This article discusses the challenges of delegating tasks as a manager. The author shares their experience of delegating a critical project to an engineer, who was struggling to prioritize and meet deadlines. The author offered help and guidance, and gave the engineer time to progress. After six months, the engineer became a tech lead and one of the best engineers. The author learned that delegating requires trust in the person and their ability to progress, and that it is important to start with smaller tasks.

Plato

Monica Bajaj

Vice President of Engineering at Okta, Inc.

How to Be an Effective Leader While Scaling Teams

This article discusses the importance of scaling an organization and building high-performing engineering teams. It outlines various actions to take, such as embracing failure, over-communicating, creating a culture of trust, and maximizing the "golden hours". The article also emphasizes the importance of being uncomfortable in a comfortable situation in order to keep scaling teams in terms of growth, skill set, and innovation.

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Erik Barbara

Engineering Director at Duo Security

A Detailed Hiring Process

This article outlines the hiring process of a manager, which includes a behavioral screen, technical screen, and on-site interviews. The manager emphasizes the importance of standardizing the process as much as possible, and uses a debriefing to ask questions and clarify why people said Yes or No to a candidate. The manager also does not do consensus hiring, and if a candidate receives all yeses but a No for technical reasons, then they will not be hired.

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Jon Fan

CPO at Envoy

Impactful Mid-Level Thematic Objectives

This article discusses how to connect a company's vision and strategy with the work of a team. It suggests creating a mid-level tiered view of 12 months for the roadmap, brainstorming ideas, pressure testing them, and creating a thematic template. It also suggests focusing on the goals to build a shared understanding, testing the three thematic messages, and using 1:1s and brainstorming sessions to structure individuals' thinking. Ultimately, the goal is to align the work with the three subsets to ensure progress against the mid-tier goals.

Plato

Rachid El Guerrab

Ex-Director of Engineering at Google

How to Gain Support for Your Project After An Acquisition

After an organization was acquired by a large corporation, a small R&D team had an idea to tell stories in a more interactive way. They encountered many failures and lack of success during the first two years, but eventually managed to integrate their project with the corporation's main platform. They learned that the value of a project is not intrinsically in itself but in the relationships it develops and how it fits within the company. They also learned that in large corporations, personal incentives and agendas affect a lot of what happens, and they had to find people who would champion their project because they would personally benefit from it.

Plato

Krzysztof Zmudzinski

Director of Engineering at Egnyte, Inc.

Getting Promoted: How Can KPIs Help

When considering an employee's promotion, assessing their personal motivation is key. A senior engineer approached the company to step up to the next level, and the company identified areas in which the engineer needed to improve. The engineer had difficulty with social skills, so the company proposed action items and encouraged him to think them through. The company also identified two main challenges: finding clear and precise KPIs and finding the balance between hard and soft skills. The engineer was eventually promoted after meeting the requirements of the career ladder. The company learned that personal motivation is important, the balance between hard and soft skills is challenging, and action items should be discussed and not imposed.

Plato

Xiao Ma

Sr. Director of Engineering at 4C Insights

Inclusive Template for Company-Wide Decision Making

This article discusses the problems that led to the creation of a template for decision-making processes in a singular setting. The template includes the decision options, problems to be solved, decision to be taken, person responsible for making the final decision, teams that depend on the decision, people to be consulted, and people to be informed. The template has been beneficial for distributed teams, as it allows them to enter at any time for an up to date evaluation of things. It has also removed pressure from product managers and design heads, as the one being held accountable can be less involved.

Plato

Liz Rodriguez

Senior Director of Software Engineering at TopQuadrant

Understanding What Drives People Can Help You Seduce Senior Engineers to Join Your Company

Companies need to be aware that senior engineers are more likely to choose purpose and passion over a high salary. To attract them, companies should look for experienced professionals at career fairs and networking events, have honest conversations outside the office, and tailor benefits to their specific needs. Two main motives that drive senior engineers are personal growth and mentoring possibilities, so companies should offer trainings and the chance to mentor junior colleagues.

Plato

Who to follow

Ciprian Spiridon

Engineering Leader | Mentor | Advisor | Speaker

David Keitel

Director, Infrastructure Engineering @ Flock Freight

Dinesh Sanap

Engineering Leadership At Atlassian | Cloud Infrastructure | Access Control | SaaS | Cloud Security

Kent Wills

10+ years leading high performing, cross functional groups

Nimrod Vered

Engineering executive - Ex-Microsoft, Ex-Twilio, Ex-Cisco, Ex-Checkpoint with experience in pre-seed to round E companies.

Bavyaa Vasudevan

Head of Engineering at Point Digital Finance, SheTO Brand Ambassador & Mentor, Advocate for Mentorship & Women Leaders.

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Limor Bergman Gross

Executive Coach at LBG Consulting Service Ltd

Navigating the Challenges of Transitioning to an Engineering Manager Role

Transitioning to an engineering manager role comes with its own set of challenges, but by being strategic, building relationships, and advocating for oneself, success can be achieved. It is important to proactively plan one's career and advocate for personal growth and development. Building relationships with key stakeholders and finding allies within the organization can greatly help in advocating for oneself and influencing change. Understanding the motivations of others and aligning interests can also aid in gaining support for ideas. If promotion opportunities are limited, focusing on expanding responsibilities and taking on more challenging tasks can showcase potential for future growth. Seeking out mentors within the organization can provide guidance and support throughout the career transition process. Overall, being proactive, building relationships, and advocating for oneself are key to navigating the challenges of transitioning to an engineering manager role.

Plato

Hakim Hanif

Sr Software Engineer at Amazon Web Services

Top 7 software bloggers to follow

This blog highlights the top 7 bloggers in the field of software engineering and product development. These bloggers provide valuable insights and ideas on software design, processes, and methodologies. The list includes Martin Fowler, known for his expertise in software patterns; Kent Beck, the creator of Extreme Programming and Test Driven Development; Paul Graham, co-founder of Y Combinator and an expert on startups and entrepreneurship; Jeff Atwood, co-founder of Stack Overflow; Andy Hunt, founder of the Pragmatic Programmer series; Joel Spolsky, a blogger who offers both sensible and surprising perspectives; and Steve Yegge, known for his entertaining content. Following these bloggers can help software engineers improve their skills and gain knowledge from the best in the field.

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David García

Head of Engineering at Cense AG

Effective Strategies for Providing Feedback to Managers

This article discusses effective strategies for providing feedback to managers in the engineering field. It emphasizes the importance of constructive feedback for personal and professional growth. The article provides insights from top-tier engineers, including tips on framing feedback objectively and addressing the manager's impact. It also highlights the significance of promoting junior team members and offers strategies for providing feedback, such as asking for permission and being solution-oriented. Overall, the article emphasizes the value of effective feedback in fostering a positive and productive work environment.

Plato

Jose Ciccio

ex-Senior Engineering Manager at SchoolMint

Maximizing Your Growth: A Guide to Getting the Best from Platohq Mentorship

Plato platform's mentorship program is designed to empower individuals on their journey towards success. By setting clear objectives, establishing a strong relationship with your mentor, actively engaging and participating, seeking feedback and implementing suggestions, continuously learning and growing, and reflecting on the experience, you can maximize the benefits of the mentorship program. Mentorship is a continuous journey of learning and growth, and by embracing the opportunity, you can unlock your full potential in pursuit of your professional aspirations.

Plato

Vitor O.

CTO at

Why Heads of Engineering Should Master Storytelling

Storytelling is an essential skill for engineering leaders as it helps them communicate ideas, align teams, and convey values in a memorable way. In the current digital transformation era and remote work environment, storytelling becomes even more important. It enables leaders to express how their organization will adapt and innovate, establish connections between teams and clients, foster trust, and alleviate anxiety. A good story needs to be intriguing, authentic, involve the team, have a specific goal, and recognize the team's higher purpose. Storytelling can be applied in team meetings, onboarding new members, and providing feedback. Overall, storytelling is a powerful tool for effective engineering leadership that inspires action and facilitates behavioral change.

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