What this book covers
Chapter 1, An Introduction to Engineering Management, poses the question, “Why do we need engineering managers?” and provides a rationale. It gives an overview of the obvious and not-so-obvious responsibilities of engineering managers. It provides foundational information on how engineering managers spend their time in different workplace contexts. Finally, it covers key concepts in the transition, from an individual contributor to a manager position.
Chapter 2, Engineering Leadership Styles, introduces what leadership styles are and where they come from. It reviews some of the most common leadership styles and how well they apply to different engineering team settings. It also describes how an engineering manager can examine and develop their own authentic leadership style.
Chapter 3, Common Failure Modes for New Engineering Managers, presents the common pitfalls and failure scenarios encountered by new engineering managers. You will learn why these failures occur and how they can be avoided.
Chapter 4, Leading Architecture, explains the engineering manager’s role in technical systems design. It differentiates between the roles of manager and architect. It explains the responsibilities of the engineering manager and those of the architect, including what to do when they don’t agree. Finally, it introduces Conway’s Law and the importance of considering team design during the architectural process.
Chapter 5, Project Planning and Delivery, describes the engineering manager’s role in the project and software delivery process. You will learn the key aspects of planning and delivering software, regardless of the project methodology used.
Chapter 6, Supporting Production Systems, presents the engineering manager’s role in providing technology robustness. It describes how to build reliability into your team culture. You will learn common industry approaches to supporting and maintaining live systems and how to manage the moments when they inevitably fail.
Chapter 7, Working Cross-Functionally, details the best practices for working seamlessly with product management teams, design teams, and any other cross-functional partners, maximizing the productivity of this relationship. It also covers conflict resolution across functions and teaches you how to use RACI charts to ease the stress of collaboration.
Chapter 8, Communicating with Authority, introduces communication as a key area of responsibility for all engineering managers. This chapter argues that communication is one of the biggest force multipliers that engineering managers can master. You will learn best practices, how to structure communication, and how to communicate with specific audiences.
Chapter 9, Assessing and Improving Team Performance, covers how to evaluate the health and operations of engineering teams. You will learn techniques to optimize for success at the individual and team levels.
Chapter 10, Fostering Accountability, introduces accountability as a key characteristic of high-performing engineering teams. It explains in detail how an engineering manager can create a culture of accountability for their team.
Chapter 11, Managing Risk, explains what managing risk is and how it is a core responsibility and skill for engineering managers. You will learn how, when, and where to manage risks for your engineering team.
Chapter 12, Resilient Leadership, introduces the importance of resilience on engineering teams and explains the engineering manager’s role in change management. You will learn why resilient teams perform better and how to instill a resilient culture in your team.
Chapter 13, Scaling Your Team, provides insider tips for scaling up an engineering team. You will learn about hiring best practices, techniques to onboard new hires, and how to manage a growing engineering team.
Chapter 14, Changing Priorities, Company Pivots, and Reorgs, answers the common questions of what to do if your organization has constantly changing priorities, unrealistic timelines, and a lack of focus. It details how engineering managers can lead with empathy during times of major change to improve outcomes for engineers and companies.
Chapter 15, Retaining Talent, walks you through a step-by-step plan to retain your engineering teams and create a great workplace environment.
Chapter 16, Team Design and More, presents basic concepts about structuring and operating engineering teams. You will learn the most common team alignments and the pros and cons of each. This chapter includes details on how individual characteristics affect team operations and how to consider Conway’s Law when designing teams.