Working the System at a BigCo
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Working the System at a BigCo
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Re: Working the System at a BigCo
#2I would be interested in reading any advice for developers/engineers on how to "handle" management. Based on some limited reading I've done, the goals of management and what engineers intuitively think management wants are often very different. Basically, what behaviors do I need to adopt to make my relationship with technical or non-technical managers as mutually beneficial as possible?
Re: Working the System at a BigCo
#3It makes complete sense (I mean from their point of view kind of sense, not the system is logical and the compensations are well structured kind of sense) but I would not have thought of the bosses point of view unless it was spelled out for me like in the OP.
In the author's case the mismatch in understanding worked out for them. I wonder how many times it works out quite badly for one party or even both. Even between two sympathetic people where both desire to understand the other, sometimes you just don't.
Re: Working the System at a BigCo
#4TL;DR It is a case of organizational incentives being poorly aligned with individual incentives.
Re: Working the System at a BigCo
#5I would be interested in reading any advice for developers/engineers on how to "handle" management. Based on some limited reading I've done, the goals of management and what engineers intuitively think management wants are often very different. Basically, what behaviors do I need to adopt to make my relationship with technical or non-technical managers as mutually beneficial as possible?
Personally, but it can be because I was very lucky - treat them as fellow humans, help them where possible. If they don't respond the same way (and try to take advantage of you), look for another job.
Re: Working the System at a BigCo
#6TL;DR It is a case of organizational incentives being poorly aligned with individual incentives.
And managers not understanding what their employees were doing. In this case, they understood the technical side, but were not paying attention to the financial side.
Re: Working the System at a BigCo
#7I would be interested in reading any advice for developers/engineers on how to "handle" management. Based on some limited reading I've done, the goals of management and what engineers intuitively think management wants are often very different. Basically, what behaviors do I need to adopt to make my relationship with technical or non-technical managers as mutually beneficial as possible?
Your job is to make your boss and team look good. And by look good I mean be reliable, dependable, do good work etc...
Re: Working the System at a BigCo
#8I would be interested in reading any advice for developers/engineers on how to "handle" management. Based on some limited reading I've done, the goals of management and what engineers intuitively think management wants are often very different. Basically, what behaviors do I need to adopt to make my relationship with technical or non-technical managers as mutually beneficial as possible?
Ask your manager what you could have done better. Nobody likes giving unsolicited negative feedback, if you take that stress away from then you will have a much better communication channel, which is where all other things stem from.
Re: Working the System at a BigCo
#9I would be interested in reading any advice for developers/engineers on how to "handle" management. Based on some limited reading I've done, the goals of management and what engineers intuitively think management wants are often very different. Basically, what behaviors do I need to adopt to make my relationship with technical or non-technical managers as mutually beneficial as possible?
I think it is not enough to be good, you also have to look good. What I mean by that is you have to make sure your contributions are visible and comprehensible to your bosses. This should establish some level of credit with them. Once you have that credit you can build on it to have more informative discussions, perhaps during one-on-ones. Dare to ask.
Unfortunately, I have seen managers, technical and non-technical, who are seriously non-transparent. That is, they have and promote their own hidden agenda, without regard to how that affects others. Sorry for the pessimistic tone, but management tends to entail politics in big companies, which itself attracts those with the non-transparent personality trait.
Re: Working the System at a BigCo
#10I would be interested in reading any advice for developers/engineers on how to "handle" management. Based on some limited reading I've done, the goals of management and what engineers intuitively think management wants are often very different. Basically, what behaviors do I need to adopt to make my relationship with technical or non-technical managers as mutually beneficial as possible?
1. Strive to understand how your work fits in with the overall organization. Code by itself is a liability; make sure you know how your code is used to provide value to the organization.
2. When appropriate, ask your manager for more context into areas that aren't readily visible to you. What metrics do they care about? What metrics do their boss, their boss' boss... care about?
3. Provide frequent feedback, both affirmative and critical. When providing criticism, do so constructively, and always have ideas for possible solutions. Also remember that there may be other factors that you're not aware of (see point #2). Explicitly acknowledge that you're not criticizing any individual, and admit that you don't have all of the answers. Adapt your perspective fluidly when new information comes in.
4. Make sure your efforts are in line with the direction of your team, your division, the organization, and the industry.
5. Assume positive intent.
6. Be mindful of how your actions are perceived outside of your immediate team. Optics are important.
7. Make your manager's peers envious of the team that [s]he has assembled.