Mois : septembre 2019

Manager notes #4 – Tech lead

A tech lead role might not be the same from company to company, not even from team to team within a company, but it is expected tone both a technical position and a leadership role. So, it can be described as a set of responsibilities that any engineer might take on on once they reach the senior level. It may or may not include people management.

A common misconception is that the tech lead role should be given automatically to the most experienced engineer (the one who can handle the most complex features or who writes the best code).

As a tech lead you can continue writing code but you will have extra responsibilities such as:

  • representing the group to the management
    • make independent decisions for the team
    • handle difficult management and leadership situations
  • plan for future delivery
    • partner effectively with other areas of the business
  • deal with details of the management process
    • delegate work effectively without micromanaging
    • focus on the team productivity

Being a tech lead is an exercise in influencing without authority. His main roles are:

  • take a wide view of the work so that you keep the project moving
  • have a good sense of the overall architecture of the systems and a solid understanding of how to design complex software based on the business requirements
  • project planner – find efficient ways of breaking down the work so the team can work quickly (getting work done in parallel)
  • write code, but not too much. raise issues early and delegate work

Manager notes #3 – Mentoring

The first act of people management is unofficial and that is when mentoring someone.

As a mentor you will practice skills that you will need should you decide to become a manager:

  • Listening carefully – listening is the most basic skill of managing people. It is a precursor to empathy, one of the core skills of a quality manager
  • Clear communication – communicate what needs to happen, provide clarity along the way

How to mentor an intern?

Before hiring an intern, make sure he will graduate in the year after their internship.

  • prepare his arrival – make sure he has everything he needs to start
  • have a project to work on – make him work on a clear project
  • have him present you the work – help him feel like his work mattered

How to mentor a new hire?

This is an opportunity to see the world of your company through fresh eyes. Mentoring a new hire implies on boarding, helping him adjust to life in the company and building your and her networks of contacts in the company.

  • what are the rules? spoken and unspoken?
  • update onboarding documents
  • chance to introduce the new person around
  • network building is a worthwhile investment of your time and energy

Key takeaways for a mentor

Don’t become a mentor unless if you think it will be rewarding for you and the person you are mentoring. As a mentor, you should focus on three actions for yourself:

As a mentor, you should focus on three actions for yourself:

  • be curious and open-minded – it is a great opportunity to see the world through fresh eyes
  • listen and speak mentees language – you will be forced to home your communication skills
    • tell the mentee what you expect from him in an explicit manner
  • make connections – treat the person well, don’t abuse the mentoring relationship

Key takeaways for mentee

  • don’t waste your mentor’s time
  • think about if you need a mentor

As a manager you help the team by creating clear, focused goals.

Why creating the mentoring relationship?

When assigning a mentor for the new hire, ask yourself what do you want to achieve by creating that relationship. Mentoring relationship exists for:

  • helping a new person to get up to speed and be productive
  • helping junior people pair with senior people for career or skills growth

So, try to make sure there is some guidance.

Recognise that this is an additional responsibility for the mentor

The productivity of the mentor may slow down during the mentoring period. A mentor should be recognised for the work they put in as it yields valuable returns in the form of better employee networks, faster on boarding and higher internship conversion.

Manager notes #2 – How to be managed

The way you have been managed will be the foundation on which you will build your own management philosophy. So, part of being a good manager is figuring out how to be managed.

Spend time thinking about what you want

  • what you want to learn, what makes you happy and you want to do is your responsibility, not your manager’s

You are responsible for yourself

  • once you have set a goal for yourself, do what you can to make it happen

Give your manager a break

  • the manager’s job is not to do whatever it takes to make you happy all the time
  • if you resent your manager for whatever reason, you need to move to a different team or look for a new job. If you resent every manger you work for, you might need to think about whether the cause is them or you

Choose your managers wisely

  • when evaluating job opportunities, consider not only the job, the company and the pay but also the manager

Manager notes #1 – What to expect from a manager

Some basics things you need to expect from your manager:

One-on-One meetings

  • create human connection between you and the manager
  • opportunity for you to speak privately with the manager
  • as a senior you would need to drive 1-1s and bring topics for discussion

Feedback and Workplace Guidance

  • the worst thing is not getting/giving feedback at all
  • delivering fast feedback is more valuable than waiting for a convenient time
  • as a senior you could give more feedback to your manager

Training and Career Growth

  • you are responsible for figuring out what types of training you want
  • the manager can contribute to you career growth via promotion and compensation
  • managers can’t guarantee promotions but they can help you build the skills they know the system is looking for