Managing Managers

Episode 11: Reasons why managing managers is not for everyone and so much more with Katie Wilde

Dec 23, 2023

Katie Wilde, Senior Director of Engineering, discusses her journey into tech, challenges of managing managers, and the importance of regular skip-level feedback. She shares insights on balancing managing managers and direct teams, reflecting on the difficulties of overseeing managers and the emotional labor required.

47:12

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Episode guests

Katie Wilde

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Curiosity is crucial for tech leaders, especially in managing managers.

Balancing results and team well-being is vital for effective engineering management.

Deep dives

Understanding the Curiosity That Drives Leadership in Tech

Having a curious nature is key in the tech industry, as it allows leaders to investigate and understand various aspects of managing people. Kitty Wild, a Senior Director of Engineering, emphasizes how curiosity plays a crucial role in leadership, especially when managing managers.

Introduction

2min

Navigating the Challenges of Transitioning into Management

28min

Challenges and Tipping Points in Managing Multiple Managers

2min

Balancing Managing Managers and Direct Team

11min

Challenges and Realities of Managing Managers

2min

Reflections on Managerial Roles and Contact Information

2min

Senior Director of Engineering, Katie Wilde and I chat about her unusual path into tech, "falling" into her first managing managers role and the signals that you can look out for to determine the performance of managers and their teams. She also offers a few reasons why managing managers is not for everyone. Listen to this episode to find out more.

Guest Biography:

Katie Wilde is currently Senior Director of Engineering at Snyk Cloud and has played other roles like VP of Engineering at Ambassador Labs and Buffer. She co-authored the O’Reilly books “97 Things Every Engineering Manager Should Know” and “Atomic Migration Strategy for Web Teams” and is also co-author for the Holloway Guide to Remote Work.

Transcript and show notes available here: ⁠⁠https://managingmanagers.tech/episodes/episode-011-katie-wilde/

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Managing Managers

Episode 11: Reasons why managing managers is not for everyone and so much more with Katie Wilde

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Understanding the Curiosity That Drives Leadership in Tech

Transitioning into Engineering Management and Managing Managers

Signs of Effective Engineering Management

Supporting New Engineering Managers

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts