Teaching Managers How to Swim

Tips and Tricks for Running an Effective Onboarding Program for Team Leads

If you’re struggling to run a tech team leader onboarding process, you’re not alone. But what if I told you that it’s possible to run one that actually works? Read this summary of our recent etc. meetup, where experts from Wrike, Atlassian, and Mews shared the pain points they encountered while running their onboarding programs and how they tackled them. Learn how to teach managers to swim!

Selecting a new leader: Insiders vs. external candidates

We observe the trend of companies promoting their employees rather than hiring external managers. This approach has certain advantages but also downsides. When the company is scaling, insiders can be an immense help thanks to their cultural fit. On the other hand, external candidates bring a fresh perspective and ideas and are not as biased as candidates who have been with the organization for a while.

Tip number one? Balance.

Determine at what point of growth your teams are and weigh up your options. Is the situation stable, allowing you to foster potential within your organization? Or are you at the point where established leadership skills would come in handy?

Is technical background crucial for effective leadership of tech teams?

There’s no universal formula. At Wrike, Atlassian, and Mews, we definitely see most leaders follow the career path from engineers or testers to senior team staff to leadership positions. Having insights on how the team works and what challenges it faces daily is helpful. However, many leaders that were moved to new positions from technical roles struggle with switching from individual contribution to overseeing the overall team effort.

Help them with a constant feedback loop. Plan regular reviews with managers in training so they know how they are doing, especially if they are performing well.

If the majority of tech leaders have a technical background, does it mean that those without it are doomed to fail? Not necessarily. If they are proactive, determined, and have skills and qualities that will help them become a successful leader, they should be given a chance.

Wrike Team Leaders’ advice:

– “Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well” by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen

– Key Insights from “Radical Candor”

The importance of giving up perfection

As an engineer, the perfectionist in you is rewarded with immediate satisfaction after each pull request; as a manager, you have to wait to see the effects of your work. As a manager, you’ll have to let go of being the best and encourage people to be better.

What does it take to be a good leader?

When it comes to tech team leaders, it’s not only their technical expertise that makes the difference — you should also seek an honest and transparent leader who inspires and encourages the team.

One of the most important skills a tech team leader must have is the ability to delegate. How do you know if you’re trying to do too much? When you’re not doing any one thing well. A good leader understands the need to delegate. They also understand how to coordinate and manage that delegation, which is an art.

Communication skills. Communication is not only about how you communicate with your team and other stakeholders, but also about how effectively you receive information from them. If you want to make your team achieve a good result, you have to communicate clearly, honestly, and respectfully.

Transparency. This goes along with communication but beyond it as well. There can be no secrets in a team. Your messages should be clear, concise, and honest — even when it means admitting mistakes or giving bad news. You must have a highly evolved sense of emotional intelligence and be able to adapt to any situation at any given time.

Ability to adapt and pivot. You must have the ability to make major changes quickly without losing your focus on the end goal — even when things aren’t going as expected. This means that you are constantly improving work processes and developing new ideas.

The myth of the coding tech lead

It may seem at first like having a team leader who can write code is a bonus. But how does it look in reality?

Based on our experience, there is no golden rule. Various companies have various setups. Most team leaders’ responsibilities don’t allow them to be involved in coding. However, some people in the company are so passionate about coding that they find projects where they can contribute. There’s no one formula for success.

Sneak peek at onboarding programs in Wrike, Atlassian, and Mews

Wrike:

There are three pillars of the program:

1. People
2. Product
3. Process

Wrike’s team leader onboarding process varies depending on whether the new manager is an external hire or an experienced Wriker. In the case of an external joiner, it’s crucial for us to support them in their journey of understanding the company, product, processes, etc.

If we are dealing with an internally promoted leader with the necessary product knowledge, we focus more on soft skills like communication, leadership, people skills, etc.

New leaders allocate around 30% of their time to the program.

See also: 7 Modern Parenting Trends That Can Change Your Management Experience

Atlassian:

Atlassian’s program lasts for three months, during which trainees attend pre-recorded coaching sessions, workshops, and exercises. After the program, they own a narrow stream of work within the team. Even though they are not fully managing the team yet, they are fully prepared to be managers, taking one step at a time.

The topics of the sessions include transition to management, leadership styles, coaching, emotional intelligence, leading the team through the change, and more. New leaders in Atlassian are asked to spend two days per week on this program.

Mews:

Mews’ Team Lead Groove Progam is designed to make sure that new team leaders (promoted within the company) have everything they need to be successful in their role. The program takes around three months to complete. After completing the program, every team leader should be confident and fully prepared to take on new responsibilities and challenges.

The success of the program is measured with time. KPIs are measured within the team, not on an individual level. The company asks people to allocate two days per week to this program to make sure there are no conflicts.

For external candidates, Mews provides the opportunity to join particular teams. After they have sufficient experience and knowledge of the team, the company proceeds with an official promotion to team lead.

Benefits of having a team leader onboarding program in place

A lot of companies struggle with onboarding new team leads. They don’t know how to ensure that the newcomer is successful in their role. If you have a new team lead, they are probably very excited about their new role, but at the same time, they might feel overwhelmed by the challenges they may face. By implementing our tips, you will:

• Make it easier to convince a potential new team leader to take on the new challenge. A clearly defined program and objectives will give them a comprehensive overview of what they can expect from the new role.
• Ensure that no crucial learning steps are skipped. They are likely to be overlooked if they are not defined and recorded.
• Ensure transparency and that team leaders understand product strategy and its principles.

Final thoughts? A team leader’s success is measured by the team’s success. Our experience is not universal, and the ideas covered in this document can’t be seen as a one-size-fits-all solution for success. Have you tried any of these ideas and have some additional thoughts and comments? Join the European TeamLead Community (etc.) to shape the new generation of tech team leaders with us.

You can also:

• Talk to us on Slack
• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Watch previous etc. meetings