Managers Club, Interviews and Resources for Engineering Managers

In this interview, we follow the journey of Swathi Sundar, an engineering manager at Benchling and ex-Uber, who, as a tech lead, was suddenly made an engineering manager overnight. Through her personal experiences, Swathi shares the challenges and lessons she learned during this transition period. From managing expectations and leading a team to deal with the pressure and responsibilities of the new software engineering manager role, this video offers valuable insights for anyone looking to move into a management position in the tech industry. Watch now to learn how she navigated this sudden change and emerged as a successful engineering leader.    Swathi also shares her strategies for effectively communicating with her team and stakeholders, as well as how she adapted to the new responsibilities and expectations that come with being an engineering manager. Swathi covers growing a new tech lead. Finally, she also provides tips on transitioning to a new company as an engineering manager. This video is a must-watch for anyone looking to transition smoothly from an engineering role to a management role in the tech industry. With Swathi's personal experiences and practical advice, you'll gain valuable insights on navigating this challenging but rewarding journey.   CHAPTERS  0:00 Introduction 0:20 How Swathi became a manager overnight  1:02 How big was your team and what did you do?   2:50 What are some things that you quickly had to get up to speed with on management? 4:48 Growing a new tech lead 6:13 Difficulty letting go....  7:44 Resources that helped you become a manager  '9:13 New relationship with direct reports  12:28 Changes during COVID pandemic  15:50 Performance management  16:39 Final lessons from Uber  18:17 Moving to a new company  21:03 Additional advice on transitioning to be a manager at a new company  22:23 Managing sideways and up  25:00 Do you miss coding?  26:10 Engineers, code engineering managers write.  29:55 Parting advice   RESOURCES   https://www.linkedin.com/in/swathisundar/ You're in Charge — Now What?: The 8 Point Plan : https://amzn.to/3wsxTiG Swathi's writings on medium: https://swathi-sundar.medium.com/  ABOUT ME: I'm Vidal, an author, podcaster, and engineering manager working at LinkedIn in the SF Bay Area. I am on a mission to help and inspire engineering leaders everywhere!   MY BOOKS ⭐️ The Software Engineering Manager Interview Guide https://amzn.to/3VIzg8L  ⭐️ Time Management Tips for Engineering Managers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HM6LSCL ⭐️ How to Write an Engineering Manager Resume, https://vidalgraupera.gumroad.com/l/esbgw    CONNECT WITH ME ⭐️ My website: https://www.managersclub.com   ⭐️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vidalgraupera ⭐️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/vgraupera   ⭐️ ManagersClub LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13846374/ ⭐️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@managersclub  #engineeringmanagement #leadershipdevelopment #womenintech

Ron Lichty, Interim VP of Engineering and Agile consultant, shares tips on conducting effective daily scrum meetings. He covers misconceptions, frequency, and making stand-ups engaging. Insights include the Fist to Five technique, best practices for facilitation, and optimizing for team alignment and progress tracking. Learn how stand-up meetings enhance teamwork and psychological safety.

We discuss emotional intelligence and how to improve your EQ with Phil Johnson, a coach, and authority on leadership and EQ. EQ is a potent tool that can aid in your leadership success. If you're interested in learning more about emotional intelligence, check out this video! We'll discuss everything you need to know about emotional intelligence, from the definition to how to increase your EQ. By the end of this video, you'll have a better understanding of what emotional intelligence is and how you can use it to your advantage! Transcript: https://managersclub.com/what-is-emotional-intelligence-how-to-increase-eq/

Kavita Ganesan, an expert on artificial intelligence and author of *The Business Case for AI*, shares her insights on how leaders should navigate the complexities of AI. She debunks common myths and discusses the importance of understanding AI's practical applications. Kavita emphasizes the need for companies to be 'AI ready,' focusing on organizational culture, data, and skills. She also explores how AI can enhance strategic decision-making and boost productivity in software engineering, urging leaders to align AI initiatives with their core goals.

To be an effective leader, you need to be believable and decisive. In this video, Sabry Tozin, Vice President of Engineering at LinkedIn, explains "believability," which is an important part of being a good leader. He also discusses how and why it is important to be decisive. We'll also show you how to avoid the mistakes that can cost you dearly. So if you're ready to make tough choices that will improve your leadership and believability, this video is for you!

Emily Tsitrian, a former manager at Stripe and author of "Make Me the Boss," takes us through what it takes to be a successful new manager in the corporate world. If you're a millennial looking for tips on being a successful manager, this video is definitely for you! We'll outline everything you need to know to be a successful manager and lead your team to success! We cover a wide range of topics, including the challenges and different responsibilities of being a manager, how to offer difficult feedback, how to manage people who are older than you, how to deliver the performance review of a lifetime, how to use public speaking to create your personal brand and more. These are all essential skills that any successful manager needs to have. By the end of this video, you'll have everything you need to survive as a millennial manager in the corporate world!

Mallika Rao, engineering manager at Twitter, explains what it means to advocate for your team and how to do it effectively. She shares her perspective and tips on the promotion process, how to develop strong promo packets, why to be aggressive on promotions, working with committees, and many other tips for advancing your direct reports' careers as engineers. This podcast is a must listen if you're looking to be an effective advocate and earn the loyalty of your team! We also discuss hiring and managing multiple teams and remote and cross-geographical team-building.

In this conversation, José R. Arzuaga - Staff Engineering Manager, GitHub, covers important tips for success as an engineering leader. We discuss the importance of advice for managers starting out, time management, diversity, hiring, uncomfortable feedback, how you would find a good mentor, book recommendations, and how to create an effective team. This video is a must-watch if you're thinking about becoming an engineering manager or are already in a leadership role. By following these tips, you'll be able to lead your team to success and achieve your goals!

Learn how to address bias and improve workplace diversity with Tacita Morway's advice. As CTO at Textio, she is on the front lines of addressing discrimination and improving diversity. In this inspiring talk, Tacita shares her experiences with bias and offers practical advice for improving diversity in the workplace. She advises how to build a pipeline, interview in a non-biased way, the pitfalls of referral programs, and more. We uncover reasons underrepresented minorities, women, and marginalized groups often get stuck at the bottom of the hierarchy and leave and what we can do about it. This talk is a must-watch if you're looking for ways to make your workplace more inclusive.

Watch on YouTube In this video, Dana Sherrell, VP of Engineering at Boulevard, shares some of her most important lessons about engineering management. This video is a must-watch if you’re thinking about becoming an engineering manager or are already in a leadership role. She covers many topics, including going from IC to a manager, transparency — constant communication with your team, setting clear expectations, building relationships, observing others, disagreeing and committing, and more. CHAPTERS * 0:00 Introduction * 0:28 Your background and how you got into leadership? * 4:00 What are some lessons you’ve learned in your engineering leadership career? * 11:26 Setting clear expectations. * 12:26 What would be your advice on how people could build these relationships? * 16:39 What would be your advice for managers who are just starting out? * 21:35 How do you know if you’re being too transparent or communicating too early?* 22:44 Disagree and commit.* 23:55 Is there a personal habit or two that you feel has contributed to your success?* 25:37 Observing others* 28:01 Where could people go if they wanted to connect with you or learn more about you afterward? RESOURCES * ⭐️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-sherrell-0655176b/ #engineering #leadership #management #womenintech