3 Things New Engineering Managers Should Focus On

I became an engineering manager last year. And while each month (or day, really!) has offered up new lessons, the first three months had the steepest learning curve.

So what have I learned? More importantly, how can that information help you to transition into your new role quickly?

Looking back now, I identified three things new engineering managers should focus on within their first 90 days: learn about your role and responsibilities, your team (as people), and the processes they share.

Let’s take a look at each of these in more detail.

Get to know your role and responsibilities

I once had a bad experience with a manager that made me totally committed to being the best version of a manager I could be. But what a ‘good’ manager looks like can change from role to role, business to business, and manager to manager. That’s why the first thing that new managers need to do is get to know the role they have accepted and the responsibilities they have been given.

What will the daily experience look like? What will you be expected to do — and how will those expectations change and evolve over time? How big of a team will you manage?

Much of this information will be in the job description (if you saw one!) but it’s well worth investigating further and discussing this with whoever is interviewing you or will be your manager.

I didn’t do this. When I stepped into the manager role, I thought I would manage a 3–4 person team but instead, my team varied every month. Adding and subtracting based on the greater team’s needs.

It’s also good practice to ask how your impact will be measured and what success looks like for your team. What will you be required to report, to who, and how often?

Here are actions you can take to learn about your role and responsibilities:

• Review the job description
• Meet with your supervisor / manager
• Shadow other managers within your department
• Learn about your teams services and customers
• Schedule one-on-ones (1:1s) to collect feedback and find out what’s working well and what could be improved

Schedule 1:1s to get to know your team as people

A high-performing team consist of engaged, happy, and motivated people — truly getting the best out of your team means getting the best from the individual. So what does that mean for you?

It means quickly getting up to speed on each team member’s background, experiences, portfolio, strengths, growth areas, and goals.

How do they want to be recognized? What style of feedback do they prefer? How do they learn best? What goals do they have?

The more nuance you can learn about each person, the more successful you will be in leading them.

By setting up 1:1 meetings, you’ll be able to learn about each person on your team, coach them, and discuss their progress towards goals.

Meet with your team to learn about existing processes

If you’re new to the team, department, or company, then you’ll want to learn about the processes your team already has in place.

Instead of rolling in making changes, spend this time learning about the processes your team is already using.

What are the team’s goals? How do they work together and separately? How does your team integrate with other teams — or not, currently, and is that an issue? Who are the customers and partners?

Schedule a team meeting and encourage open communication, provide useful updates, give everyone a chance to share, and be curious about what they have to say.

You’ll want to hear different perspectives on what’s working well and what isn’t.

Don’t worry. You can expect a grace period from your team and fellow managers, but you can’t expect it to be long.

So, take notes and follow up. If the people you manage feel like you don’t “get them” and what they are doing, it will be difficult to earn their trust.

These tips will help you successfully transition into a manager

• I’ve found this systematic approach to be hugely valuable as I learn to be a better manager. If you can commit to your own learning practice — getting to know your role, team, and processes — then you’ll be better equipped to:
• Set meaningful team goals (and know how to measure performance)
• Setup weekly or bi-weekly one-on-ones with each person on your team
• Setup recurring team meetings that create a safe place for everyone to share and feel valued
• Delegate tasks from a place of empathy, helping people with their individual stretch goals while bearing in mind the challenges they may face
• Start developing a strategic vision for where your team can be in the next 3, 6, or 12 months.

Your first 90 days as a new manager will go so quickly, but try to enjoy them and relish in all the learning you’ll do. It’s in these early months that you’ll set the groundwork for a fulfilling and successful management career.