The Engineering Manager Toolkit — Part 1: Managing People

Congratulations on your new role as a manager or your ambition to become one!

As someone who started their journey into management around five years ago, I remember vividly the foundational knowledge I wish I had at the beginning. In this small series of blog posts, I aim to provide you with a brief overview and some pointers that can help you navigate the challenges of managing a team more effectively.

The main areas I’ll cover are creating your team, managing your team, leading from the front and behind, and decision-making. Within these areas, I’ll share insights on interviewing tips, conducting 1:1s, handling low performers, and leadership strategies.

Keep an eye out for “Pro Tips” scattered throughout the post where I share useful information to aid you on your manager journey. Whether you’re newly promoted or aspiring to become a manager, I hope this guide serves as a valuable resource to help you succeed in your new role.

With this in mind, let’s start!

You have been promoted to the Manager Role! So what’s now? Let’s start by having a team.

Creating your Team

In my interviews, I find it extremely important to define and adhere to a specific process. It begins with an introductory phase, where I set the stage for the conversation.

Then, I dive into the candidate’s work experience to understand their background better.

After that, I conduct a technical deep dive into their past projects and experiences. However, the most intriguing part for me is what I call the ‘hard questions.’

These questions are designed to uncover more about the candidate’s motivation, interests, and how they would fit as a team member. It’s an essential part of the interview process for me because it helps me gauge the candidate’s potential beyond just their technical skills.

Here are a few “hard questions” worth considering:

1. What’s quality to you? What makes code and project scalable?

This question intentionally encompasses a broad scope, aiming to gauge the candidate’s main focus area and the depth of their understanding. It’s not about expecting a comprehensive answer during the interview; rather, it’s about understanding whether the candidate’s perspective aligns with the role you’re looking to fill. Do they prioritize a product-centric approach or focus on code fundamentals? Do they emphasize basic practices like unit testing or consider broader design patterns and principles? The response provides valuable insight into the candidate’s experience and thought process.

2. What’s a mistake you’ve made in the past and how did you handle it?

This question serves to identify candidates who may exhibit a “God Complex” by never admitting to past mistakes. Such behavior can signal an inability to integrate within a team. Additionally, the answer to this question reveals the candidate’s ability to learn from errors and implement corrective actions. It’s valuable to end the response with reflections on lessons learned, for example: “…and from that experience, I realized the importance of avoiding direct manipulation of production data without using APIs.”

3. What achievement are you most proud of?

This question delves into the candidate’s passion for their work and their level of engagement. The significance of the achievement isn’t about its scale or magnitude but rather about the enthusiasm the candidate demonstrates. Different levels may have different types of accomplishments, but the goal is to gauge the candidate’s dedication to their work and their overall attitude towards their tasks.

When approaching the hard questions, it’s important to keep a few things in mind:

Be Generic. You want to keep your questions broad to encourage candidates to interpret them in their own way. This allows you to probe their understanding and thought process effectively.

Explicitly Transition to the Hard Questions. Before diving into these questions, it’s helpful to let the candidate know that you’re moving into this part of the interview. This gives them a moment to prepare and prevents them from feeling stressed or rushing to answer. Giving candidates time to think ensures they can provide meaningful responses rather than blurting out the first thing that comes to mind.

It’s crucial to understand that the interview goes both ways, don’t make it like it’s a University exam, instead make sure you are both having a meaningful conversation. As you are trying to understand if the candidate is a good fit for the role you are looking for, the candidate is evaluating if the company is a great place to join.

After the interview your task is to decide whether the candidate is fitting your needs or not, there are some useful tips to be mindful of:

Acknowledge Your Bias. Sometimes, you might find yourself in a situation where a candidate reminds you of your best friend, leading you to lean towards hiring them regardless of their qualifications. This bias can be a trap. To avoid falling into it, take these steps:

• Take detailed notes during the interview to review later.
• Implement a standardized interview process.
• Involve multiple interviewers in different stages of the process.

Use the Performance Trust Matrix. Consider a candidate’s performance in terms of technical skills and their trustworthiness in character or soft skills. The goal is to avoid situations of high performance but low trust. Candidates with lower technical skills but high trust can often become valuable team members over time. Remember that, during interviews, “trust” encompasses soft skills that align with the company’s values.

Don’t Rush Decisions. Avoid the temptation to hire quickly, especially when under pressure to fill a position urgently. Rushing can lead to hiring candidates with high performance but low trust, which can disrupt your team’s workflow. Remember, it’s often better to make no hire than to make the wrong hire. Take your time to make a thoughtful decision, as a wrong hire can have serious consequences for your team.

Managing People — 1:1s

1:1s are perhaps the most critical item that should be on your calendar as a manager. This dedicated time allows your team members to discuss what matters to them and is essential for fostering a culture of feedback within your team.

In 1:1s, it’s crucial to strike a balance between positive and constructive feedback. This creates a safe space for your team members to openly discuss both successes and challenges. When they feel heard and supported, it boosts their motivation and engagement.

To establish a culture of feedback, it’s important to empower your team members to provide input during 1:1s. Encourage open dialogue by welcoming their perspectives, even if they differ from your own. Trust your team to challenge decisions and offer valuable insights. Remember, they often have a deeper understanding of the details, and their input can be invaluable.

When giving feedback to your team members, precision is key, especially when it’s negative feedback. While it may be tempting to provide vague feedback based on a hunch, it can lead to frustration and confusion. Instead, take the time to prepare a clear and specific explanation for any criticism. If you lack sufficient data, it’s better to wait until you have a complete picture before addressing the issue.

Managing People — Mentoring

When managing people, it’s crucial to tailor your approach to the individual needs of both junior and senior employees. One-size-fits-all mentoring simply won’t cut it.

Before delving into mentoring strategies, let’s clarify what we mean by junior and senior employees:

• Junior Employees: These individuals are typically newer to the workforce or to their current role. They may be recent graduates or have limited experience in their field.
• Senior Employees: Senior employees have a wealth of experience and expertise in their role. They are proficient in their job responsibilities and may have been with the company for a significant amount of time.

Now, let’s explore effective mentoring approaches for each group.

Mentoring Junior Employees. Junior employees often need guidance in developing their hard skills, especially if they’re fresh graduates lacking technical knowledge. Here’s my advice as a manager:

• Teach them the skills required for the job and instill proper work methodologies.
• Encourage them to ask questions and seek clarification.
• Set short-term goals to help them progress and track their development.

Mentoring Senior Employees. Senior employees are already proficient in their roles, so your role as a manager is to provide them with broader organizational context and opportunities for growth. Here’s how:

• Guide them in understanding organizational politics and how decisions are made at higher levels. For example, if they have trouble communicating with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), you can support them with proper preparation to help them handle these situations smoothly.
• Encourage them to mentor junior employees, fostering a culture of knowledge-sharing and collaboration.
• Assign them larger initiatives where they can take ownership and drive their own objectives.
• Respect their preferred work methodologies (e.g., Deep Work, Pomodoro Technique, 2-Minute Rule) and avoid unnecessary interference.

Overall Approach. For junior employees, your focus is on guiding them towards an effective way of working and helping them build essential skills. For senior employees, your role is to amplify their existing potential and skills by providing opportunities for growth and supporting their autonomy.

Managing People: Low Performers

At some point in your managerial journey, you’ll inevitably encounter low performers. As a new manager, the instinct might be to think, “This person performs badly, I will fire them.” However, that approach is often misguided.

Instead, let’s take a look at how to manage this situation:

Address Issues Immediately. When someone starts to perform below expectations, it’s tempting to wait for them to improve on their own. However, this usually doesn’t happen, and delayed action can result in even worse performance over time. The key is to address low performance immediately, having the difficult conversation early to prevent more challenging ones later on.

Assess External Factors. Before jumping to conclusions, assess external factors that may be impacting the individual’s performance. Assume the best of people and talk to them to understand any underlying issues. For example, a person may be struggling due to changes in project assignments or personal issues that require attention. Help them find solutions, whether it’s adjusting workload or providing support for work-life balance.

Maintain Optimism. When discussing performance issues with low performers, maintain an optimistic outlook. People can surprise you, and it’s essential to help them find motivation to improve. Focus on what’s going right, provide specific feedback on areas for improvement, and express confidence in their ability to succeed in getting back on track.

Pair with a Mentor. Consider pairing the low performer with someone more experienced or motivated. However, be cautious with this approach, as it can backfire if not handled properly. Highly unmotivated individuals may feel further discouraged if paired with someone who excels. Experienced team members are often better suited for mentorship roles, as they understand that performance challenges are a part of professional growth and development.

Reach out to HR for support. In these situations, HR can really help you address a low performer. You can set up meetings with HR and the low performer or all together to ensure that if the person has issues to express, they feel heard. Often, HR can help solve challenging situations.

By addressing low performance proactively, assessing contributing factors, maintaining optimism, and providing support, you can help struggling team members improve and contribute positively to the team’s success.

Conclusion: Managing with Heart

As a manager, it’s not just about making cold decisions and driving projects forward — it’s about nurturing your team and leading with compassion. Your team members put their trust in you, and it’s your responsibility to foster their growth and lead them to success.

By caring for your team, you create a supportive and uplifting environment where everyone can thrive and succeed. This approach leads to greater achievements for the entire organization, as each member feels valued and motivated to contribute their best. In the end, it’s not just about business goals — it’s about empowering your team to reach their full potential and celebrating their success together.