Engineering Managers' Rights
Engineering Managers (at all levels) are in an interesting position as they have to represent their team’s and team members' interests to the company, and the company’s interests to the team. This has always been a challenge, and the past few years - with increased demand for remote work possibilities - have intensified the challenge. The need for frequent application of non-technical, so-called “soft” skills (which are very hard) has significantly increased. In addition, a tough job market has let focus on individual contributors' interests grow. We cannot let attention to managers' needs slip.
Two articles describe an engineering manager’s “bill of rights” (and responsibilities) and some observations on what specifically contributes to managers' wellbeing at work. There is a lot of overlap: transparency, fairness, clear expectations, specific development opportunities, visibility, and so forth.
Food for thought.
Also, let’s not forget there is a corresponding engineer’s “bill of rights” (and responsibilities), which inspired the former of the two aforementioned articles.
Tags: work