Being a Remote Manager: Challenges and Successes As more organizations embrace flexible working arrangements, the role of remote managers has become increasingly prominent. Navigating this landscape can be challenging, yet many have found effective strategies to lead their teams from afar. Drawing …
Continue ReadingFrom Senior to Staff: Navigating the Transition Without Burnout Transitioning from a Senior Engineer to a Staff Engineer is often viewed as one of the most significant leaps in an engineering career. It requires not just a mastery of technical skills but also an evolution in how you approach your …
Continue ReadingIdeal Team Size: Striking the Right Balance In the ever-evolving landscape of technology and software development, one question often arises: What is the ideal team size? As organizations grow and adapt, team structures can significantly influence productivity, engagement, and overall success. In …
Continue ReadingPeer-to-Peer Feedback: Navigating Recency Bias in Performance Evaluations As a new manager, one of the challenges that often arises during performance evaluations is the influence of recency bias on peer feedback. Recency bias occurs when recent events or interactions overshadow the entire …
Continue ReadingSimplicity Wins — Less is More In the fast-paced world of technology and engineering, the mantra “Simplicity wins — less is more” has never been more relevant. With the proliferation of tools, methodologies, and frameworks, it’s easy to fall into the trap of overcomplicating processes …
Continue ReadingStruggling with EM Transition Transitioning from an individual contributor (IC) to an engineering manager (EM) can be a daunting journey, especially when faced with unexpected organizational changes. Many find themselves in situations where they must adapt rapidly to new teams and technologies, …
Continue ReadingWhat are the Key Challenges for First-Time Software Engineering Managers? Stepping into the role of a software engineering manager (EM) can be both an exciting and daunting opportunity. It’s common for individuals to transition into management after demonstrating exceptional skills as individual …
Continue ReadingWhen Your Entire Team is Great, Deciding on Merit Increases is Really Tough As managers, we often face the daunting task of distributing merit increases, bonuses, and stock grants among our teams. Typically, we’re assigned a specific budget normalized to current salaries, regardless of our …
Continue ReadingEnd of Year Reviews Suck Year-end performance reviews often bring a wave of anxiety, frustration, and, frankly, disappointment for both managers and their teams. It’s a time when we’re expected to be critical of our high-performing teams, often leading to a disconnect between actual performance and …
Continue ReadingI Built a Tool to Automate My EM Documentation Duties - Here’s What I Learned After Using It for a Year For the past year, I’ve been using a tool I built to handle my management documentation duties. What started as a personal solution has evolved into something beneficial for a few …
Continue ReadingI Introduced a Critical Bug in Production: Lessons Learned As a Senior Software Engineer (SSE) in frontend development with over three years of experience, I recently faced a challenging situation that many in the tech industry can relate to: I introduced a critical bug into production. This …
Continue ReadingSeeking Insights from Fellow Engineering Managers: Tackling Underperformance As an engineering manager, one of the most challenging aspects of our role is addressing underperformance within our teams. Recently, I authored an article outlining an 8-step framework I’ve developed to help …
Continue ReadingSolo Dev Becoming Team Lead - What to Watch Out For? Transitioning from a solo developer role to a team lead position is both an exciting and challenging journey. As you prepare for the arrival of new team members and the added responsibilities that come with leadership, it’s essential to …
Continue ReadingTop Performers or Underachievers - Who Defines Your Culture? The way you manage people in your team profoundly influences its culture. As leaders, our focus and attention can either help individuals thrive and grow or, conversely, hinder their progress. This brings us to a critical question: Should …
Continue ReadingWhat Are the Common Traits of Successful Engineering Managers? As we explore the essential attributes that define successful Engineering Managers (EMs), it’s crucial to gather insights from various perspectives, especially those who are involved in hiring and talent acquisition. In this post, …
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