Consultation and Response from Someone Who Became an Engineering Manager for the First Time
I received a consultation from someone who became an Engineering Manager for the first time, so I’d like to share the content of my response.
A software engineer at a business company became a team leader (serving as both Engineering Manager and Project Lead), and I received a consultation from them.
I’ll share the content of our text-based exchange via Google Docs and video meetings via Zoom, rewritten to avoid identifying the organization or individuals.
The reasons are as follows:
I was practicing the following content written in “What Managers Can Do for Effective 1-on-1 Meetings” by Taka Umada | Medium.
Setting appropriate frequencyThe optimal frequency for 1on1 meetings varies depending on the situation. More frequent for younger people, less frequent for veterans More frequent for jobs where situations change easily, less frequent for jobs that don’t change frequently More frequent right after joining, less frequent thereafter It’s said to be better to vary based on the subordinate’s situation, job duties, and proficiency level. However, it’s recommended to conduct them at least biweekly. It’s better to schedule regular meetings when possible, but setting them at the end of each meeting is also one approach.
The premise was “Since there are many senior engineers, technical advice doesn’t seem necessary (I wouldn’t be able to provide it).”
First, I received this advice:
Even though they're senior, advice might not be unnecessary. Executive coaching exists normally, so I think there's a certain effect for anyone.
Below is reference information:
Additionally, I personally recommended initially interviewing the engineers under management about their “reasons for working at this company.”
(Examples) Because they can use specific technologies, because they want to contribute to the company’s business domain, because the salary is high, etc.
‘Yahoo’s 1on1―――Communication Techniques to Develop Subordinates’ by Kosuke Honma
‘How Google Works’ by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, Alan Eagle, Larry Page
eBook: O’Reilly Japan - Team Geek
eBook: O’Reilly Japan - The Manager’s Path
Also, read Naoya Ito’s articles:
‘Understanding Finance Roughly~Financial Knowledge to Polish Business Sense~’ by Yuichi Ishino
‘Expanded Edition Understanding the Three Financial Statements as One’ by Katsunori Kunisada
That’s all from the Gemba, supporting those who are becoming Engineering Managers for the first time.