> An engineering manager's job is: take long-term ownership for the performance of the team
This is a rather naive, mid-level management-style take.
The real EM job is to represent the team to the company, to be aligned with company priorities, and to be a backstop for the team. In other words, being the leader - the face, the prioritize, and the helper of the team.
Performance-style nonsense is what is used in warehouses and factories where the manager is responsible for number of units produced.
But in software, the goal is NOT to produce more but to produce correct/investigate correct/and maintain correct.
As such, EM is very different from warehouse-style management.
This is a rather naive, mid-level management-style take.
The real EM job is to represent the team to the company, to be aligned with company priorities, and to be a backstop for the team. In other words, being the leader - the face, the prioritize, and the helper of the team.
Performance-style nonsense is what is used in warehouses and factories where the manager is responsible for number of units produced.
But in software, the goal is NOT to produce more but to produce correct/investigate correct/and maintain correct.
As such, EM is very different from warehouse-style management.