This article discusses the importance of setting career-driven goals for incoming engineers. The author suggests establishing open communication and helping engineers write OKR's (Objectives and Key Results) to ensure they are properly aligned with their career development. The author also emphasizes the importance of making OKR's public and measurable, and using them as an opportunity to grow out of one's comfort zone.

Plato

Stuart Osborne

Senior Director, GPU Engineering at Arm

Scaling a Small Team with a Strong Foundation

Growing a small team into a large organization requires a strong foundation of initial hires, a shared direction, and the right leaders. As teams grow, technical challenges arise and the team must remain aligned on a single goal. Communication and teamwork become essential, and leaders must be highly motivated and driven while also being able to collaborate and work flexibly with others.

Plato

Thomas Lamirault

Associate Director at Ubisoft

Building a New Domain Team

This article discusses the process of reorganizing a startup's engineering teams from components to domains. The author explains the steps taken to build the new domain team from scratch, including providing a solid explanation of the change, formulating a team charter, and hiring engineers both internally and externally. The author also reflects on the lessons learned, such as aiming for different profiles more suitable for the mission, building rapport with the team early on, and starting small.

Plato

Vishal Verma

Engineering Manager at Netflix

Understanding the Difference Between Working as a Technician and Working as a Manager

The author reflects on the differences between their technical role and their current management role. They have learned that management requires a different set of skills and understanding of people and their motivations. They have found that a mission-focused approach is more successful in motivating a team and that clear intentions and good leadership will naturally bring people together to do the right thing.

Plato

Mert Akkaya

Sr. Software Engineering Manager at Product Madness

The Importance of Effective Communication Skills in Technical Roles

Software engineers and developers often have a lack of balance between their technical and soft skills, such as communication and emotional management. It is important to recognize this as an area for improvement and allocate time to strengthen these skills, just as one would with software development. Leaders should also support their team members in taking charge of conversations. Ultimately, it is an ongoing learning journey to improve soft skills and communication techniques.

Plato

Mu Qiao

Sr Director of Engineering

Structuring Cross-Functional Teams

In a previous role, the team was divided into two smaller teams in order to increase visibility and retain knowledge. A hybrid model was adopted, with one team focusing on a certain product area and the other team picking up where the first left off. Lessons learned included the importance of people-driven solutions, the need to support non-engineers, and the potential for companies to move away from this model as they mature.

Plato

Ashok Subramanian

Director of Engineering at Hubilo

Tips and Tricks for Moving From IC to Management

This article discusses the transition from individual technical contributor (IC) to management, and the lessons learned along the way. The author emphasizes the importance of humility, honesty, and emotional intelligence in management, as well as the need to understand the perspectives of team members and how they can add value to the overall goal. The article also highlights the importance of one-on-one discussions and team meetings to provide a broader perspective and foster a learning culture within the team.

Plato

Sarah Al Souqi

Product Manager at CNN

The Ability to Inspire People Towards a Common Goal

As a product manager, the author faced the challenge of working with different teams to achieve common goals. To ensure that the team was on the right track, the author took action by sending briefs about objectives and goals, drafting non-goals, and using collaborative tools. The author also learned that it is important to ensure alignment from the beginning and to have the team understand the context and suggest their own solutions.

Plato

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Daniel Woolfson

Senior Engineering Manager at The Engineer Experience

Effective Strategies for Managing Remote Engineering Teams

Managing remote engineering teams is crucial in today's evolving work landscape. This article provides insights into best practices and proven strategies for overseeing dispersed engineering teams. It emphasizes the importance of clear communication channels, leveraging project management tools, promoting a collaborative culture, providing adequate support and resources, emphasizing results-oriented performance, and regularly assessing and adapting strategies. By implementing these tactics, managers can navigate the challenges of remote team management and drive success in the remote work environment.

Plato

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

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

10 Engineering Leadership lessons I learned with Customer Success Managers

Customer Success Managers can teach Engineering Leaders valuable lessons on prioritizing user needs and experience over technical complexities. By emphasizing customer-centric approaches, Engineering Leaders can ensure that products align with user expectations, enhancing satisfaction and retention. Effective communication and collaboration between technical and non-technical teams are highlighted as important for a holistic understanding of user requirements and driving product innovation. The text provides 10 lessons learned from Customer Success Managers that can optimize software development processes and deliver solutions that resonate with end-users and drive long-term success. These lessons include the importance of empathy for customers, putting into action what is advocated, enhancing the leadership voice of the customer within engineering, the significance of persuasion, the balance between support and confrontation, managing expectations, asking great questions, being invested in customers, seeking obstacles and issues beyond the product's scope, and the benefits of proactivity. By integrating these insights and strategies, Engineering Leaders can drive product development and enhance customer satisfaction, leading to increased loyalty and long-term success.

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