The Engineering Manager toolbox is meant to be a set of useful tools for starting, running and/or getting to know your engineering team(s). It's meant to serve not as a rigid guide for how to run a team, but as a set of tools that you can use when applicable and modify for your needs.
This is meant to be a constantly evolving document. I started it out and shared it much earlier than I'd normally share something like this - so expect it to be a bit brainstormy, a bit unrefined at the start.
The exact role(s) an Engineering Manager must fill will vary from company to company depending upon team structure, industry and specific needs.
While this toolbox may offer some prescribed solutions to specific challenges, please do consider that every team and team member is different! What solves a problem for one team may create problems for others. Take any advice here with the understanding that it was given with its own set of contextual factors.
Some of what you'll find in here may be obvious - the idea isn't for every line item here to teach something new. Instead, it's meant to be as complete a reference as possible so that in your rare moments of downtime, you can make productive use of that time by checking in on the vital signs for your employees, teams and organization.
- Pulse Checking - an outline of things to check on with your team(s) when you have a few moments of downtime
- Meeting Templates - a list of common, useful meetings that you can have with your team, and templates for doing so
- Meeting Guides - some very basic guides to serve as a north star for the goal(s) of your recurring meetings
- Reading List - Yet Another Recommended Reading List(tm)
Yeah, but why did you make this?