Engineering 1-on-1’s: Strive to Make a Difference

Dave Schuman
Aug 8, 2017 · 3 min read

There are many theories about the most effective way to structure engineering management 1-on-1's. So I’ll begin with the obvious caveat that the thoughts in this article are rooted in my opinions. So, your mileage may vary.

When I consider what it takes to achieve success when managing an engineer, I feel like it boils down to 2 main themes… trust and happiness. These themes ultimately cascade into productivity, like so:

Where there is trust, there is more likely to be happiness. Where there is happiness, there is more likely to be motivation. And where there is motivation, there is likely to be productivity.

I’d like to tell you about a “technique” I use to enhance trust and happiness through 1-on-1's with the engineers in my organization. In a nutshell, it’s all about making a difference. In each 1-on-1, I try to be as present as possible and laser-focused on figuring out how I can make a difference for this person this week.

In every 1-on-1, I strive to figure out this little puzzle…

Is there something making this engineer less than perfectly happy this week? Is there something this engineer wants to do but is not currently able to? To try and figure this all out, I’ll often ask the question, “On a scale of 1–10, how happy are you working at our company?” If the answer is anything less than 10, that can be a great opening for figuring out some way to make a difference.

And what if they say “10"?

Is anyone really so satisfied that there’s no way to make a difference for them? I doubt that. So I dig deeper… is there some knowledge you want that you don’t currently have access to? Is there anything that can make you more comfortable at work? Sometimes I strike out. It can be really hard, and I’ll admit that I occasionally don’t try hard enough. As much as possible, though, I stay focused and am able to find some way to make a difference.

Once I determine how I can make a difference, the next step is to execute on it.

Not next week, not in a few days, not next time I remember… it has to happen now. Ok, maybe by the end of the day if the schedule is busy. The trust comes from being willing and able to deliver on a promise in a timely manner. If it requires extra time or another person, I give my engineer the play-by-play and apologize promptly for any delays. I have found that nothing helps build trust more than the ability to do what I said I’d do for each of my engineers. Once the trust is there, the happiness typically follows. Part of the happiness might be based on the specific way I’d made a difference, but I suspect the trust itself goes a long way toward providing the happiness.

Once the trust is there, the happiness typically follows.

So every week, in every 1-on-1, I try to make a difference. When I coach other engineering managers, I challenge them to do the same. Which begs the question, “Does building trust through making a difference only apply to managing engineers?” Since I’ve only ever managed engineers, I suppose I don’t know. But I’d imagine it couldn’t hurt to try.

In summary, in every 1-on-1, I try to:

  • Dig deep to figure out how to make a difference this week
  • Deliver promptly on my promise
  • Reap the rewards of happy engineers

Easy enough.

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