The transition from a software engineer to an engineering manager pt2.
In pt1 I wrote about context switching, planning, and allowing yourself to fail.
In this article, I would like to focus on how to create a safe environment and how to listen.
As a manager, you are responsible for your team and the work they deliver. Now, what does that exactly mean? It means that your responsibilities morph from individual contributions and go beyond things you used to craft — your actions become more influential. You are spreading yourself thin. Your work starts to manifest itself through other people’s work.
You are not focusing solely on the software anymore but instead trying to optimize the system (software + people + processes). Here are two things you can do to start optimizing the system.
Create a safe and collaborative environment
In the beginning, as a new leader, I thought it’s somewhat expected of me to take responsibility and make decisions autocratically. It was tough to stay silent during the meetings and to let people make the decisions — I thought as a leader, I should be the one who is always talking, making suggestions, and every knowing every little detail.
I realized that my job is to organize and facilitate the discussion:
- Keep the discussion focused on the issue.
- Don’t let people hijack the conversation.
- Ask the right questions.
- Define actionable, and together with the team elect responsible people.
There will be moments when you need to make an autocratic decision, but it should be rather an exception than a rule. In the ideal case, you should expect your team to come to you with the most challenging questions as the rest could be handled without your involvement.
In other words, your goal is to create a safe environment where people are sharing their ideas, giving each other feedback: both positive and constructive, and are empowered enough to make decisions.
Start listening
Listening skills are so underrated nowadays. Modern media doesn’t promote it either: look at the way tv series characters talk — unless it’s a European art-house movie, rarely do you see people make pauses when they speak. One character says something, and the other replies instantly.
In real life, however, it’s fine to make pauses, reflect for a second or two, and think about what you will reply. Also, listening actually means listening. According to the dictionary, it’s:
To give attention to sound or action
Suppressing your urge to say something is not listening, and being silent until someone speaks is not listening. It’s paying attention. You’d be surprised how people will react when they realize you are actually listening and paying attention to what they are saying.
To be continued.
