3 Things All Successful Engineering Managers Have in Common
Posted July 24th, 2020
Every engineering manager wants to excel in their role. Not only is it good for them professionally, but it also ensures their team and their company can flourish.
By understanding what successful engineering managers have in common, you can adopt approaches that are known to work. Here’s a look at some traits that all leading engineering managers share.
1. Long-Term Vision
Successful engineering managers aren’t just focused on today; they also have their eye on tomorrow. The long-term well-being of the product and the company is a priority. As a result, they make decisions based on what’s best over an extended period, even if that makes today more complex.
Essentially, leading engineering managers examine a challenge and consider how various solutions play out over time. That way, they can choose an approach that has the most beneficial outcome down the line instead of focusing solely on immediate needs.
2. Delegation Skills
As an engineering manager, delegation is a must. Once you reach the leadership ranks, you’re no longer an individual contributor. While you’ll have your own responsibilities, you can handle every task personally. Successful engineering managers are adept at handing out duties to the right people, making it easier for goals to be achieved.
Typically, delegation skills involve more than just ordering a team member to handle a task. Instead, it includes being able to understand each employee’s strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. That way, assignments can go to people who are best equipped to excel, increasing the quality of the outputs, and overall job satisfaction.
3. Advocacy
Engineering managers play an important part when it comes to communicating with and managing the expectations of other members of the leadership teams. Many other managers won’t understand the nuances of what the engineering team faces. As a result, they may not be reasonable about their requests or assume things work in a way that they don’t.
Successful engineering managers know how to ensure that other members of the leadership team are aware of what it takes to complete various tasks, breaking down complex topics in ways that nearly anyone can understand. But they don’t stop there. They also advocate for the team, ensuring that unreasonable expectations don’t hinder their performance or morale.
Ultimately, being a successful engineering manager requires the right approach. You need long-term vision, the ability to delegate well, and the willingness to advocate for your team, ensuring they have an opportunity to exceed everyone’s expectations, not just your own.
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If you’d like to learn more about what it takes to keep your employees on target and help them thrive, the staff at Bayside Solutions can help. Contact us to speak with one of our personnel management experts today and see how our leadership expertise can benefit you.
