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How I influence tech company politics as a staff software engineer

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Re: How I influence tech company politics as a staff software engineer

#31

Post by codazoda »

getnormality wrote: post #15

It seems like this post can be summarized as follows: 1. If your manager has something in particular they want you to do, you should do it. 2. If your manager doesn't have something in particular they want you to do, you should figure out what they will want you to do in the future , and make any necessary preparations so that it will be doable when they want it. I'd say it's good advice. The only thing I would add i…

I read number 2 more as being ready with your own agenda items. For example, if you want to make a code base more minimal, have a POC and some details worked out for when the opportunity presents itself.

If you have something prepared and then there’s a site speed, SEO, or series of bug complaints you might be able to pitch your minimal ideas as part of that solution.

I like the concept but I don’t know how well it would work in practice or how I would document my preparations for some point in the future. I do often wonder if I should run my work a bit like I run my blog though, generating documents about why and how. Maybe keeping them in wait for that opportunity.

That could be a lot of extra work that never sees the light, but we probably do a lot of that anyway?

Re: How I influence tech company politics as a staff software engineer

#32

Post by masfuerte »

Jgrubb wrote: post #26

> The important thing is to have a detailed, effective program of work ready to go for whatever the flavor of the month is. This is basically my theory of how things get done in Washington. There's no grand plan most of the time, just an army of operatives ready with a slide deck to pitch when the conditions for an idea present themselves.

Not just a slide deck. The lobbyists have already written the legislation.

Re: How I influence tech company politics as a staff software engineer

#33

Post by anticristi »

tayo42 wrote: post #14
hkon wrote: post #9

Where is the influence?

Instead of waiting to be told what to do and being cynical about bad ideas coming up when there's a vacumn and not doing what he wants to do, the author keeps a back log of good and important ideas that he waits to bring up for when someone important says something is priority. He gets what he wants done, compromising on timing.

"He gets what he wants done, compromising on timing." is a really good summary!

Re: How I influence tech company politics as a staff software engineer

#34

Post by Trasmatta »

the_af wrote: post #29
Trasmatta wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the crux. I don't want a career in a large tech company.

Is working in a small tech company any different?

Not really, I'd love to get out of tech entirely.

Re: How I influence tech company politics as a staff software engineer

#35

Post by akudha »

getnormality wrote: post #15

It seems like this post can be summarized as follows: 1. If your manager has something in particular they want you to do, you should do it. 2. If your manager doesn't have something in particular they want you to do, you should figure out what they will want you to do in the future , and make any necessary preparations so that it will be doable when they want it. I'd say it's good advice. The only thing I would add i…

Or better options - just do the job you were hired for and go home or find that rare job (if possible) where engineering has a bigger role than politics. It is not pleasant to play a guessing game trying to please some manager, just because they’re your boss.

Life is too short for stupid games

Re: How I influence tech company politics as a staff software engineer

#37

Post by rjh29 »

the_af wrote: post #29
Trasmatta wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the crux. I don't want a career in a large tech company.

Is working in a small tech company any different?

Massively different. You generally have more autonomy, fewer managers, more responsibility and wear more hats. In my experience no corporate fake people pleasing or PR language or HR nonsense. Just regular people talking normally trying to get stuff done.

Re: How I influence tech company politics as a staff software engineer

#38

Post by azemetre »

woadwarrior01 wrote: post #3
vcryan wrote: post #2

Politics is inescapable. Software engineers can't live outside of them. Whether these are the team politics, org politics, etc. I don't think engineers are universality bad/good at politics. It's just like anything else, takes practice.

There's a way out. Build your own company and make it something beneath you.

There's an even better way out, implement workplace democracy.

Re: How I influence tech company politics as a staff software engineer

#39

Post by MarkMarine »

One of my favorite quotes: “ Only a crisis—actual or perceived—produces real change. When that crisis occurs, the actions that are taken depend on the ideas that are lying around. That, I believe, is our basic function: to develop alternatives to existing policies, to keep them alive and available until the politically impossible becomes politically inevitable.” - Milton Friedman

I’ve found writing 1 pagers and technical documents that I can circulate, and then re-reference when there is a crisis is the way to have my ideas floating around at the time. I’ve had some success driving the architecture I want iteratively, slowly progressing towards my goals by building consensus but I’ve also been owned by VPs and directors that are much better at politics than I am. Having the library of 1 pagers, sending them around so they are latently in the air, and waiting for the impetus to execute on that idea has been much more successful.

Re: How I influence tech company politics as a staff software engineer

#40

Post by posix86 »

The biggest political capital that you can build up is your technical understanding & skills. But they are only useful insofar as you put them into the context of the broader company strategy. Giving appropriate advice, and delivering, in the interest of the company, will give you capital, i.e., people listening to you & relying on you, trusting you, which gives you power to steer. Preparing contingency plans & pitching then, then executing them, is the best way.
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