Things Great Engineering Managers Do

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• Reacts quickly, and decisively.
• Has a leadership philosophy. Has thought about it, a lot. Can speak at length about it.
• Is passionate about engineering. Is passionate about management. Understands the intersection of the two.
• When there is a problem, fixes it quickly.
• Cares about women being in tech. (Also see diversity.)
• Understands the engineering hierarchy, who does what, and why.
• Time manages like a boss.
• Knows what an effective team size is (seven, plus or minus three)
• Values the 1x1, knows how to make them effective. Never skips them.
• Understands the difference between leadership and management.
• Knows how to hire well.
• Understands the culture of the company, and how to influence it.
• Knows that bored engineers quit.
• Exceedingly technical; knows when engineers are bullshitting them.
• Knows what every engineer of theirs is doing at any given time.
• Communicates extremely well, verbally, and via the Interwebs.
• Knows when to use which communication method.
• Delegates effectively.
• Thinks diversity is important. Knows organizations are more effective because of it.
• Values data-driven decisions.
• Always looks at the big picture.
• Keeps up to date, is always knowledgeable on the latest tech.
• Writes code for fun.
• Ultra-responsive to employees.
• Maintains relationships with other teams; ensures multi-team communication is effective.
• Coaches engineers.
• Says "no" for their team; knows their team's capacity.
• Shields engineers from noise that may distract them from their job.
• Very transparent in decisions, company info, and the future.