The things engineers are desperate for PMs to understand | Camille Fournier (“The Manager’s Path”)

What do PMs do that annoy engineers the most?

Product managers (PMs) often exhibit behaviors that can irritate engineers, which can hinder effective collaboration. Here are the key points:

• Hoarding Credit: PMs sometimes take all the glory for a project's success, failing to acknowledge the engineers' hard work.

• Not Understanding Details: Acting indifferent or ignorant about technical specifics shows a lack of empathy for the engineers' efforts, causing frustration.

• Playing Telephone: When PMs act as intermediaries without a clear understanding, they can miscommunicate crucial information, leading to inefficiencies and misaligned expectations.

• Hoarding Ideas: PMs who dominate the ideation process can stifle engineers’ creativity, pushing them to over-engineer or lose interest in the project.

Addressing these issues can foster a more collaborative and productive relationship between PMs and engineers.

How can PMs avoid hoarding credit?

Ensuring that engineers get the recognition they deserve is crucial for effective collaboration. Here are some practical steps PMs can take:

• Encourage Engineers to Present Their Work: Allow engineers to showcase their contributions in meetings. This not only gives them visibility but also builds their confidence and morale.

• Share Credit Publicly: When discussing project successes, publicly acknowledge engineers' hard work. Mention their names in emails, presentations, and meetings with executives and clients.

• Facilitate Team Celebrations: Organize events or informal gatherings to celebrate project milestones. This creates opportunities for team members to appreciate each other’s contributions.

• Highlight Individual Contributions: When reporting on a project's progress, highlight specific individuals and their unique contributions. Make it clear who did what.

• Promote Engineers' Ideas: If an engineer has a great idea, ensure they get the credit when it’s shared with the team or upper management. This fosters a culture of innovation and recognition.

• Step Back Occasionally: Allow others to lead meetings or presentations. This demonstrates trust and gives engineers a platform to shine.

By implementing these strategies, PMs can build a more inclusive and motivated engineering team.

Why is understanding technical details important for PMs?

Understanding technical details is crucial for product managers (PMs) to build a constructive relationship with engineers. This knowledge enables PMs to empathize with the challenges engineers face, fostering mutual respect.

Empathy plays a significant role. When PMs acknowledge the intricacies of the engineers' work, it builds trust and reduces friction. Engineers feel valued when their expertise is recognized and appreciated.

Moreover, understanding technical aspects helps PMs make informed decisions. They're better equipped to assess feasibility, timelines, and potential issues, which ultimately leads to more realistic project planning. This careful planning is critical for avoiding delays and managing expectations.

In addition, having a grasp of technical details ensures clearer communication. PMs can effectively bridge the gap between technical and non-technical stakeholders, reducing misunderstandings and ensuring everyone is aligned.

Fostering this understanding also demonstrates a commitment to the project’s success. Engineers are likely to be more cooperative and motivated, leading to a more cohesive team effort. Therefore, PMs should invest time in learning about the technical facets of the projects they oversee.

By doing so, they can significantly improve collaboration and the overall product manager engineer relationship.

What is the 'telephone game' and how to avoid it?

The 'telephone game' occurs when product managers (PMs) act as intermediaries, relaying information between parties without fully understanding it. This leads to miscommunication, inefficiencies, and frustration among engineers.

Causes of the 'telephone game':

• PMs lacking technical knowledge, causing misinterpretation.
• Over-reliance on PMs to communicate technical details.
• Indirect communication leading to message distortion.

Solutions to avoid the 'telephone game':

• Encourage Direct Communication: Connect engineers directly with stakeholders for technical discussions.
• Facilitate Group Meetings: Use group meetings to ensure everyone hears the same information simultaneously.
• Utilize Collaboration Tools: Leverage tools like Slack for real-time, transparent communication.
• Promote Technical Understanding: Encourage PMs to gain basic technical knowledge to comprehend and convey information accurately.
• Document and Share: Maintain thorough documentation that all team members can reference.

By implementing these practices, PMs can minimize misunderstandings and foster a more efficient, collaborative environment.

How can PMs involve engineers in ideation?

Involving engineers in the ideation process creates a more collaborative and productive environment. Here are some strategies to achieve this:

• Host Brainstorming Sessions: Organize regular brainstorming meetings where engineers can contribute their ideas. This encourages creativity and shows that their input is valued.

• Utilize Feedback Loops: Create a system for gathering and acting on engineers' suggestions. This can be through surveys, anonymous feedback tools, or suggestion boxes.

• Cross-Functional Workshops: Arrange workshops that include both engineers and PMs. Discuss challenges, potential solutions, and new ideas. This fosters better understanding and collaboration.

• Recognize Contributions: Publicly acknowledge and implement engineers' ideas when feasible. Recognition motivates and encourages them to participate more actively.

• Create Joint Roadmaps: Build project roadmaps collaboratively, ensuring that engineers feel ownership of the process and the final product.

• Empower Technical Leadership: Allow engineers to take the lead on ideation, especially in technically complex areas. This boosts their confidence and ensures that technical feasibility is considered from the start.

• Adopt Collaborative Tools: Use tools like JIRA or Confluence where both PMs and engineers can document and discuss ideas asynchronously. This way, everyone can contribute at their own pace.

By involving engineers in the ideation process, PMs not only harness a wealth of technical insights but also foster a culture of innovation and engagement. This approach leads to more robust products and a more cohesive team dynamic.

Why major rewrites are often a trap?

Major rewrites can seem like a good idea, but they often lead to more problems than solutions. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Migration Issues: Shifting data and users to a new system takes longer than expected. The complexity of moving everything seamlessly often leads to unexpected delays.

2. Underestimating Old System Complexity: There's a lot of hidden logic and functionality in the old system that isn't documented. When you try to replicate this in the new system, essential features might be overlooked, causing functionality gaps.

3. Potential New Bugs: Rewriting from scratch introduces new bugs. Even with thorough testing, a new system can never match the stability of an established one immediately.

4. Support During Transition: You still have to maintain the old system while developing the new one, which can strain resources and divide focus.

5. Resource Intensive: Major rewrites consume significant time and budget. The expected gains in efficiency and performance are often not realized until long after the new system is implemented.

For these reasons, a more incremental and planned approach to system upgrades is often better. Instead of a complete overhaul, consider improving your current system in phases.

Tips for new engineering managers

Balancing technical expertise with leadership skills can be challenging for new engineering managers. Here are some essential tips:

• Achieve Mastery First: Ensure you have deep technical knowledge before stepping into management. This gives you the confidence and respect of your team.

• Stay Technically Informed: Keep up with industry trends and tools. Attend conferences, read tech news, and maintain a network of technical peers.

• Delegate Wisely: Empower your team by delegating tasks. This not only frees up your time but also helps team members grow.

• Focus on Empathy: Understand your team’s challenges and show genuine concern for their workloads and well-being.

• Maintain Regular Check-Ins: Conduct one-on-ones with direct reports to stay connected with their progress and issues.

• Seek Continuous Feedback: Regularly request input from your team and supervisors. Use this feedback to improve your management style.

• Set Clear Expectations: Define clear roles, responsibilities, and goals. This provides direction and helps team members stay aligned.

By focusing on these areas, new engineering managers can successfully balance their technical and leadership roles, creating a productive and motivated team.

How to effectively manage platform teams?

Effective platform team management requires a strategic approach. Here are some key strategies:

• Include Diverse Skill Sets: Ensure your platform team has a mix of software engineers, systems engineers, and product managers. This combination helps address various technical and product-related challenges efficiently.

• Focus on Impact-Based Approaches: Prioritize projects that clearly demonstrate value. Measure success through concrete metrics like reduced cycle times, improved system scalability, or cost efficiencies.

• Maintain Clear Communication: Use tools like Slack for real-time updates and Confluence for detailed documentation. This transparency helps keep all team members aligned and informed.

• Encourage Continuous Feedback: Regularly solicit input from your team and stakeholders. Use this feedback to refine processes and make informed decisions.

• Empower Your Team: Delegate responsibilities and trust your team members to handle their tasks. This not only frees up your time but also fosters a culture of ownership and accountability.

• Set Realistic Goals: Define clear, achievable objectives. Use frameworks like OKRs to align your team’s efforts with the broader company goals.

• Foster Innovation: Encourage your team to propose and experiment with new ideas. Even small improvements can lead to significant gains in productivity and efficiency.

By following these strategies, you can effectively manage platform teams, ensuring they deliver high value and maintain operational excellence. For more insights, check out how to enhance engineer collaboration within your organization.