Engineering Management: Is it for You?

How do you decide between continuing down the path of individual contribution — hands-on design and development vs. switching to an engineering management role? It is important to make an informed decision that suits your career goals and personality.

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Based on my personal experience, I want to discuss some ideas around how to make that decision and also touch upon some ways to set yourself up for success in a management role.

Be Ready!

Often times, I have seen people miss out on an opportunity because they don’t understand the requirements of the role and their own career goals. Recognizing the challenges early and being prepared can help you not only land the job but also perform once you get it.

I was offered a management role when my team was growing rapidly but was severely short on managers. I hesitated, didn’t have a good answer and asked my manager to give me a few months to decide.

In smaller, rapidly growing organizations, there is always a need for new managers with the increasing size of the engineering team. In older, more stable organizations, management responsibilities can be fewer — an opportunity may open up when someone leaves or sometimes there is an opening for a manager in a different team. If such an opportunity arises, it’s important that you are ready to pursue it, if you so choose to. Having thought through your preferences can help you decide if you want to actively pursue an opportunity in a different team or company if you aren’t getting it in your current job.

How to Decide?

When I had to make a decision, I reached out to a senior manager in my organization whom I truly admired and he helped me work through it and later became my mentor for management related things.

1. Get information — First and foremost, find out what does management entail for you. Note that this can also vary largely among teams and organizations. It is also important to do your research on what engineering management means as a career path in the longer term both at your company and in the industry.
2. Seek help — Reach out to a manager in your organization to know more about their job and talk to them about their day-to-day. Try to talk to a senior manager who has been on the job for a few years as well as a new manager to get both short-term and long-term perspectives.
3. Introspect- Do you like working closely with people? Do you find attending meetings energizing? Are you motivated by personal achievements or are you excited about taking a backseat and helping other people shine? Do you feel ready to give up on technical contributions such as coding and design? Will you feel burdened with performance management responsibilities for your team? Do you see yourself as a Director of Engineering running large organizations or Principal Architect solving hard technical problems?
4. Discuss timing — If you don’t feel ready right now, ask your manager if this is an opportunity that will be available few months from now. Express your interest to still be considered for future opportunities.
5. Recognize risk — It is also important to discuss if you are able to revert back to an individual contributor role if management doesn’t work out for you.

Formulate a Plan

When I took on management responsibilities, I started in more of a transitional role where I was managing a small team of 2 engineers and was still writing design docs and code. My role evolved over time towards more of a traditional manager role as the team grew.

If you have decided to take the opportunity, formulate a plan with your manager -

1. Take a shallow plunge — If possible, start by managing a small team for the project that you are familiar with. Don’t give up technical contributions right away.
2. Take your time — Expect to not be good at the job to start with. Recognize and accept your initial discomfort with doing something completely different. Give yourself enough time to learn the ropes.
3. Keep track — For the first few months, record where you are spending your time. Record any particular tasks that made your frustrated and the ones that you really enjoyed.
4. Set goals — With your manager, set clear goals and expectations for yourself just like you would for any technical project.
5. Ramp up — Once you feel comfortable, ask for more responsibilities whether it’s managing more people or getting involved with another dimension of engineering management — for e.g. hiring.

Retrospect

If you decide management is not for you -

1. Pat your back for trying something!
2. Think about what worked and what didn’t work — was it management as a whole or a specific aspect of the role that you didn’t like.
3. Discuss with your manager how to transition back to an individual contributor role.

Welcome to Engineering Management!

If you decide that engineering management is indeed something you want to pursue, approach it like you would any technical project.

The most important lesson for me was that management isn’t something that you are naturally good at. I am constantly building new skills and finding areas to improve in.

1. Take your time to ramp up on the various aspects of management.
2. Take leadership and management training, either within or outside or company.
3. Read books on management.
4. Find a mentor
5. Develop a deep understanding of specifics of management at your company — for e.g. performance management philosophy or hiring practices.

Management is all about people and a good manager involves being empathetic and understanding your employees needs, mentoring them and helping them achieve their full potential. It is important to work closely with your reports to shape and constantly improve the culture for your team.