How I Learned to Onboard Effectively in an Engineer Manager Role
As a software engineer manager, I’ve reflected on the unique behaviors I prioritize. This post will cover the gestalt of my successful onboarding experiences within the first 90 days.
Starting with Having Good Tact
Good tact is the ability to deal with others to maintain good relations and avoid offense. To say and do the right things at the right time, to behave in a way that promotes cooperation and reciprocity.
My go-to’s are to make myself available, never criticize a previous decision, and avoid being standoff-ish.
Be Explicit About Change
I have been known to repeat an expectation numerous times in front of the team. In a room of ten people, I say the “thing” ten times for one person to “get it.” Being specific about change means being explicit. One of the lessons I’ve learned as an engineer manager is being implicit or nuanced is considered cruel to the team.