Tips for New Engineering Managers From 2 Seasoned Leaders

Experience builds wisdom, and wisdom is meant to be shared.
Written by Remy Merritt
October 5, 2021Updated: October 10, 2021

Stepping into your first role as an engineering manager is both an exciting and daunting process. Hard work and talent is often recognized with an opportunity to lead others, but for those who haven’t managed a team before, it can be difficult to know where to start. A self-guided tour through the ocean of advice and self-help can quickly get overwhelming; an Amazon search for “new manager book” returns more than 6,000 titles. 

For those who don’t want to sift through the noise, advice doesn’t have to be out of reach. Sometimes, the most helpful tips come bite-sized from seasoned leaders who have already been through management trial and error. 

For Kyle Turner, director of mobile software development at TrackVia, taking an active role in team projects and problem solving is a necessary step to building trust and appreciation with team members. This relationship is key when it comes to establishing more qualitative aspects of team culture — in particular, work-life balance. “Your team feeds off of your energy, so don't let yourself burn out,” he said.

Brian Haveri, director of engineering at TrainHeroic, a brand within the Peaksware portfolio, brings us full circle — back to the books. However, rather than self-study, Haveri’s experience involves sharing books with fellow team members to provide, in his words, “a window to my own mind.” A manager’s energy is contagious, and teams are often a reflection of their leaders; steering that energy in the right direction requires self-reflection. Sharing books and guiding one another to reflect, learn and evolve builds a team culture of empathy, respect and introspection, all of which lay a foundation for success.

As directors of their departments, Kyle and Brian have already experienced many of the challenges that new managers will face. To help provide a starting point for tackling those challenges, they shared the lessons they’ve learned and the advice they’ve synthesized.

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peaksware
Brian Haveri
Director, Engineering • Peaksware

What is one piece of advice you wished you'd received when first starting out as an engineering manager, and why?

When someone gives you a book, read it. They are providing you a window to their mind. 

When I started managing engineers at TrainHeroic, my manager handed me a book by legendary basketball coach John Wooden. In that book, Wooden describes a phenomenon I have observed for years in both sports and business: Teams become a reflection of their leader, for better or for worse. Energetic leaders have energetic teams; pessimistic leaders have pessimistic teams. The message was clear — pay attention to how you show up each day, because it will be reflected back to you. 

The implication is important — when your team fails to meet behavioral expectations, you should first look inward. Observe something about your own attitudes and behaviors. Your team is a reflection of you. Months later I gifted that same manager a copy of Peopleware, offering him a window to my own mind and obsession with software quality. We continued this tradition of sharing books and reading, then watched as our teams adopted and modified the tradition to match their own style, just as John Wooden predicted.

 

TrackVia Roundtable Image
trackvia
Kyle Turner
Director of Mobile Software Development • TrackVia

What is one piece of advice you wished you'd received when first starting out as an engineering manager, and why?

Be in the trenches with your team, and encourage a sustainable work-life balance for your whole team so no one burns out. When I started as a manager, I was on a mission to prove my worth. I often worked mornings, evenings and weekends to over-deliver for our team. I learned two important lessons from that experience. 

At first, my team appreciated my participation with them at all hours, diving deep into the solution and working through the challenging problems with them. If you lead by example, your team will respect you so much more versus being absent and detached.

However, my team and I faced burnouts from all the extra work. Your team feeds off of your energy, so don't let yourself burn out. Keep a good work-life balance, and your team will follow your example and do the same. This makes for a healthier, more enjoyable work environment for everyone.

Over time, these strategies helped our team grow productivity while also encouraging individual needs and work-life balance.

 

 

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