This is your engineering leadership cheat sheet!
“True leadership starts way before you earn the title,” says Nelly Sattari.
Yes, you heard that right. Even before you’re officially an engineering manager, you need to think and act like one.
It might sound confusing, but if you want to be a leader, you should know about ‘complex engineering problems’ before you step into the role.
Let’s break that down.
Leaders get leading
There comes a time in every project when the pressure’s on, and everyone looks to the manager for direction in the chaos.
According to Kristina Valjak, Engineering Manager at Infobip, while engineers excel at optimizing and creating elegant solutions, delivering true value extends beyond just coding.
Leadership is key here, balancing the art of engineering with the need to make a real impact, ensuring that the team’s efforts are both efficient and meaningful.
‘Engineers usually have a lot on their plate in complex architecture and challenging requirements at every moment. It is often overwhelming to provide complex solutions, communicate with stakeholders, and connect with other teams involved in the delivery simultaneously.’
That is something that Nelly Sattari from Atlassian calls a ‘complex engineering problem’
‘Complex engineering problems involve interrelated factors like technical difficulties, risk, uncertainty, interdependencies, and resource constraints. Managing these challenges requires careful coordination, clear communication, and strong leadership.’
What leaders must keep an eye on
Here’s what Sattari says leaders need to keep in mind:
1. Technical Challenges and Customer Impact: A complex engineering problem comes up when designing a solution is tough, and legacy issues make it even harder. For example, when technical debt piles up, the code gets messy, and every change risks causing serious issues. This means we have to be super careful and plan everything out.
2. Risk and Uncertainty: When your team is building something or using a new technology for the first time, there are many unknowns. Plus, with so many factors to consider—like cost, performance, and simplicity—it can be overwhelming to manage all the trade-offs.
3. Interdependencies: Complex projects often involve cross-organizational collaboration, which introduces additional challenges in synchronization and managing dependencies. The more teams involved, the harder it is to align efforts and ensure that everyone is moving in the same direction.
4. Time and Expertise Limitations: A tight timeframe makes it more challenging to deliver.
5. Priorities: When your team has to handle multiple parallel workstreams, it becomes much harder because it’s tough for everyone to stay focused.
Try these strategies to guide your team effectivelly
So, what can leaders do to steer their teams through complex projects?
Valjak says it all depends on the team’s stage. For new teams, leaders should be hands-on, setting up structures, clarifying goals, and establishing strong communication. The more involved you are, the bigger the impact.
For mature teams with established workflows, the focus shifts to sharing the vision, managing stakeholders, handling obstacles, and coaching individuals to take on bigger challenges.
To guide your team effectively, try these strategies by Sattari:
1. Clarify Ownership and Commitment: Ensure the team understands the project’s value and their role, aligning efforts and fostering accountability.
2. Adopt Agile Practices: Use agile methods for flexibility, prioritize tasks, and focus on iterative progress with regular updates.
3. Ensure Focused Execution: Limit multitasking, prioritize projects, and shield the team from non-essential tasks.
4. Maintain Team Health and Culture: Support well-being and culture, celebrate successes, and regularly reflect on team dynamics.
If you want to learn more about managing complex engineering projects, join us at Shift Zadar 2024 to hear firsthand from Nelly Sattari.
