1 Exploring the engineering manager role
This chapter covers
- The basics of management and the need for it
- Key roles and responsibilities of an engineering manager
- The nuances of leadership versus management
- Traits that differentiate excellent engineering managers
- Success metrics
- Leadership styles
Productivity is most important by engineering management rules, but enjoyment is most important for engineers. One stems from the other.
You are the new engineering manager for a team of six engineers. Each engineer is capable of completing 2 tasks per day, for a team total of 12 tasks daily. You, however, think they can do better, and you identify specific opportunities for improvement. Through streamlined code reviews, agile development, and skill-enhancing training sessions, along with cross-training between backend and frontend, the team’s productivity increases. With the changes, each developer now accomplishes three tasks a day, resulting in a 50% boost to daily output. Welcome to the world of engineering managers (EMs), the unsung heroes of organizational success!