic. That can mean sending their favorite meal via delivery, sending a care package or simply making it very clear that when someone on your team needs to step out or take time off, that is fine – no questions asked. To be able to be offline and not need to do a long handoff is so important when you are going through a hard time.
During this move to remote work, as in many leadership teams, my company has gone against the cultural norm of keeping life and work separate. We have acknowledged that it is too difficult to do that right now, and very publicly recognized that everyone is going through something. It has felt like mental bandwidth is filled up with things going on outside of work, so as team members, it is good to make sure work doesn’t add to that pressure.
In a way, this pandemic period has broken down barriers between work and “life” that has made it almost obligatory to focus on people first. From my perspective, this has been a breakthrough in how we can do business moving forward. By thinking about each individual on your team, everyone can be uplifted and heard, which can be the impetus to more innovation. If you are operating at your max with no slack in your system and little support from managers and teammates, you lose creativity. As innovative teams, this experience has been a reminder to build people-first principles into our cultures to promote a healthy work-life balance that lends itself to innovative solutions and better results.