Engineering Manager's Handbook: An insider’s guide to managing software development and engineering teams

A comprehensive guide to engineering management packed with tips, tricks, and techniques to drive results
Key Features

Acquire the necessary skills to manage engineers across various settings
Gain valuable insights into engineering leadership, people management, and driving organizational change
Discover pitfalls to avoid as a new engineering manager and understand their causation
Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook

Book Description

Delightful and customer-centric digital products have become an expectation in the world of business. Engineering managers are uniquely positioned to impact the success of these products and the software systems that power them. Skillful managers guide their teams and companies to develop functional and maintainable systems.

This book helps you find your footing as an engineering manager, develop your leadership style, balance your time between engineering and managing, build successful engineering teams in different settings, and work within constraints without sacrificing technical standards or team empathy. You’ll learn practical techniques for establishing trust, developing beneficial habits, and creating a cohesive and high-performing engineering team. You’ll discover effective strategies to guide and contribute to your team’s efforts, facilitating productivity and collaboration.

By the end of this book, you’ll have the tools and knowledge necessary to thrive as an engineering manager. Whether you’re just starting out in your role or seeking to enhance your leadership capabilities, this handbook will empower you to make a lasting impact and drive success in your organization.
What you will learn

Pitfalls common to new managers and how to avoid them
Ways to establish trust and authority
Methods and tools for building world-class engineering teams
Behaviors to build and maintain a great reputation as a leader
Mechanisms to avoid costly missteps that end up requiring re-work
Strategies to increase employee retention on your team
Techniques to facilitate better product outcomes

Who this book is for

This book is a valuable resource for software engineers and developers transitioning into engineering management roles, equipping you with best practices and insights to navigate the new responsibilities effectively. Whether you're a newly promoted engineering manager or an experienced one seeking immediate answers to challenges, this comprehensive and up-to-date guide provides the support you need. Familiarity with the software development lifecycle, including concepts like version control, code review, and deployment, is required.
Table of Contents

An Introduction to Engineering Management
Engineering Leadership Styles
Common Failure Modes for New Engineering Managers
Leading Architecture
Project Planning and Delivery
Supporting Production Systems
Working Cross-Functionally
Communicating with Authority
Assessing and Improving Team Performance
Fostering Accountability
Managing Risk
Resilient Leadership
Scaling Your Team
Changing Priorities, Company Pivots, and Reorgs
Retaining Talent
Team design and More