A bad EM can do so much more damage than a bad IC. I don't think that's talked about enough. In my now very long career I've had 1 great manager, a few good/decent ones, and a lot of lousy ones. The lousy ones just make the job so much harder and sometimes outright miserable. A bad EM coupled with junior ICs can be particularly bad combo. At least as I got older I came to realize I can work with bad managers and help move things towards a better place, or bail if I feel it's hopeless.
How would you define that one great manager? What personality traits, behavior, skills made that person stand out? I'm curious as I'm getting more managerial responsibilities.
The key is to remember your job as a manager is to unblock your ICs and make sure they are working on stuff that matches their skills. It is not to:
- Overrule them on technical decisions
- Create extra processes to follow because you are insecure
Being a good manager is all about doing the minimum. That’s why you see comments earlier in this thread about leaving your team for a few weeks.
