Platform Engineering Teams

considerations & challenges for leading them.

In the previous article, I discussed the importance of platform engineering for increasing the pace of delivery and driving innovation within organizations. In this article, we’ll delve deeper into the specific challenges and considerations for leading a platform engineering team.

What is Platform Engineering?

Platform engineering is the practice of building and maintaining platforms that can be used by other teams to build and deploy their own products and services. A successful platform engineering team must have a balance of software engineering, system administration and product management skills to design, develop and maintain the platform, and provide support and guidance to other teams using it. When you are part of a platform team, it’s important to have a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of each Product team and to establish clear communication channels between the ‘platform’ and other teams.

What qualifications are required?

In addition to deep technical expertise in software engineering and systems administration, successful platform leaders also need strong product management and leadership skills. Team members must be able to understand the needs of both the platform and product teams, and to make decisions that align with the overall goals of the organization. Leading a platform engineering team requires a unique set of skills.

1. Deep technical expertise in areas such as cloud computing, infrastructure, and automation.
2. Product management skills to understand and meet the needs of internal customers.
3. Communication and collaboration skills to effectively work with other teams and departments.
4. Familiarity with monitoring and measuring processes to ensure platform reliability and performance.
5. Ability to handle complexity, to adapt to changing technologies and to tackle common issues and improve workflow efficiency.

If you already have this in your team, bravo!

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

Now the key to successful team collaboration is to create a clear direction and goals that are challenging but achievable, and that are important to the team members. Your team also need a strong structure with the right mix of skills and diversity like chaos engineering, finops, webperf… with clear roles!

It’s important to create a supportive context where team members feel comfortable sharing information and ideas and where there is a sense of trust and psychological safety. A shared mindset that promotes cooperation also plays an important role in successful team effectiveness.

Evaluating Your Team

Evaluating team effectiveness can be a complex process, as it involves assessing multiple factors that contribute to the overall performance of the team. The basics of team effectiveness were identified by J. Richard Hackman, a pioneer in the field of organizational behavior who began studying teams in the 1970s. According to Hackman, one way to evaluate team effectiveness is to use three main criteria: output, collaborative ability, and members’ individual development.

1. Output: One of the most important ways to evaluate the effectiveness of a platform engineering team is by measuring the output of the team. This includes the number of features and capabilities delivered, the speed at which they are delivered, and the quality of the deliverables. To measure output, it is important to establish clear goals and metrics for the team each quarters, and to track output progress over time.
2. Collaborative ability: The ability of the team to work together effectively is also an important aspect of team effectiveness. This includes the ability of team members to communicate effectively, to share knowledge and expertise, and to collaborate on problem-solving and decision-making. To evaluate collaborative ability, it is important to observe team interactions, to gather feedback from team members to find always better ways to collaborate.
3. Members’ individual development: The ability of the team to foster the professional development of its members is another key aspect of team effectiveness. This includes providing opportunities for members to learn new skills, to take on new challenges, and to grow in their roles. To evaluate individual development, it is important to track the progress of individual team members, to provide opportunities for professional development, and to gather feedback from team members on their growth and development.

Management Strategies

The approach I strive to implement on a daily basis:

1. Clear communication and transparency: Ensure that team members have a clear understanding of the team’s mission, goals, and expectations. Keep them informed of the team’s progress and any changes that may affect them.
2. Work-life balance: Provide team members with flexible work arrangements to help them balance their work and personal responsibilities. This can include remote working, flexible schedules.
3. Empowerment and autonomy: Give team members the autonomy to make decisions and solve problems. This will help them feel more invested in the team’s success. I tend to emphasize the common success of the team when evaluating the objectives at the end of the quarter, because I want to push the team to always collaborate more.
4. Building a positive team: Create a positive culture that promotes sharing and teamwork. This will help team members feel more engaged and committed to the team’s success.
5. Regularly check-ins: Regularly check-in with team members to understand their needs, concerns, and ideas. I take the time to see each person on the team very regularly, every week or 15 days depending on the size of the team. This helps me identify potential problems at an early stage and treat them before they become bigger problems.

Conclusion

Platform engineering is the art of building and maintaining ‘digital cathedrals’ that empower engineering teams to construct their own grandiose edifices of innovation. It’s about creating a ‘symphony’ of reusable components, tools and services that come together in perfect harmony.

It’s a crucial practice for organizations looking to increase the pace of delivery and drive innovation. By understanding the difference between platform and ‘classic’ Product teams, and by hiring and developing the right skills, you can ensure that your platform engineering efforts will be successful!

I recall again here, 3 key elements to keep in mind while guiding the team:

• Establish clear mission and roles for the platform team to provide focus and direction.
• Foster a product mindset and gather feedback from internal customers to ensure the platform is meeting their needs (User Research).
• Encourage a shared mindset and address common problems to improve overall team collaboration and prevent “us versus them” thinking…

Want to better understand what to expect from a platform engineer? Please read this previous article, “ What is a Platform Engineer? ”.

If you found this article helpful or interesting, please consider sharing it with your friends or colleagues, or contacting the author to learn more. I would love to hear from you! — Clement Hussenot