Engineering Management Guild: A Nexus of Learning, Alignment, and Growth
Part of The PIRATE Way — Stories about scaling up engineering teams
Origins
The inception of our Engineering Management Guild traces back to the enriched learning atmosphere fostered during our training program, a collaborative venture with Dave Garcia, the former SVP of Engineering at TravelPerk. The communal spirit and vibrant energy that emanated from this learning space didn’t just end at the program’s conclusion; it marked the genesis of something transformative — the Engineering Management Guild.
Guilds and Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
Here’s a brief introduction to guilds and SIGs for those less acquainted with the terminology.
Guilds
Guilds are cross-functional groups within an organization, crafted to foster knowledge sharing and innovation around specific skills or interests. They eclipse traditional team and project boundaries to instill a culture of continuous learning and collaboration.
Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
On the other hand, SIGs are nimble collectives formed to address specific issues or explore concentrated topics within the broader scope of the guild. These groups are temporal, assembling to tackle immediate challenges and dissolving upon accomplishing their objectives.
SIGs often emerge as a practical recourse when the guild expands, becoming cumbersome to manage, and there’s a need to propel varied initiatives concurrently.
For the particular domain we are evaluating here, imagine the following examples:
- A group of Engineering Managers is leading an iteration on the onboarding process, conducting a survey, and taking action on the feedback to raise the onboarding effectiveness.
- A group of Engineering Managers is leading an iteration of the competency framework, collecting feedback, and rolling out a change to enhance it.
The EM Guild’s Rules
Our Engineering Management Guild operates under a defined set of rules engineered to facilitate a constructive and cooperative milieu:
- Non-Open: Entrance is granted to individuals who have either completed the Engineering Management Training Program or have a rich background in management.
- Non-Optional: Participation isn’t a choice but a requirement. Every session is deemed essential, making attendance compulsory for every engineering manager.
- Biweekly Meetings: Sessions are held biweekly in a designated slot, ensuring consistency and enabling members to plan their schedules accordingly.
- Agenda/Host: Initially, my role was to steer the meetings and orchestrate the agenda. Yet, the aim is to encourage participation and leadership from all, especially senior managers.
The Guild’s Impact
The guild isn’t just a meeting point but a catalyst for multiple developmental pathways:
- Problem-Solving: It’s a sanctuary where organizational challenges are tabled, and collective intelligence is harnessed for solutions.
- HR Alignment: Our HRBP utilizes the guild for change management communication and alignment.
- Support for New Managers: For the novices in leadership, the guild is a safe space for navigating and dissecting unique managerial challenges.
- Feedback Mechanism: It serves as a direct conduit for feedback to senior leaders and HRBPs, spurring a culture of continuous refinement.
Ownership and Engagement
As the guild matured, a shift towards ownership became evident. Managers weren’t just passive consumers of content but active contributors, morphing each session into a rich reservoir of shared wisdom.
Key Learnings
Initial Leadership is Crucial
The genesis of a guild calls for a leader’s touch, primarily to instigate content creation and engagement. Although the integration of recurrent processes facilitates discussion, the pinnacle of success is reached when members become active content contributors.
Encouraging Autonomy
The zenith of a guild’s evolution is a self-directed entity where each member is a learner and a contributor. Such dynamism ensures the guild’s relevance and vitality.
In Conclusion
The Engineering Management Guild stands as an indispensable asset, especially in the context of scaling teams. It’s not just a forum but a crucible where challenges are dissected, alignment is forged, and continuous managerial development is nurtured. Each convened session isn’t just a meeting but a progressive stride towards immediate problem resolution and cementing pillars for enduring success and organizational growth.
Remember: This is a blog post from the series “The PIRATE way.”
