Management skills 1

[Kevin_Hall]

To begin with, I think that management is about you.
1. Develop yourself (then people will be drawn to you)
2. Believe in yourself
3. Set boundaries (in order not to work 100 hours/week and not to sleep on the floor in the office)
4. Don't be afraid to fail
And remember: "If you want to change the world, make your bed at first"

How do you think what skills a great manager should have? I am interested in your opinion.

 

[271828]

Forget "management." Think "leadership."

I've read various sources on this subject over the years. The best source by a wide margin is the series of books by Willink: Extreme Ownership, Dichotomy of Leadership, and Leadership Tactics and Strategies. These fall into the category of "I'd give a large sum of money to be able to go back to 30 years old with this knowledge."

Several of your bullet points are discussed in these books. Maybe all of them.

 

[TigerGuy]

I was taught early that managers use/utilize resources, while leaders love and lead people. When you try to love resources and use people, it doesn't go smoothly. It is a balancing act for each team leader. Do not at any time think a "great leader can motivate anybody", you will be disappointed.

Give people enough space to make decisions, try things, and fail sometimes. You may have to start with lots of hands-on guidance, but know when to step back and let them try it on their own. It's not much different than parenting.

 

[CWB1]

I struggle with threads like this given that ~90% of engineers will never reach management, but IMHO the primary duty of management is to ensure employees have a reasonable standard of competence - something which I believe is sadly lacking in most professions today. Too many get caught up trying to reinvent project management processes under the guise of maximizing efficiency when the real issue is lousy management's acceptance of incompetence bc they dont want to train or hold employees accountable.

At my best employer I rarely saw my managers, usually only once/month in design reviews/project updates unless we crossed paths otherwise. We went about our work, they managed (no engineering), and we were often in different states or countries without knowing the other had left. We had a standing 30 minute weekly one-on-one scheduled in case of issues, but we rarely had issues that couldn't be resolved via a couple emails or IMs. They had an intensive training program, high expectations, empowered and entrusted us, and anybody including managers would be walked out at the drop of a hat. Some folks dislike the last bit bc laziness wasnt accepted, but I find a fast-paced environment full of highly competent people far less frustrating than the alternative and much more rewarding financially.