Strategy for Engineering Managers

Engineering Managers (EMs) have their sights focused on execution and people. They are working to ensure their team is achieving its goals and that their reports are on the right growth path. And that is plenty. Keeping a team running smoothly while creating a fulfilling environment for its members can be a full-time job. Unfortunately, it’s often also not enough. In reality, fulfilling the short-term work within a team will keep the team afloat but not improve its current condition. It also might not keep things stable in the usual ever-changing environment in the technology industry. That’s because every team, even the high-performing ones, will have a series of slow-burning issues that could become a problem if not addressed. That could be either because the team has yet to deal with them or because the context around it is changing, with more software complexity, legacy technology, or evolving business needs. How can a manager address these situations? How should they improve their team’s system in the short-, medium-, and long-term? In other words, what is their strategy? <h1>Strategy With a small ‘S’</h1> Before discussing how to approach it, it’s worth addressing the Strategy word. Strategy has become a big word in technology, often representing a bold and ambitious plan. If you research “how to write an Engineering Strategy,” you will likely find instructions to create a multi-quarter/year plan involving “the business,” multiple stakeholder alignment rounds, and a long time to get it agreed upon. That is overwhelming. And also different than the usual type of challenge a manager needs to solve at the team level. A big and bold move is only one of many ways to think about strategy. If a team has a challenge, small or large, strategy is how they will overcome it. <a href="https://betterprogramming.pub/strategy-for-engineering-managers-3e9082129106">Learn More;-</a>