"The problems we're facing are not unique. Talking to other EMs in your org or outside of it will give you perspective and learn from their decisions."
"...the main focus is getting disparate groups and stakeholders to agree and work together well. [...] creating trust within the group and across groups is really important."
"Being able to listen to the problems, approaches, and ideas of other EMs has provided useful context and helped me change focus on a few things to have more of a direct impact."
"It makes me feel much more comfortable in my role because I now have a perspective I didn't have before, where I only had the perspective from the EMs from my company."
"I feel like building a network of peers outside your company is something that isn't talked much or valued much, even though it probably is one of the key ingredients in making someone better at being an EM."
"It's really helpful to be able to bounce ideas off a non-invested peer group."
"It was good to have a reminder that the feedback loop as a manager is often long, and not to get discouraged if results are not immediate."
"I want to lean on other managers more frequently, knowing most of my experiences are not unique to myself."
"As a result of this class I plan to put more emphasis on collaborating with peer managers - sharing difficulties, approaches, etc."
"If engineers are threatening to quit over implementation decisions, the real root cause of their unhappiness should be addressed before any technical decisions are arrived at."
"Recognize a problem for what it is and don't assume you have the skills to fix it."
"You may encounter an issue in which it's already too late. Salvage what you can and negotiate for what carries you forward."
"Overprotecting a team could limit how its members grow."
"Allowing engineers to fail helps them learn (hopefully not failing spectacularly, but in small but recognizable ways)."
"Turning a problem into a 'we' problem will help align people who are resistant to the change."
"Framing a change as an experiment is a good way to help teams open up to new ideas. 'If it doesn't work, we won't continue to do it'."
"Working harder to cover someone else's under-performance does not scale."
"...frame the conversation in a way that makes the individual understand how their actions are affecting others (including yourself) rather than just telling them there is a problem."
"Lack of trust is a symptom, not a cause."
"Be proactive on building trust before needing trust"
"Not acting on feedback from your team members can lead to trust issues and cause lots of drama in the long run."
"Burning out the EM doesn't help the team."
"It's very important to regularly talk to your peers about the problems you're experiencing. Often, they had / have / will experience(d) them and everyone gets to learn from each other."
"The discomfort I'm feeling as a manager isn't because I'm a bad manager, but because I am learning and growing."
"It seems very clear that if you've struggled with something as an EM, many others have as well. Having a support network creates space to work through those things."
"...it really is helpful to hear that other managers go through a lot of the same difficulties and uncertainties as I do - I can talk with peer managers, but sometimes I feel more free to share when it's a group of managers outside my organization."
"The struggles of management are universal. No one steps into this role and "nails it" immediately."
"As a manager you are often the messenger for plans and policies you didn't implement. Finding the balance between representing and advocating for your reports and implementing those plans and policies is often challenging, and there isn't one right answer for every situation."
"Doing good work is not always enough, you need to make sure it is visible."
"When giving feedback it is good to be clear and to focus on the behavior, not the person. Reiterate why you are giving the feedback in the first place. As a manager, we should be doing it to help the person (and us) grow."
"Business value, business value, business value. Leverage the business value in narratives to move things forward."
"This program has made me realize the how’s of being a manager. I used to think it was my job to get projects completed (the what). Now I have more insight how to motivate/un-block/ facilitate my team to complete projects, and the importance of evangelizing their success."
"Allies and deputies aren't a sign of weakness, they're a sign of strength, and building those relationships and structures is something to be celebrated."
"I hadn't realized how much measuring productivity will have changed. I can no longer just measure pushed code, I have to think about growing reports, managing timelines and expectations, and working well with other teams and understanding their processes. I see now what my managers were dealing with and how I didn't understand what they were dealing with day to day."
"I do well only when my reports do well. My focus is to make sure the team and its members individually can perform at their best."
"It’s become apparent that despite being the only engineering team in my org, the challenges I face are not unique. But at the same time, it’s up to me to determine what or a myriad of approaches and tools will work best not just for the team I lead, but the people in it (and those two things shouldn’t necessarily be conflated)"
"As an EM I’ve realized it’s my role to represent, grow, and lead my team. It’s been reinforced that EMs play a critical role in the development of engineers and engineering teams. My original perspective that I was experiencing unique problems has changed. It seems that EMs face very similar problems in different contexts."
"EMs tend to face messy problems without clear solutions, but they're far from unsolvable. Take the time to define what your problem is, take yourself out of it, and the solution might be more obvious than you thought."
"The importance of establishing and building cross-functional relationships outside of engineering — your first team isn’t your direct team, it’s your cross-functional peers."
"Embrace people and process, the technology is the easy (well, easier) part. Engineering training doesn’t teach us how to put people problems first and I think leads people to shy away from process. In engineering management, I think the technology becomes less important and process can be helpful to institute for a healthy, functioning team."
"Now that we are in charge of people's careers, we must be able to provide quick, meaningful feedback so people can grow, and in turn your team grows. Also, use all resources available including peers, coaches, HR to help provide the necessary feedback to your reports, peers, and boss."
"EM can be treated as a organized discipline with patterns and best practices. Most EM problems are common to everyone."
"It’s been reinforced that management is multi-faceted, a very different skill set from being an engineer, and is very much people-centric. I think I’m realizing more that understanding people’s motivations can be an invaluable tool in being a successful manager."
"Talking through your challenges with others is valuable, and doesn't need to be about finding a solution. Sometimes just fresh perspectives can help, especially when you are so close to the issue yourself."
"Communication, empathy, and relationship building with your peers are key. Ask yourself, “Who can I co-own this problem with?” Articulate the value. Tell the story. For your team, setting expectations, delivering feedback, and celebrating wins are key"
"It was interesting to see how we all face similar challenges as managers in such a diverse group with folks from companies of different sizes and at different stages. Seeing this and discussing problems that I faced with others mostly reinforced my perspective as manager and helped me gain new perspectives on some challenges I faced recently and that I’m still processing."
"A focus on clear and direct communication would solve a lot of my and other people’s problems. In almost all situations being direct and honest, while potentially more difficult initially would be more beneficial in the long run. Building a environment where that communication can occur can be challenging but is important."
"Many of my choices have been reinforced; things I was unsure about but proceeding with in the dark now feel more solid and correct. But also I have many many more ideas on how to approach a situation, and the comfort of knowing others stumble in this space too. It's validating to have someone else say "yeah, that's a hard problem." We need more of that validation, and more creativity in the many challenges we encounter in developing this managerial skillset."
"I now know I am not alone. A lot of other EMs face similar problems that we face in our organization. It's okay to have problems as long as you address them directly. Direct feedback is very important. And the decisions you make today may not be relevant in the future."
"Several good practices have been reinforced/primed: the necessity to delegate aggressively, communicate up frequently and ensure roles and responsibilities are clearly defined."
"I came in with the notion that I was alone or at least in the minority regarding the messiness and ambiguity of my role. I now see that this role is equally messy and difficult elsewhere, but I also heard great success stories of working through the messiness and getting to a better place."
"Everybody gets stuck and there is rarely one clear solution out there, but gaining perspective and drawing on the experiences of others can be hugely impactful. Don’t bear things alone. See problems as opportunities to practice."
"It's hard. It's complex. I will fail. But I will also get better if I continue asking for help, listening to my team, and trying to better myself as a manager."
"It’s changed significantly. I’ve been working without peers for the last year, and being able to problem solve people problems with a group facing similar challenges has been really therapeutic for me. I feel like I have a community I can reach out to to get unstuck when I need to. It’s also been satisfying to hear problems I’ve experienced repeated in different flavors by others: there are patterns emerging for working through engineering management issues which help systemize my thinking in how to tackle them."
"I think one thing I knew but haven’t actively been doing is reaching out to peers outside my organization to get their perspective on problems they face and different kinds of work environments. I feel like now I at least have a base and community to start these kinds of conversations."
"It feels great to relate to so many situations from my peers, I don't feel alone anymore, but also, feel empathy about different situations. I have acquired an additional set of tools to navigate my job. I feel [that I’m] in a much better spot than before."
"I learned a lot from managers that have different approaches to the job. So many great anecdotes and lessons learned. If nothing else I learned that I should bring more of my current problems to peers in similar roles."
"I think listening to other engineering managers’ dilemmas has really helped me see some really common issues that cause friction in theory and practice. Really smart people tend to get stuck on certain thoughts and solutions and insights and once someone has really started believing something or becomes personally invested in a certain thought or decision, it becomes really hard to move them from that position. Debate is not always the best way to solve these issues and it is very hard to recognize when you, yourself personally, are stuck in a certain way of thinking. But when you do recognize that certain beliefs you are stuck on are holding you back and you let go, that's when personal growth happens."
"I've been reminded that it's my goal to make myself obsolete. It's not just my job to get projects done and keep people happy. I need to also help develop the people I work with in order to help them, myself, and the organization, by helping them work at a higher level."
"Really the importance of having hard conversations early. There has also been, in the process of going through many of the get unstuck challenges, tactical ways to have hard conversations to make them...less hard - sort of a MVP for those conversations that feels less difficult. In short, many examples brought up here have stressed the consequences of not having those hard conversations early and tactically how to have those conversations more easily."
"Despite differences in team and company sizes and structures we all deal with very similar issues. It has been a good reminder that we’re all doing our best and the answer is not always clear, but by trying we’re doing our job."
"I’m not alone. There are are other engineering managers out there with similar problems."
"I'm not alone in this journey, I'm also not clueless! A lot of being successful in this arena seems to come from making it through those tough experiences, and the willingness to be open about the struggle with others. It's the sharing of these experiences and stories which can take us to the next level."
"So many of the challenges we face are extremely similar and insights that might sound simple have already had a profound impact on how I tackle some of them."
"The problems that eng. managers have to deal with are more common than expected. Having a good network of peers to discuss is key."
"My biggest takeaway for me is the knowledge and reassurance that pretty much every EM is struggling with the same issues, and that with thoughtfulness and creativity, there are solutions to be discovered."
"It’s been great to talk with people going through the same problems, and know I’m not the only one. As an actionable takeaway, I really like the idea of taking a half hour every week without devices to think and reflect on things."
"Biggest takeaway is that everyone faces similar issues. Every problem is actually quite common. Build a network of peers to which you can turn to for advice."
"Start a breakfast club with the EMs in the cohort so that we can continue to learn from our shared experiences."
"Engineering managers across different companies and different levels of experience face the same sort of issues. Building a peer network is so important because sometimes its helpful to just say a problem out loud and get rubber duck help. Or you can get some solid advice from someone who has been through this before."
"Building relationships both within your team and across the organization will help you succeed in your role to support your team as they grow and the organization around them changes"
"Empathy. It’s very hard to be a successful engineering manager if you can’t empathize with those around you. You need to be able to channel your teammates/reports perspectives to help them grow, and make your team grow"
"Really really double down on providing feedback, taking 1-1s seriously, and create an opportunity where people can fail and learn."
"Engineering Mgmt is ultimately a people problem, and how do we construct systems / patterns that operate well."
"Chunking down larger, often-ongoing people problems into smaller chunks you can scope to a day or week’s worth of work will go a ways in helping handle the feeling of losing “productivity” when switching to management."
"Something I've already used: Put together a time budget. Where am I spending my time? Where should I be/do I want to be for myself and the business. Cap it at 40 hours a week. Work with your boss to make it happen."
"As an experienced engineering leader it was refreshing to share war stories with my peers. I think this program filled a real void for me. It's hard to find ways to network that aren't just focused around parties or conferences. I really learned a lot which is something I don't always get out of these sorts of events."
"I found it extremely worthwhile to connect with peers with different experiences at different companies around common challenges that all folks managing engineers face. Getting a broader perspective from more people is always helpful!"
"The combination of learning from peers and meeting on a regular basis has made Orbital stand out for me. It's definitely widened my network of people I can reach out to for help and advice."
"It was an amazing opportunity to learn that other engineer leaders across NYC are all facing the same challenges :-) also great to build a strong network and meet like minded folks."
"My core takeaway from the program was that we're all solving similar problems. Discussing them with peers from other companies was a huge help and gave me insight I wouldn't have gotten on my own."
"Structured and curated discussions with peers were invaluable in shaping my approach to my work and career. It had the added benefit of relationships and friendships that have lasted years."
"I found Orbital to be like a 'Network in a Box'. It was a great way to meet a lot of interesting people, many of who do the same thing that I do, but for other companies!"
"I met managers from companies very like mine and rather different, all with similar experiences to my own. Learning from experts and peers immediately made me a better and more confident manager. The experience was worth every hour spent!"
"The Orbital communities of practice program was sensational. Being a leader in this field frequently means confronting things that are outside of your knowledge, and Orbital helped me understand how to grow and use my network to lean on the knowledge of my peers."
"It's hard to quantify the value of spending a couple days with great people who are dealing with the exact same problems as you.** It's roughly 80% practical knowledge and 20% comforting realization that you are not crazy**."
"Orbital was the first time I'd realized that, in management, what I'd thought of as haphazard practices could in fact be a craft. Having so many other engineering managers in the room—from a diversity of companies and levels—gave me a better view into how I could approach the work in a way I'd never been able to lean on peers for."
"Attending Orbital was great for three reasons: getting direct feedback and advice on specific challenges I was facing (in addition to hearing perspectives and approaches from different companies), getting connected to many other like-minded managers, and having a great support network available after the program."
"Having a wide range of people, backgrounds, and experiences was so useful to tap into for a few days - and then stay connected with. It was like instantly having a network of people with fresh ideas and advice that were free of the bias of your specific situation. Just a great example of people helping each other get better at what we wanted to be."