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how not to be a terrible manager

Tl;dr

  • Use common sense
  • Reflect regularly on what is and isn't going well
  • Enable your team members to do their best work

All the rules:

No micromanagement

E.g. don't force people to follow certain linter rules, rather create those together as a team!

Have a vision

What motivates people to work here?

Have one-on-ones

Not everyone wants to talk about their problems in a big group. Ask people in one-on-ones if theres anything you can help them with.

E.g. have a one-on-one with everyone every two weeks -> This works well in small companies.

There can also be one-on-ones between engineers.

Be aware: Sometimes what people say they need and what they actually need are two different things.

Have retros and reviews

Get everyone at the table:

  • Get ideas: Someone who works on A might have a good idea for B
  • Share the vision: Remind everyone of the big picture

Don't have silos

If a single person works on something, what happens if they leave?

If your company grows: Know early enough when you need more managers

Good managers are not easy to find!

Have tech talks

Allow engineers to present something they've made -> This fosters motivation and knowledge transfer.

Think about your onboarding process

What does everyone have to know?

Be the first to take criticism

Don't pass stress on to your subordinates.

Also: don't overwork people.

Deal with deadlines

  • If deadlines are regularly too tight, escalate to upper management
  • Often missing deadlines is better than alienating your team

See something, say something

If someone on your team is showing poor performance, talk to them about it.

Also: Make sure everyone on your team has a way to escalate problems to you.

Review your processes

Regularly look at processes and find things to simplify.

And communicate that openly to your team!

Know your team members

Everyone is different. Know everyones strengths, weaknesses and values.

Juniors might need more micromanagement, seniors might benefit from more autonomy.

If you tell someone what to do, also tell them why

Also: encourage people to question your decisions.

Be motivated

Nobody wants to work for a manager who doesn't want to work themselves.

But also: Work isn't everything. Show your team members what a reasonable work-life-balance looks like.

Give good feedback

Good feedback is a skill that can be trained.

  • Be honest
  • Be authentic

Give your best team members more responsibility

But not more work!

Lead by example

Your team members will emulate what you do. Don't act in ways you don't want your team to copy.

Further reading: