3 tips to manage managers
As a manager in a growing organization, you might be facing the transition from managing individual contributors to managing managers: here are 3 tips to help you get through it.
First, let’s clarify what a manager does, or should do.
The role of a manager
In High Output Management, Andrew Grove states:
The single most important task of a manager is to elicit peak performance from their subordinates.
I also like Daniel Jarjoura’s take:
A manager sets and achieves their team’s objectives by providing an environment where individual team members perform at their best.
Given these definitions, if your direct reports are managers, what is the impact on your job as a manager?
Tip#1: accept that the feedback loop is longer
You might be used to being able to quickly evaluate the performance of software engineers: are they able to implement their tasks quickly without generating defects?
For managers, since what they produce is a higher performing team, you have to give them more time before seeing results.
I think 6 months is the right amount of time.
Tip#2: allow safe failure
To maximize learning, you want to create an environment where failure is possible without creating too much damage. For software engineers, it means allowing a fast flow of changes, sometimes broken ones, while making sure the main workflows of the product are still fine, through automated tests for instance.
For managers, you want to give them space and freedom of action, while keeping in mind that serious management failures will have people leave your organization. You need a safety net.
I use skip-level meetings.
Tip#3: act like an investor
When transitionning from managing a team of software engineers to managing a team of engineering managers, you can no longer be involved in every detail of every task. You should start acting like an investor:
- look at KPIs that show you the big picture
- ask questions to learn more on specific topics, usually where things look bad or suspicious
- get involved only when necessary
The figures I like to look at are about quality (ex: bugs) and speed (ex: actual VS expected release date).
Final thought
The higher you are in your organization, the more your satisfaction should come from seeing your team grow and succeed. Be present, but dispensable.
