Navigating Leadership: A Bootcamp for Engineering Managers
At Doctolib, we recognize Engineering Managers’ pivotal role in guiding teams to success. That’s why we deployed a brand-new Engineering Manager Bootcamp, setting a course toward enhanced leadership prowess and profound impact across our organization.
The Journey Begins
We’re happy to share that 86% of our Engineering Managers (EM) have attended the Bootcamp. The program received highly positive feedback with a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 89! These levels of participation and satisfaction reflect our EMs’ eagerness to embrace their pivotal roles and hone their leadership skills.
The Role of an Engineering Manager
Our training program is a comprehensive voyage into what it truly means to be an Engineering Manager at Doctolib, emphasizing the job’s unique requirements compared to other management positions.
Much like a ship’s captain, an Engineering Manager faces a journey filled with uncertainty, unforeseen obstacles, and vast responsibilities: an EM is fully accountable for the vessel (the stack), the crew (the team), the passengers (the stakeholders), and the mission (the project).
Charting the Engineering Manager Course
We consider management a social science — a domain with its own ground truths, frameworks, and tools that must be learned, practiced, and continually refined. Just as a captain relies on navigational instruments and charts to make informed decisions, EMs must acquire the knowledge and skills to navigate the intricacies of human dynamics, project management, and the organization’s strategy. It’s a dynamic blend of technical prowess and managerial finesse that allows them to understand the projects’ needs while inspiring and guiding their teams toward long-term success.
The bootcamp’s curriculum aligns with Doctolib’s Tech and Product guiding principles, which serve as the bedrock of our organization- what we value and how we make decisions: Mastery, Impact, Highest Standards, Team Ownership, Scale, and User Centricity.
This is what we cover during the Bootcamp:
01-Mastery
- The Role of Engineer Managers
- From a Project to a Product Mindset
- Management as a Social Science
02-Delivery
- Engaging Early in Product Development
- Quality in the SDLC
- Executing and Reporting
- Team of Teams (What Is Your Team?)
03-Tech Ownership
- North Star Architecture
- Tech Debt Management
- Operating Your Code in Production
04-Close
Chat with Alex, our CTO — Sharing, debriefing, and recap
Rising to the Challenge
Engineering Management is a multifaceted role that demands unique skills to cover vast responsibilities. We delve into the key facets of an Engineering Manager’s journey, including project governance, people management, adaptability to change, effective communication, decision-making, and operating critical technological infrastructure.
Guiding Teams to Success
Engineering Managers are responsible for delivering projects on time and within scope, even in the absence of a clear path forward. Similar to how a captain relies on their knowledge of charts, currents, and navigational instruments, EMs must possess a deep understanding of technology and project management methodologies. They navigate through project complexities, ensuring successful completion while efficiently managing resources. This requires leadership, technical expertise, and the ability to make necessary adjustments to ensure project success.
Crew Management
A ship’s captain is responsible for managing a diverse crew, where each member has their own skills and responsibilities. Similarly, an Engineering Manager must effectively lead a team of engineers with different talents and backgrounds. They must foster collaboration, inspire creativity, and ensure everyone works harmoniously toward common goals. Moreover, the EMs cultivate a Growth Mindset that allows the team to develop and continuously improve.
Adapting to Changes
In the face of unexpected challenges, such as changes in scope, technical issues, resource constraints, and shifting deadlines, Engineering Managers must adapt swiftly to keep the project on track. Our program equips EMs with some tools to navigate these challenges while keeping the project on course.
Communication and Decision-Making
Understand the organization’s goals and objectives, translate them into actionable tasks, and make tough choices that impact the project’s success, all while keeping the team and stakeholders well-informed.
Safety and Accountability
Similar to how a ship captain ensures the safety of their ship and its passengers, our EMs bear the responsibility of safeguarding our technological vessel — the software stack — in production environments. Their team’s duty extends to operating critical infrastructure without incidents or defects, withstanding the rigors of real-world use.
Our EMs diligently monitor the health of our systems, implementing rigorous testing, maintenance, and resiliency plans to ensure uninterrupted service. This shared commitment to safety underscores the gravity of their roles and the importance of their mastery of both technology and management.
Setting Sail Towards Success
The Engineering Manager Bootcamp is just one example of Doctolib’s commitment to fostering leadership excellence within our organization.
In the upcoming months, we will work on delivering a new Engineering Management training, this time focusing on aspiring managers — individual contributors who are considering the management track to develop their careers. In this upcoming training, we will emphasize what it means to be an Engineering Manager at Doctolib, the required skills and experience needed before taking on the role, and how to acquire that relevant experience and knowledge before a formal EM assignment.
Stay tuned for more updates on our journey as we continue to navigate the seas of leadership together!
