Kathryn Vandiver (Former VP of Engineering @ Quanata) shares insights on providing new leadership during significant organizational change. First, we dissect what transitioning from an individual contributor to engineering manager is like. Then, we discuss what it’s like stepping into an EM role informally vs. formally; how to host conversations that foster trust; tips for transforming teams from competition to collaboration; helping people get unstuck; and tools for changing hearts and minds. Kathryn also covers frameworks for creating collective agreements between eng leaders & eng teams – and identifying what a successful outcome for collective agreements looks like.
With over 30 years of experience as a global engineering leader, Kathryn has guided companies ranging from agile startups to Fortune 500 enterprises toward growth and scalability in both B2B and B2C technology areas. She has held leadership roles at VMWare, HPE, NetApp, and Quanata, a State Farm Company. Specializing in engineering and team culture turnarounds, she frequently steps in to provide decisive leadership during periods of transition. Kathryn is committed to valuing every team member's unique contributions, actively seeking the perspectives of both influencers and naysayers to foster positive change. Her collaborative approach has consistently helped teams double or even triple business growth, significantly enhancing company value through successful turnarounds.
Passionate about 'paying it forward,' Kathryn mentors, teaches leadership skills, and supports young women in tech on their career journeys. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking the trails of the Bay Area and spending quality time with her family.
SHOW NOTES:
- Shifting from projects to people - dissecting the mindset shift from IC to engineering manager (2:21)
- What makes the transition from IC to EM challenging (5:05)
- Taking on informal EM responsibilities vs. a formalized role (8:13)
- Frameworks for building trust through early conversations (10:13)
- Tips for approaching the scenario of a resistant / combative team (12:15)
- Transforming teams during an M&A, from competition to collaboration (14:20)
- Why listening is key to changing hearts & minds as an eng leader (17:34)
- Practices to help people get unstuck in their perspective (20:50)
- Questions to help people uncover where they’re stuck & think critically (23:13)
- Kathryn’s approach to identifying criteria for success (24:30)
- How to determine what the endpoint looks like (26:27)
- Processes for creating collective agreements of how people operate (28:18)
- Identifying the expectations your team has of you as a leader (31:58)
- Common areas of friction when creating these collective agreements (33:46)
- Steps leaders can take to resolve friction within the agreement process (35:13)
- Signs that your collective agreement practice is successful (36:38)
- Rapid fire questions (40:01)
LINKS AND RESOURCES
This episode wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our incredible production team:
Patrick Gallagher - Producer & Co-Host
Jerry Li - Co-Host
Noah Olberding - Associate Producer, Audio & Video Editor https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-olberding/
Dan Overheim - Audio Engineer, Dan’s also an avid 3D printer - https://www.bnd3d.com/
Ellie Coggins Angus - Copywriter, Check out her other work at https://elliecoggins.com/about/
