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The engineering mind is curious and creative, driven by a deep desire to understand and solve problems. At its core, the engineering mindset will be fueled by a fundamental set of principles: Clarity: Engineers thrive on well-defined problems. The nature of a challenge is what ignites their passion for finding solutions. Without a clear understanding of the problem, their motivation to engage dwindles. Clarity also means establishing a well-defined scope and ensuring it remains consistent throughout the development process. Efficiency: Engineers are renowned for their dedication to solving problems and they have little tolerance for wasting time. Therefore, establishing efficient and sensible processes is essential for their success. Furthermore, their efforts must culminate in tangible outcomes. Every engineer is familiar with the basic equation for work (Work = Force x Distance). If an engineer invests their time and energy, it must yield some form of success. In the realm of software engineering, this translates into released code. Trust: When hiring a skilled tradesperson, such as a plumber, to work on your home, you place faith in their expertise. Software engineering is no different. Software Developers undergo training for years, honing their skills and acquiring a deep understanding of their craft. They are proficient in what they do. Often, leaders who oversee teams of engineers lack the technical know-how to perform the jobs of their team members. Therefore, it is imperative to extend them the trust they deserve. Allow them to exercise their expertise and be amazed by the results. As a leader, providing an engineering team with these three essential elements is paramount to their success. However, there are a few additional considerations to keep in mind: Lead by example: Set the standard for your team. Teams tend to mirror the behavior of their leaders. If your team members perceive that you are working tirelessly on their behalf, they will be inspired to do the same. Trust but verify: While it is important to trust your team, blind faith is not advisable. Implement measures to verify their duties are being performed efficiently and maintain a high level of quality. Without a means of measurement, it is impossible to gauge the effectiveness of any effort. Value: Engineers, above all else, want to know they are valued. Treat them well, show them you care, celebrate wins, even small ones, and they will be there when you need them. In conclusion, this is a straightforward recipe for building a highly efficient and successful engineering team. However, keep in mind that "simple" does not mean "easy". Achieving this level of success requires time and dedication. Nevertheless, by providing your team with clarity, optimizing wasteful processes, extending them the trust they deserve, and demonstrating that you value their contributions, you will witness a remarkable transformation. Be a transformational leader!

What is solution engineering? At its core, solution engineering is about being a problem-solving ninja. It's the art (and science) of crafting solutions to problems—often complex or technical ones—that plague businesses, societies, or everyday life. The first step in solving any problem is to set aside your ego and overcome the bias of experience. While experience provides valuable insights, it can also create mental blocks that stifle new ideas. By starting with a blank canvas and adopting a beginner’s mind, you open yourself to fresh perspectives and innovative solutions. This approach encourages creativity and fosters a more dynamic and adaptable problem-solving process. To truly embrace this mindset, a solution engineer must develop critical skills that facilitate this open and innovative approach. Self-awareness and humility are fundamental, allowing one to recognize and set aside biases while remaining open to feedback and continuous learning. Curiosity drives the pursuit of new knowledge and questioning assumptions, while critical thinking ensures thorough analysis and the synthesis of diverse perspectives. Adaptability and resilience enable engineers to pivot and persist through challenges, fostering flexibility in their methods. Collaboration and effective communication enhance teamwork, drawing on the strengths and insights of diverse team members. Finally, creativity and a willingness to experiment lead to innovative solutions, making the problem-solving process dynamic and effective. By cultivating these skills, solution engineers can overcome experience bias and tackle problems with a fresh and practical perspective. The Problem Statement! In his book Solve for Happy, Engineer Your Path to Joy, Mo Gawdat states that this is true in engineering as it is in business as it is in life: the most crucial step in finding an answer depends on the question itself. Solutions Engineers often instinctively jump into solution mode when engaged in a project. I do, what about you? However, it is critical to slow down and ask yourself: Do I truly understand the problem I have been asked to solve? The solution engineering process isn't a straight line—it's more like a dance routine with steps that sometimes require you to tango with technology and waltz with stakeholders. It involves correctly defining the problem statement (often the most challenging part) before you can solve it. Because “IF WE DON’T KNOW WHAT WE ARE SOLVING FOR, THEN WHATEVER ANSWER WE MAY FIND WILL BE IRRELEVANT.” Now that you know what to do, keep a beginner’s mind and give your best! IT’S NOT ENOUGH TO DO YOUR BEST; YOU MUST KNOW WHAT TO DO, AND THEN YOU DO YOUR BEST—EDWARD DEMING! Disclaimer: This article combines 20+ years of problem-solving and was made with the help of AI (Grammarly and chatGPT 4o)

Transform Your Engineering Management Career Path Are you an aspiring engineering person oregon a bundle developer looking to ascent the ladder of occurrence successful your method career? We conscionable posted a people connected the freeCodeCamp.org YouTube transmission that volition thatch you however to beryllium an exceptional engineering manager. Ankita Kulkarni teaches this course. She is an experienced engineering manager and has mentored hundreds of radical to go a amended manager. The modulation from a developer to an engineering manager tin beryllium daunting, but with the close guidance and understanding, it's a travel worthy embarking on. This people offers a unsocial position connected what it genuinely means to beryllium a person successful the tech world, highlighting the differences, challenges, and rewards of this role. The people delves into assorted aspects of engineering management, focusing connected the improvement from an idiosyncratic contributor to a person who inspires and guides a team. It addresses respective cardinal areas: The Essence of Leadership: Discover the cardinal differences betwixt being a bundle engineering manager and a method lead, and larn what it takes to beryllium a large leader. This includes knowing the roadmap to palmy enactment and the skills indispensable to usher a squad effectively. Skill Development for Career Advancement: Uncover the pivotal skills that erstwhile mastered, tin importantly heighten your vocation trajectory. This conception is peculiarly insightful for those looking to marque a tangible interaction successful their nonrecreational journey. Communication and Feedback: Learn the creation of effectual connection and feedback wrong a squad setting. As a manager, your relation successful shaping the team's dynamics and show is crucial, and this people provides applicable tips connected however to execute this. Personal Growth and Reflection: Ankita shares her idiosyncratic experiences, offering a candid look astatine what she wishes she knew earlier stepping into the relation of an engineering manager. This conception is invaluable for those contemplating a akin transition. What sets this people isolated is its holistic attack to engineering management. It's not conscionable astir method skills oregon task management; it's astir knowing the quality constituent successful a tech environment. The people emphasizes the value of empathy, communication, and squad dynamics, which are often overlooked but captious for a palmy enactment role. This people is perfect for idiosyncratic contributors who are funny astir engineering leadership, arsenic good arsenic existent managers seeking to refine their skills and strategies. Watch the afloat people connected the freeCodeCamp.org YouTube channel (2-hour watch). Le...

Here are unordered anti-anti-patterns for Engineering Managers:  - Your team matters more than the product. Don't burn them out for todays short sighted goals.  - Every problem is an oppurtunity for someone else: Delegate everything you can, especially the fun stuff.  - Delegation without accountability is abdication.  - Talk to your direct reports at least once per quarter about their career even if they don't bring it up.  - If you have conflict with someone, remain calm and collect data.  - Encourage engineers to have hard conversations in 1:1s. Make sure they understand those meetings are for them. Reinforce this periodically.  - Everyone leaves eventually. You serve yourself, your team, and your company best by having conversations about what comes next for your engineer before they even think to leave.  - Take the blame when things go wrong, give credit to the team when things go right.  - Default give projects to those who would learn the most. If another engineer would do it better, have them coach/mentor instead.  - Don't measure useless things like number of commits, pull requests, lines of code, etc.  - Encourage and set a good example that folks take time off, especially when sick.  - Make space for the team to tinker when possible.  - Defend the team from useless meetings, but also level them up to say no to useless meetings even when you're not around.  - Process should serve a purpose, if it's not serving that purpose or causing more harm than good, change it.  - You follow the same rules as your team, no exceptions. If your team has to send email when they are sick, so do you.  - Show up on time to your 1:1s. This shows your direct report that their time matters to you.  - Get to know your engineers personally, as much as they are comfortable with. They are people before they are  - Don't cancel or move your 1:1s. If you're sick, reschedule as soon as possible, even if the engineer says it's fine. They can delete or cancel the 1:1 if it really is fine.  - Stay off the critical path as much as possible. Don't be a bottleneck. If you have to code (startup, etc) focus on the least critical areas that empower your team to do the good hard work. Take the boring jobs; their career benefits the most from the hard stuff, and you eventually should transition to no code. (More in the comments since we are at the char limit... What did I miss?)

The quest for the unicorn Engineering Manager is over! 🦄 I’m stoked to unveil our framework designed to empower Engineering Managers (EM^POWER). 👨🚀 Imagine the impact of fully harnessing the potential of your EMs. It's not just about finding unicorns; it's about creating them. 🦄 ☘ Our framework outlines five key competencies for effective leadership. Building on this, we have ALSO developed a comprehensive assessment tool designed to understand how your EM is performing against these five competencies. This tool not only gauges how they perform but also lays the groundwork for personalized growth plans. Our tool is currently in beta testing. As we gear up for the public release, we're inviting you to join our exclusive waitlist for early access. Want to be among the first to experience this tool? Leave a comment below to secure your spot! #engineeringleadership #engineeringmanagement

When I recently spoke to a group of engineering leaders about fostering engineering effectiveness, one of the most intriguing questions was, “How do you roll out an effectiveness program in a low-trust environment?” Distrust can compromise any initiative’s core objectives to improve processes or productivity. Whether your engineers feel watched or unfairly judged, rolling out a program in such conditions can be an uphill battle. First things first, let’s acknowledge that navigating a low-trust setting is going to be challenging. If your organization hasn’t prioritized creating a high-trust environment, be prepared for a tough effectiveness journey. The lack of trust will make it difficult to implement changes and track their impact, even if they are designed to benefit both the engineers and the organization. Second, the first few quarters’ priority shouldn’t be tangible outputs like increased productivity or reduced cycle times. Instead, focus on building trust and demonstrating mutual value. You should concentrate on a single team if your organization is small; if it’s larger, identify a specific opportunity to benefit multiple teams. Your goal is to demonstrate a win-win situation: you can make things better for the company and improve the engineers’ daily work lives simultaneously. The phrase “trust is earned, not given” rings especially true in software engineering environments. Be open about what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and how it impacts both the engineers and the broader business goals. Transparency can neutralize the fear and skepticism that typically lurk in low-trust environments. Engagement is equally critical. Involve your software developers in decision-making processes about engineering effectiveness, and hear them out. Create a feedback loop that allows them to contribute ideas and express concerns. The worst thing you can do is make your teams feel like they are subjects in an experiment; they should collaborate to improve how things work. Rolling out an engineering effectiveness program in a low-trust environment is a long-haul commitment that requires focus, transparency, and engagement. A single-minded focus on business outcomes won’t cut it. Build trust, involve your engineers in the process, and aim for a mutually beneficial outcome. And remember, you are not just changing a process; you’re affecting people's work lives and, in turn, the company culture. Your actions should reflect this responsibility. I’d love to hear your experience and insights if you’ve faced similar challenges. How did you go about building trust while aiming for engineering effectiveness?

Top 5 Skills Every Entry-Level Engineer Needs So, you've got your engineering degree in hand – congratulations! Now, the real challenge begins: stepping into the professional world. It's not just about your technical know-how; there are some key skills you need to master to really make your mark. Let's dive into them: --Effective Communication-- What is it? Simply put, it's the ability to get your point across clearly and understand others without a hitch. In engineering, this means explaining complex ideas in a way everyone gets. Why it matters? Great communication can turn good ideas into great projects, and it's often what separates okay engineers from the truly outstanding ones. Real-life example: Think of a project team where everyone's ideas were heard and understood, leading to an innovative solution and a happy client. That's effective communication in action. --Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking-- What is it? It's all about tackling challenges head-on and thinking outside the box. Why it matters? In the engineering world, problems are a dime a dozen. The ability to solve them creatively can make you a go-to person in your team. Real-life example: Remember when someone figured out a way to reduce production costs without compromising quality? That's your goal – be that problem-solver. --Teamwork and Collaboration-- What is it? Working well with others – sounds simple, right? But it's about more than just getting along. It's about leveraging each other's strengths to achieve common goals. Why it matters? Engineering is rarely a solo effort. The most successful projects are often the result of collaborative efforts. Real-life example: Imagine a project where each team member's unique skills contributed to a solution that no one could have come up with alone. That's the power of teamwork. --Time Management and Organization-- What is it? It's about being in control of your time and tasks, not the other way around. Why it matters? Engineering projects have deadlines. Managing your time well means less stress and more efficient work. Real-life example: Ever heard about someone who juggled multiple projects successfully? They likely had killer time management skills. Aim for that. --Continuous Learning and Adaptability-- What is it? Staying updated with the latest in your field and being ready to adapt to changes. Why it matters? Technology evolves at lightning speed. Keeping up means staying relevant and competitive. Real-life example: Think of someone who learned a new software quickly to meet project needs. That's adaptability – and it's priceless. So there you have it – five skills that'll help bridge the gap between being a fresh graduate and a respected professional engineer. Remember, it's about more than just your technical knowledge. It's these skills that will set you apart and help you navigate your new career path successfully.

Driving for excellence in IT Engineering 🚀 Excellence is being able to perform at a high level over and over again. You can hit a half-court shot once. That's just the luck of the draw. If you consistently do it... that's excellence. - Jay-Z The pursuit of excellence isn't just a goal, it's a continuous journey. It's about breaking down barriers, welcoming innovation, and pursuing ongoing progress. Every business leader strives to create high-performance teams under them operating at an exceptional level of efficiency and delivering on time and budget. To deliver high-quality work and creative solutions, engineers must consistently strive for efficiency and effectiveness, whether at the individual or organizational level. It requires constant learning, teamwork, and adaptation to new technology and shifting customer needs. Engineering teams are expected to be agile, creative, open-minded, and diverse. This pursuit results in both pride and satisfaction for engineers and delight for customers. To drive excellence in IT engineering, organizations can do the following: ✨ Clearly Defined Expectations: Engineers should be aware of the performance, quality, and contributions that are expected of them in relation to the objectives of the organization. Well-defined job descriptions, performance indicators, and frequent feedback can help with this. ✨ Professional Development: Promote continuous learning and skill improvement. Provide engineers the opportunity to get certifications, attend conferences, and receive training. ✨ Innovation Time: Allow engineers to dedicate a portion of their time to explore innovative projects or technologies that may not be directly related to their daily tasks. This encourages creativity and new ideas. ✨ Mentoring and Coaching: Create mentorship programs where experienced engineers mentor and guide junior engineers. This not only makes it easier to transfer knowledge but also encourages a culture of learning and development. ✨ Well-Defined Processes: Create engineering processes that are effective and properly documented. These processes should facilitate the smooth execution of projects and ensure consistent quality. ✨ Feedback Loops: Establish feedback mechanisms, such as regular performance reviews and surveys, to gather input from engineers about their experiences and suggestions for improvement. ✨ Quality Assurance: Implement quality assurance practices and testing procedures to ensure that engineering solutions meet or exceed expectations. This includes rigorous testing, code reviews, and automated testing. In essence, fostering excellence in IT Engineering includes creating an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing ideas without fear of criticism and are empowered to pursue innovation. It takes a dedication to a continuing path of growth and innovation to achieve excellence in IT engineering. #innovation #qualityassurance #growth #excellence #qualitywork #itengineer

Measuring engineering productivity is a Gordian knot. How does a manager measure the performance of an engineer? Lines of code, like lines of a blog post aren’t a good metric. Most of the time, short, direct prose is better than verbose or lengthy sentences that carry on forever because they haven’t been edited & really ought to be, but someone was rushing or forgetful, & they lose the reader along the way. Great code is succinct & clear. So is LinkedIn’s Developer Productivity and Happiness Framework, which explains how their developer teams are measured. LinkedIn selected three metrics for most engineers & they all revolve around speed. 1. Developer Build Time : the time between when a developer writes code to when he or she can test it on their computer. 2. Post-Merge Duration : the time between committing code to seeing it live on the website. 3. Code Review Response Time : how long code awaits a peer-review Each of these metrics optimizes throughput or work-velocity by preventing bottlenecks in the development process. They aren’t about individual production metrics but overall process latency metrics. In graduate school, I attended an operations course that assigned the book The Goal, a fictional story about a manager tasked with optimizing a declining business. The key lesson : optimize for the entire system end-to-end, not each step. Lines of code or number of commits focus on components of the engineering process. Latency encompasses the entire chain. Alexander the Great cut through the Gordian knot with his sword. Perhaps, latency optimization is the analogue in managing software engineering teams.

Beyond KTLO: How Engineering Leaders Navigate Time Allocation Engineering effectiveness is reaching a watershed moment. The rise of advanced dev automation reflects a demand for more code as legacy enterprise companies wake up to find that even they create software now. But despite engineering’s transition from “IT department” to key business differentiator, the era of blank-check tech budgets is over. Every company is realizing that software is a critical driver of business growth and that with great opportunity comes great accountability. Facing scrutiny and pressure to do more with less, engineering leaders find themselves in a tough spot in 2024: ship more features, deliver more business value, pay down technical debt and keep the lights on — and do it all yesterday. Playing Time Allocation Tetris Over my three-ish decades of working with engineering teams, I can testify that the question of how to allocate developer time between KTLO/tech debt and new value isn’t new. Neither is the tension it creates between tech leaders and their business counterparts: The business demands “new hotness:” the features that customers will love, so marketing can promote and sales can sell. But they don’t understand why everything is taking so long. Engineers accuse the business side of not understanding the true costs and resources involved in quality feature development, and what’s the point of building new hotness if it’s slow, buggy and unstable? There are inherent trade-offs between short-term gains and long-term sustainability, and the outcomes of this tension can run the gamut. Shipping new features against business-imposed deadlines creates more debt and erodes developer experience as teams move on to delivering the next half-built project. But spending too much time on maintenance might mean a six-week rabbit hole of over-optimization that doesn’t deliver business value at all. The Value DORA Can’t Measure Functional organizations need to do both types of work, so it would seem that the obvious answer to doing more with less is just to work more efficiently. (Good luck telling that to your team.) Performance matters, but it assumes that you’ve already decided as an organization that you’re working on the right things. When it comes to measuring engineering performance, leaders often rely on standard software delivery metrics like DORA’s lead time, deployment frequency, MTTR and change failure rate. But efficiency and quality metrics don’t tell the whole story. You can ship lots of perfect code all day without delivering anything of value to the business. Performance matters, but it assumes that you’ve already decided as an organization that you’re working on the right things. There’s a critical difference between engineering performance (efficiency and quality) and engineering effectiveness (having the desired impact). To achieve the latter, what comes before performance — both in importance and in sequence — is transparency a...