The Reality of Being an Engineering Manager ![rw-book-cover](https://res.cloudinary.com/leaddev/image/upload/f_auto/q_auto/dpr_auto/c_limit,w_1440,h_960/next/2026/05/supercharge-performance-01.jpg) 🔗 **Source:** [The Reality of Being an Engineering Manager](https://leaddev.com/career-development/the-reality-of-being-an-engineering-manager) > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: #engineering-management #leadership #career-development > author: Vaidehi Joshi > source: LeadDev > reference: https://leaddev.com/career-development/the-reality-of-being-an-engineering-manager > date created: 2024-12-19 14:30 > > # 🏷️ Title: The reality of being an engineering manager > <!-- deep-read:sections start --> ## 🧰 Action Inbox - [H1] Develop sociotechnical systems thinking framework — transition from code systems to people+tech systems #leadership - [H2] Create team success metrics and capacity planning process — bottleneck identification and resource allocation #team-management - [H3] Build technical credibility maintenance plan — stay current without deep coding #technical-leadership ## 🧭 Table of Contents - [[#📝 Summary]] - [[#📖 Main Content]] - [[#🗒️ Notes]] - [[#📚 References]] - [[#🗣️ Paraphrase]] - [[#📰 Newsletter]] - [[#✅ Action Items]] - [[#🧪 Hypotheses]] - [[#📊 Methodology]] - [[#❓ Questions]] - [[#🔮 Future Research]] - [[#💡 Implications]] - [[#🧠 Learning Styles Assessment]] - [[#📊 Accessibility Assessment]] - [[#🌍 DEIB Assessment]] - [[#✅ Logical Validity]] - [[#🛡️ DARVO Analysis]] - [[#🎯 Conclusion]] ### 🔗 References - [The reality of being an engineering manager](https://leaddev.com/career-development/the-reality-of-being-an-engineering-manager) - [LeadDev Career Development Resources](https://leaddev.com/career-development) ## 📝 Summary - Engineering managers transition from building code to building team conditions for success - The role varies significantly based on company size, team needs, and organizational structure - Key responsibilities include team support, individual growth, technical guidance, and cross-functional collaboration - Staying technical remains important for credibility and effective advocacy - AI and budget constraints are reshaping the role toward performance management and efficiency ## 📖 Main Content Engineering management represents a fundamental shift from individual contribution to team enablement. Unlike the common "human router" metaphor, the role involves deep understanding of sociotechnical systems where people and technology intersect. The transition from IC to manager requires adapting systems-level thinking from code architecture to team dynamics. Managers must balance technical involvement (20-50% for player-coaches, less for larger teams) with operational responsibilities like hiring, culture building, and performance management. Core responsibilities center on team success through proper staffing, tooling, goal setting, and resource allocation. Individual support includes mentoring, coaching, and career development. The role demands strong communication, emotional intelligence, and the ability to context-switch between multiple priorities throughout the day. Staying technical remains crucial for building trust, understanding team challenges, and representing technical interests to stakeholders. The evolving landscape with AI and budget constraints creates new challenges around code quality, technical debt, and maintaining job satisfaction while doing more with less. ## 🗒️ Notes #### 📋 Core Role Definition - Key idea: Engineering managers are more than "human routers" - they operate within sociotechnical systems - Evidence: "the people who build software and contribute code are part of the sociotechnical system of an engineering organization" #### ⚖️ Technical vs Management Balance - Key idea: Time allocation varies dramatically based on company size and team structure - Evidence: "A player-coach engineering manager might spend anywhere between 20% and 50% of their time doing technical work" #### 🎯 Team Success Framework - Key idea: Everything stems from helping the team be successful through proper conditions - Evidence: "your main goal will always center around one thing: helping your team be successful. Everything else stems from that" #### 📊 Operational Responsibilities - Key idea: Managers handle metrics, capacity planning, and bottleneck identification - Evidence: "Supporting your team's outcomes might look like adding metrics to better measure and understand your team's velocity" #### 🤝 Cross-functional Collaboration - Key idea: Representing team interests requires partnering across disciplines - Evidence: "You'll have to partner with other disciplines (e.g. product, design, and engineering peers)" #### 👥 Individual Development Focus - Key idea: Personal growth and career development create significant job satisfaction - Evidence: "Finding the perfect project or initiative that will help that engineer learn, grow, and progress to the next level" #### 💬 Communication and EQ - Key idea: Emotional intelligence and active listening are as important as speaking - Evidence: "they also need to know when to be quiet and listen (for example, practicing active listening in a 1:1)" #### 🔧 Technical Credibility Importance - Key idea: Understanding team challenges requires staying technically relevant - Evidence: "A manager that doesn't understand what their team does, how they do it, or what challenges they face will be considerably less well-equipped" #### 🚀 Future Challenges with AI - Key idea: AI changes output speed but creates new quality and maintenance concerns - Evidence: "How do we maintain code quality and build resilient systems when our output is bigger and produced faster than ever before?" ## 📚 References - [The reality of being an engineering manager](https://leaddev.com/career-development/the-reality-of-being-an-engineering-manager) - [LeadDev Engineering Leadership Resources](https://leaddev.com/) ## 🗣️ Paraphrase - Engineering management shifts focus from writing code to creating conditions where teams can produce quality code effectively - The role adapts constantly to team needs, requiring different technical involvement levels and management approaches based on company size and structure - Success comes from balancing team-level support (culture, tools, resources) with individual development (mentoring, career growth, performance management) ## 📰 Newsletter **Engineering Management Reality Check: Beyond the "Human Router"** Engineering managers do more than route information—they architect the conditions for team success. Whether you're considering the transition from IC or refining your management approach, this reality check covers what the role actually entails. Key insight: Your technical involvement will vary (20-50% for smaller teams, less for larger ones), but staying technically credible remains crucial for building trust and advocating effectively for your team. The role centers on team outcomes through proper staffing, goal-setting, and resource allocation, plus individual growth through mentoring and career development. As AI reshapes development velocity, managers face new challenges around code quality and technical debt management. **Resources:** [LeadDev Management Track](https://leaddev.com/management), [Engineering Leadership Newsletter](https://leaddev.com/newsletters) ## ✅ Action Items #### DevRel - Developer experience: Create management transition documentation for IC-to-manager paths - Education: Develop workshops on sociotechnical systems thinking for new managers - Community management: Facilitate peer mentoring groups for engineering managers #### OSPO - Policy & Governance: Establish technical contribution expectations for engineering managers - Developer Support: Create training materials on staying technical while managing - Community Engagement: Support engineering management tracks at conferences #### Community - Maintainers: Develop governance templates for manager/IC technical involvement balance - Contributors: Create onboarding materials for managers contributing to open source - Sponsors: Fund engineering management training and development programs #### WordPress - Core Program Team: Define technical involvement expectations for team leads - Community: Support engineering management discussions at WordCamps - Training: Create learning paths for technical leadership roles - Documentation: Document best practices for managing technical contributors - Meta: Establish clear technical expectations for project managers #### The WPCC - Programs: Offer fellowships for engineering management skill development - Projects: Support governance models for technical leadership roles - Funding: Provide grants for management training and certification programs ## 🧪 Hypotheses - Engineering managers who maintain 20-30% technical involvement have higher team trust scores than those who abandon technical work entirely - Teams led by managers with strong emotional intelligence show better retention rates and performance metrics - The player-coach model works best for teams under 8 people, while larger teams benefit from managers focused primarily on coordination and growth - Engineering managers who practice active listening in 1:1s see faster individual contributor career progression on their teams ### 📊 Methodology - Survey engineering teams on trust levels correlated with manager technical involvement percentage - Longitudinal study tracking team performance metrics under different management styles - Analyze promotion rates and job satisfaction across teams with varying manager approaches ### ❓ Questions - How do we measure the optimal balance between technical involvement and people management for different team sizes? - What specific technical skills should engineering managers maintain versus delegate completely? - How can organizations better prepare individual contributors for the sociotechnical systems thinking required in management? ### 🔮 Future Research - Impact of AI coding tools on engineering manager technical involvement requirements - Effectiveness of different mentoring approaches for IC-to-manager transitions - Cross-industry comparison of engineering management models and outcomes ### 💡 Implications - Practice: Engineering managers need structured approaches to maintain technical credibility while developing people skills - Policy: Organizations should define clear expectations for technical involvement at different management levels - Education: Management training programs must include sociotechnical systems thinking alongside traditional people management - Funding: Investment in engineering manager development programs correlates with team performance and retention ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment Reading level estimate: 12th Grade (Flesch-Kincaid) #### 👀 Visual learners - Present: Clear section headings, bulleted lists of responsibilities - Improve: Organizational charts showing manager-team relationships, flowcharts of technical vs management task allocation #### 🔊 Aural learners - Present: None identified in written article - Improve: Podcast version or audio summary of key management principles #### 🗣️ Verbal learners - Present: Concrete examples, defined role terminology, scenario-based explanations - Improve: Case study narratives, analogies comparing IC and management work #### 🧩 Kinesthetic learners - Present: Practical task lists, actionable responsibility descriptions - Improve: Self-assessment checklists, role transition planning worksheets #### 🧠 Logical learners - Present: Clear cause-and-effect relationships, structured role progression - Improve: Decision trees for technical involvement levels, performance metrics frameworks #### 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Social learners - Present: Team dynamics focus, cross-functional collaboration emphasis - Improve: Group discussion prompts, peer mentoring program designs #### 🧘‍♀️ Solitary learners - Present: Individual reflection opportunities on role transition - Improve: Self-paced skill development plans, personal growth journaling prompts #### 🌿 Naturalistic learners - Present: Systems thinking approach, ecosystem perspective on organizations - Improve: Analogies to natural systems, sustainable team development practices ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment #### Screen reader semantics - Present: Clear heading hierarchy, descriptive section titles - Improve: More descriptive link text, table summaries for data comparison #### Keyboard navigation - Present: Standard web navigation structure - Improve: Skip links to major sections, focus indicators on interactive elements #### Contrast and readability - Present: Standard black text on white background - Improve: Verify 4.5:1 contrast ratio compliance, check link color contrast #### Text resizing and reflow - Present: Responsive design supports text scaling - Improve: Test at 200% zoom, ensure no content clipping #### Media and captions - Present: Text-only article - Improve: Consider audio version with transcripts for accessibility #### Forms and interactions - Present: Newsletter signup with proper labeling - Improve: Error handling and validation feedback for form submissions #### Standards reference - Ensure compliance with WCAG 2.2 AA for information-heavy content ### 🌍 DEIB Assessment #### Cultural breadth - Present: General management principles applicable across cultures - Improve: Examples from diverse company cultures, international management approaches #### Inclusive language - Present: Gender-neutral terms throughout, professional tone - Improve: Consider economic accessibility of management development resources #### Neurodiversity support - Present: Well-structured content with clear sections - Improve: Content warnings for career transition anxiety, executive function support tips #### Representation - Present: Female author providing engineering management perspective - Improve: Diverse examples of successful managers, varied company contexts #### Psychological safety - Present: Honest discussion of management challenges and transitions - Improve: Resources for imposter syndrome, support for management failures and learning ### ✅ Logical Validity #### Strong reasoning - Deductive strength: Clear progression from individual contributor skills to management applications - Inductive strength: Examples build toward general principles about technical involvement and team success - Causal reasoning: Well-established connections between manager actions and team outcomes - Analogical strength: Effective comparison of systems thinking from code to team management #### Fallacies - None identified: Article maintains logical consistency throughout - Balanced perspective: Acknowledges role variation and challenges without oversimplification #### Tone of voice - Overall tone: Professional, experienced, and realistic while remaining encouraging for career transitions ### 🛡️ DARVO Analysis - Deny: None present - article acknowledges management challenges honestly - Attack: No attacks on critics or alternative viewpoints - Reverse victim/offender: No victim/offender dynamics discussed - Emotional cues and rhetoric: Supportive and informational tone without manipulation ## 🎯 Conclusion Engineering management requires a fundamental shift from building systems to building the conditions where teams build great systems. The role varies significantly based on context, but success consistently depends on balancing technical credibility with people development skills. As AI reshapes software development, engineering managers must adapt to maintain code quality while supporting team growth and satisfaction. ## 🧱 Refactor Appendix ### 📚 Literature Split Pad Purpose: Stage CEE units that become Literature notes. Split level: H3 ### [H1] Engineering management requires sociotechnical systems thinking > [!quote] The reality of being an engineering manager by Vaidehi Joshi via LeadDev. Published May 11, 2026. > "the people who build software and contribute code are part of the sociotechnical system of an engineering organization" Transition from code architecture to team dynamics requires similar systems-level thinking skills. [view highlight](https://leaddev.com/career-development/the-reality-of-being-an-engineering-manager#H1) #xref #articleseed ID:rw_20241219_001 ### [H2] Technical credibility enables effective team advocacy > [!quote] The reality of being an engineering manager > "staying technical helps to build trust and credibility and will enable you to better represent your team" Managers need technical understanding to advocate effectively for team needs and challenges. [view highlight](https://leaddev.com/career-development/the-reality-of-being-an-engineering-manager#H2) #xref ID:rw_20241219_002 --- ### 🔖 Atomic Split Pad (Zettel Candidates) Purpose: Promote reusable claims into Atomic notes. Split level: H4 #### [Z1] Player-coach managers balance coding with team leadership - Scope: Teams under 10 people, startup/smaller company contexts - 20-50% technical work allocation principle - Links: [[Engineering-Management]] [[Technical-Leadership]] #### [Z2] Team success metrics require bottleneck identification - Scope: Any engineering team with delivery responsibilities - Velocity measurement and capacity planning approaches - Links: [[Team-Performance]] [[Engineering-Metrics]] --- ### ✏️ Fleeting Queue Purpose: Capture quick actions for Fleeting notes. - [F1] Research optimal technical involvement percentages by team size — article claims 20-50% for smaller teams #fleeting #inbox - [F2] Explore emotional intelligence training for engineering managers — active listening skills mentioned #fleeting #inbox - [F3] Investigate AI impact on engineering manager technical requirements — future challenges section #fleeting #inbox <!-- deep-read:sections end --> 📄 **Full text:** ![[Full Document Contents/Articles/The Reality of Being an Engineering Manager.md|The Reality of Being an Engineering Manager by leaddev.com]] ## Highlights - When I made the switch from [individual contributor (IC)](https://leaddev.com/career-development/how-start-leading-individual-contributor) to engineering manager a few years ago, I was surprised by how much of my day-to-day work was dictated by the needs of the team I was leading. Over the past few years, I’ve inherited existing teams and built out new ones. In both situations, I had to figure out how to support that specific team in the most effective way possible, and it looked slightly different each time. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01krbngrtr7wdb4c0rf2k2drx0)) - Tags: 👻 ai highlighted - Whereas ICs spend a large chunk of their days building features, fixing bugs, maintaining the platform, refactoring or [reviewing code](https://leaddev.com/culture/build-a-productive-code-review-culture), and making architectural decisions, engineering managers have to drop some of these tasks in order to make space for new responsibilities. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01krbnhbafy3swa4nfxnsappmj)) - As an engineering manager, you’ll often find yourself representing your team and its initiatives to others within the organization. As such, there is an inherent project management piece to the job; you will have to set goals for your team, determine priorities, and allocate resources. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01krbnhz27ksz0mzafwck330xd))