Engineering Manager

I’m a Planner. I like to go into a situation with as many facts as possible. In the absence of said facts, a plan to gather facts is the next best thing. And so, before starting my latest job I picked up a copy of The First 90 Days.

The First 90 Days has been recommended time and again to help leaders successfully make career transitions. The claim is that the actions you take during your first few months in a role can dictate whether you fail or succeed. I personally believe that starting out strong makes a difference in how you’re perceived.

I created a 30-60-90 day plan that helped me to navigate my recent transition. If you’re curious how you can do something similar, keep reading.

I can finally admit it: I was terrified! About three years ago my boss offered me the position of Android Development Manager. There was a flurry of thoughts that ran through my mind:

Am I ready for this?
Will my peers respect me as their boss?
I’m not good with other people’s “personal” problems
I love programming, I don’t want to lose my skills
…

You get the picture. Despite those thoughts, I reluctantly accepted the offer and within weeks, I quit. I wasn’t ready to be a “manager.” I went back to an individual contributor role and things were “normal” again. At least for a while…

Fast forward to today, I’m the Software Group Lead (Engineering Manager) at my company. I love my new role and the challenges that it brings. Each day is different from the next. You may be wondering, what happened to change my mind? Well, to be honest, it was a gradual process. There was no lightbulb moment, no ah-ha, just small adjustments in my thinking.

If you’re a Tech Lead and you’re wondering: Is management for me? What’s the difference between the two roles? How do I even move into management? I hope this helps.

Crafting a First 90 Days Plan

Tech Lead to Engineering Manager, Kicking & Screaming

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