‘Hello, World!’ For Engineering Managers

We’ve all been there. Maybe multiple times.

Whether a manual or a semi-automated process, it’s an initiation rite. Writing a program that displays ‘Hello, World!’ to the console, in a browser, on a mobile device, or on a custom display. Running it and sighing with joy and accomplishment — Yup, it works! Now I can start solving real problems…

But what is the ‘Hello World!’ equivalent in Engineering Management?

Depending on how your company defines the role, it could be either one or more of:

• Your first project victory. Delivering your first initiative on time and on budget.
• Your first technical victory. Delivering your first design that stands the test of time.
• Your first Team Member victory. From interview to hiring, probation, career growth, and maintaining engagement, to the eventual departure.
• Your first team victory. The moment the team realize and appreciate you sticking up for them and protecting them from disturbance.

As with picking up a new programming language, your ‘Hello, World!’ moment is just the start of solving real problems: project delays, unexpected technical complexities, the more or less dreaded performance management, and intra- or inter-team conflicts.

We eventually succeed in our goal of achieving proficiency, with sufficient time and effort. But then we move on. Teams split. Projects end. Reorganizations happen. People leave. And when we start again with a new team, we go back to basics. Not for our sake necessarily, but for that of our team, until we get to know each other.

The opportunity to improve ourselves at each step of the way is a welcomed bonus. It’s why I love Engineering Management — almost never a dull moment.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this article, I believe you’ll be interested in delivering organizational change incrementally using the mechanism of storytelling. More here.