book

Think Like a Software Engineering Manager

Name: Think Like a Software Engineering Manager
Author: Akanksha Gupta
ISBN: 9781633438439

by Akanksha Gupta

July 2024

Beginner to intermediate

352 pages

11h 34m

English

Manning Publications

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copyright
contents
Think Like a Software Engineering Manager
Think Like a Software Engineering Manager
dedication
preface
acknowledgments
about this book
about the author
about the cover illustration

Part 1 Start with the people
1 Exploring the engineering manager role
1.1 Demystifying the EM role1.1.1 Roles and responsibilities: The core competencies1.1.2 Leadership versus management1.1.3 Traits of a good engineering manager1.2 Success metrics as an engineering manager1.2.1 Business metrics1.2.2 Development velocity1.2.3 Team morale1.2.4 Operational excellence metrics1.3 Leadership styles1.3.1 Autocratic1.3.2 Democratic1.3.3 Delegative1.3.4 Transactional1.3.5 Transformational1.3.6 Servant1.3.7 Choosing your leadership style1.4 Stop and think: Practice questions
2 Individual contributor to engineering manager
2.1 Differences between the IC and EM roles2.2 Common misconceptions2.2.1 IC to EM is not necessarily a promotion2.2.2 EMs do not always write code2.2.3 Coding rounds are not always necessary when changing jobs as an EM2.2.4 Not every sound software engineer is a good manager2.3 Intentions and motivations2.4 A three-phase approach for ICs to EMs2.4.1 Phase 1: Before becoming an EM2.4.2 Phase 2: Transition period2.4.3 Phase 3: Post-transition period2.5 Challenges of a new engineering manager2.5.1 Prioritizing coding over people2.5.2 Setting clear goals and expectations2.5.3 Struggling with delegation2.5.4 Coping with changing success metrics2.5.5 Resolving conflict2.5.6 Handling the speed-vs.-quality dilemma2.5.7 Acknowledging and recognizing others2.5.8 Keeping promises made by previous leaders2.5.9 Managing people and performance2.5.10 Managing time2.5.11 Documenting2.5.12 Communicating2.6 Assisting the IC-to-EM transition2.7 Stop and think: Practice questions
3 Managing people, teams, and yourself
3.1 Managing people3.1.1 Having one-on-one conversations3.1.2 Supporting junior versus senior engineers3.1.3 Resolving conflicts between team members3.1.4 Challenging team members3.1.5 Leading by example3.2 Managing teams3.2.1 Defining team goals, vision, and strategy3.2.2 Handling morale problems3.2.3 Building trust and transparency3.2.4 Convincing teams about dependencies in the team road map3.2.5 Managing remote teams3.2.6 Accepting responsibility for your decisions3.2.7 Evaluating metrics for the team3.2.8 Avoiding burnout3.3 Managing yourself3.3.1 Identifying opportunities3.3.2 Succeeding as a manager3.3.3 Recognizing that everyone makes mistakes3.3.4 Managing emotions and well-being3.4 Stop and think: Practice questions
4 Managing performance
4.1 Importance of managing performance4.1.1 Sustained productivity4.1.2 Career planning4.1.3 Proactive feedback4.1.4 Alignment on strategic goals4.1.5 Better retention chances4.1.6 Plans for future hiring and training programs4.2 Best practices for managing performance4.2.1 Promoting transparency4.2.2 Ensuring fairness4.2.3 Avoiding the Halo and Horns Effect4.2.4 Providing recognition4.2.5 Communicating effectively4.2.6 Providing training4.2.7 Performing continuous performance management4.3 Performance reviews4.3.1 Evaluating performance4.3.2 Calibrating across teams/organizations4.3.3 Preparing and conducting performance reviews4.3.4 Handling pushback on the feedback4.3.5 Using a performance review template4.4 Managing high performance4.4.1 Identifying high performance4.4.2 Supporting high performers4.5 Managing low performance and underperformance4.5.1 Managing underperformance4.5.2 You win some, you lose some4.5.3 Communicating the outcome to the rest of the team4.5.4 Managing an underperforming team4.6 Stop and think: Practice questions
5 Delegation: Learn to let go
5.1 The art of delegation5.1.1 Avoid the do-it-yourself attitude5.1.2 Don’t be the sole knowledge bearer5.2 Delegation vs. allocation vs. substitution5.2.1 Delegation vs. allocation5.2.2 Delegation vs. substitution5.3 The when, why, what, who, and how of delegation5.3.1 When and why to delegate5.3.2 What task to delegate5.3.3 Whom to delegate to5.3.4 How to delegate and support5.4 Framework for delegation5.4.1 Supporting delegation5.4.2 Tracking delegation5.5 Teaching delegation to others5.6 When delegation goes wrong5.7 Stop and think: Practice questions
6 Rewards and recognition
6.1 Recognition levels6.1.1 Top-down6.1.2 Peer6.1.3 360-degree6.2 Effective recognition principles6.2.1 Timely6.2.2 Frequent6.2.3 Specific6.2.4 Visible6.2.5 Fair6.3 Forms of recognition6.3.1 Group recognition6.3.2 Individual recognition6.4 Stop and think: Practice questions
7 Hiring
7.1 Following a hiring framework7.1.1 Identifying the need for hiring7.1.2 Sourcing potential candidates7.1.3 Setting up hiring rounds and the loop7.1.4 Conducting the sales call7.1.5 Creating an onboarding plan7.2 Staffing from scratch versus hiring for existing teams7.2.1 Purpose7.2.2 Sizing7.2.3 Specialization of skills and experience7.2.4 Diversity7.2.5 Team dynamics7.2.6 Tale from the trenches7.3 Hiring externally versus growing internal talent7.3.1 Hiring externally7.3.2 Growing talent internally7.4 Developing the hiring pipeline7.5 Employing hiring programs for positive reinforcement7.5.1 Internship/campus hiring programs7.5.2 Returnship programs7.5.3 Diversity, equity, and inclusion programs7.6 Stop and think: Practice questions
8 Handling attrition
8.1 Attrition is inevitable8.2 Reasons people leave8.2.1 Voluntary reasons8.2.2 Involuntary reasons8.3 Effect of attrition8.3.1 Low team morale8.3.2 Loss of knowledge8.3.3 High hiring and backfill cost8.4 Getting ahead of attrition8.4.1 Proactive measures8.4.2 Reactive measures8.4.3 Point of no return8.5 Stop and think: Practice questions
Part 2 Projects and the cross-functional world
9 Working with cross-functional partners
9.1 Dealing with common challenges9.1.1 Competing priorities across different teams9.1.2 Ill-defined goals9.1.3 Inefficient coordination and communication9.1.4 Unclear roles and responsibilities9.1.5 Conflicts9.1.6 Geographical constraints9.1.7 Missing support/underperforming partners9.1.8 Overwhelming work9.2 Building a cross-functional team9.2.1 Clarifying and aligning on goals9.2.2 Identifying key skills and roles9.2.3 Establishing a communication framework9.2.4 Establishing a clear decision-making process9.2.5 Establishing an open and continuous feedback mechanism9.2.6 Measuring success9.3 Collaborating with cross-functional teams9.3.1 Fostering trust and transparency9.3.2 Managing conflicts9.3.3 Providing additional support when needed9.3.4 Reasoning about technical work with nontechnical partners9.3.5 Fostering a culture of recognition9.4 Stop and think: Practice questions
10 Project management, execution, and delivery
10.1 Project life-cycle phases10.1.1 Project discovery10.1.2 Preplanning10.1.3 Planning and project kickoff10.1.4 Execution10.1.5 Postexecution10.2 Stop and think: Practice questions
11 Managing expectations
11.1 Importance of managing expectations11.1.1 Clarity11.1.2 Relationship building11.1.3 Risk mitigation11.2 Challenges in managing expectations11.2.1 Ambiguity11.2.2 Inability to say no11.2.3 Tendency to take things personally11.3 Framework for managing expectations11.3.1 Setting expectations11.3.2 Communicating expectations11.3.3 Negotiating11.3.4 Adapting to changing expectations11.3.5 Appreciating and sharing feedback11.4 How to manage expectations at all levels11.4.1 Your manager/leadership11.4.2 Your peers11.4.3 Your team members11.5 Stop and think: Practice questions
Part 3 Learn the process
12 Engineering and operational excellence
12.1 Importance of engineering excellence and OE12.2 Tools and tips to get you started12.2.1 Raise the bar on code12.2.2 Test coverage12.2.3 Acknowledge and reduce technical debt12.2.4 Manage deployments12.2.5 Use logging, monitoring, and dashboarding12.2.6 Improve on-call and production support12.2.7 Reduce operational cost12.2.8 Identify ambassador(s)12.2.9 Employ DevOps and DevSecOps12.2.10 Follow the away-team model12.2.11 Improve accessibility12.2.12 Learn from mistakes12.3 Engineering excellence and OE as a continuous process12.4 How to navigate resistance12.5 Stop and think: Practice questions
13 Organizational change management
13.1 Motivations for reorganizations13.1.1 Market conditions or external factors13.1.2 Need to streamline operations13.1.3 New opportunities13.1.4 Change in leadership13.2 Framework for managing organizational change13.2.1 Understanding the need for change13.2.2 Recruiting champions for change13.2.3 Crafting a strategy and road map for change management13.2.4 Executing the plan13.2.5 Monitoring and measuring success13.2.6 Iterating on opportunities13.2.7 Change management case studies13.3 Changes in the workforce13.3.1 Change in leadership13.3.2 Reduction in workforce13.3.3 Acquisitions or mergers13.4 Stop and think: Practice questions
14 Time management
14.1 Importance of time management for EMs14.1.1 Ensuring successful project delivery14.1.2 Facilitating team members’ career goals14.1.3 Navigating time pressures14.1.4 Making decisions effectively14.2 Tips for better time management14.2.1 Declutter your calendar14.2.2 Create a meeting bill of rights14.2.3 Use the power of delegation14.2.4 Learn to say no14.2.5 Keep your to-do list up to date14.2.6 Use feature/project-tracker documents14.2.7 Use async communication to the fullest14.3 The Eisenhower Matrix14.3.1 Meeting the requirements to use the Eisenhower Matrix14.3.2 Using the four quadrants of the Eisenhower Matrix14.3.3 Spending time to find time14.4 Stop and think: Practice questions
15 Beyond this book: Grow yourself
15.1 What you’ve learned so far15.1.1 Part 1: Start with the people15.1.2 Part 2: Projects and the cross-functional world15.1.3 Part 3: Learn the process15.2 Continuously learn and hone skills15.3 Some learning resources for the future15.3.1 Mentors15.3.2 Learning platforms15.3.3 Pet projects15.3.4 Effective communication15.3.5 Interviews15.3.6 Feedback15.4 Thank you15.5 Stop and think: Practice questions

Overview

Unlock your full potential as an effective, efficient, and inspiring leader, and be the software engineering manager that your team deserves!

Most development teams are only as good as their leader. In this practical guide, you’ll explore all aspects of the software engineering manager’s job, from operational practices to the core skills of handling humans.

Think Like a Software Engineering Manager is full of all the skills you’ll need to thrive in software leadership, including:

People and performance management
Empathy and feedback
Delegation and learning to let go
Hiring amazing engineers and handling attrition
Collaborating with cross-functional partners
Managing expectations at all levels
Implementing engineering and operational excellence
Time and organizational change management

Experienced team leader Akanksha Gupta helps you explore whether software engineering management is the right move for your career, guides you through preparing for the position, and gives you all the tools you need to thrive in the role. Thought-provoking exercises help you apply what you learn to your daily professional life, and prepare you for making the big decisions about software.

About the Technology
A software engineering manager needs to be an amazing communicator, an effective decision maker, and a thoughtful mentor. Your success depends on your ability to evaluate and manage projects, motivate and lead your team, and coolly handle whatever crisis each new day brings. It’s a big transition, and this book will guide you every step of the way.

About the Book
Think Like a Software Engineering Manager teaches you how to hire, train, and lead a successful development team. You’ll start with building and managing your team to maximize performance. You’ll then quickly progress to strategies for delivering large scale projects, cultivating excellence in your projects, and managing change. Author Akanksha Gupta’s battle stories and industry anecdotes from her work at Amazon, Audible, Robinhood, and Microsoft reveal how the experts handle the biggest engineering management challenges.

What's Inside

People and performance management
Hiring amazing engineers and handling attrition
Collaborating with cross-functional partners
Practice for success with insightful exercises

About the Reader
For new and aspiring software engineering managers.

About the Author
Akanksha Gupta is an engineering leader at Amazon AWS. She has served as an engineering manager at Robinhood, Audible, and Microsoft and passionately champions the cause of empowering women within the tech industry.

The technical editor on this book was Bruce Bergman.

Quotes
Enlightening and engaging. A peek into the multifaceted responsibilities of an engineering manager and an effective tutorial for mastering the role.
- Azizur Rahman, Zenobē Energy Limited

Steeped in gems of wisdom to help you navigate your teams to excellence!
- Amit Basnak, KPMG

Will help you adapt your processes to make your projects even more successful.
- Mario-Leander Reimer, QAware

Start your journey towards becoming an engineering manager!
- Harsh Raval, Zymr Systems

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