I'm a new engineering manager transitioning from an individual contributor role. I'm struggling with letting go of my technical tasks and focusing on people management. What strategies can help me make this transition effectively?

tmpt-me

Burrows Delta	Andrew Model
0.6783	0.9993

Transitioning from an individual contributor to a management role can indeed be challenging, but there are several strategies that can help ease this shift. First, embrace the mindset change from "me" to "we." Focus on collaboration and lifting the skills of your team members, which can lead to greater collective achievements. Prioritize people management by investing time in one-on-one mentoring, running team meetings, and fostering open communication.

Delegation is key. Identify tasks that can be delegated to your team members, trusting in their capabilities and empowering them to take on responsibilities. This not only reduces your workload but also helps in developing their skills and autonomy. Additionally, focus on developing your team by encouraging skill development and cross-training, which will build a more versatile and self-sufficient team.

Lastly, remember that the satisfaction from your work will change. While you may miss the immediate gratification of solving technical problems, the long-term impact of building a strong, motivated team can be incredibly rewarding. Be patient and give yourself time to adjust to this new role.

answers-v3

Burrows Delta	Andrew Model
0.7362	0.9988

Congratulations on your new role—this is a pivotal moment in your career, and your experience is a common one among new engineering managers. Addy Osmani’s Leading Effective Engineering Teams offers a wealth of practical advice and real-world examples to help you navigate this transition with confidence and clarity.

Key Insights and Strategies 1. Embrace the Mindset Shift: From “Me” to “We” One of the most important changes is moving from a focus on your own technical output to enabling the success of your team. As Addy Osmani shares from his own experience at Google:

“I realized that, to scale myself, I had to shift my mindset from ‘me’ to ‘we.’ By collaborating with others, sharing what I learned, and focusing on lifting the skills and expertise of people around me, ‘we’ started to get so much more done.” —Addy Osmani, Leading Effective Engineering Teams

This shift means your impact is now measured by your team’s achievements, not just your individual contributions.

Let Go of Hands-On Technical Tasks It’s natural to feel the urge to stay involved in coding and technical problem-solving, especially if that’s where you’ve found satisfaction and success. However, Osmani emphasizes:

“Engineers who become managers should consciously spend less time doing focused technical work, like coding. Instead, they must invest in one-on-one mentoring, running team meetings, working with different teams, and managing people.” —Addy Osmani, Leading Effective Engineering Teams

You may miss the immediate gratification of solving technical problems, but the rewards of building trust, developing your team, and seeing their growth are longer-lasting and more impactful.

Focus on People Management and Communication Your new priorities should include:

Building rapport: Schedule one-on-ones to understand each team member’s strengths, weaknesses, and concerns. Mentoring and coaching: Invest time in developing your team’s skills and confidence. Clear communication: Set expectations, share your vision, and actively listen to feedback. Empowerment: Avoid micromanagement. Trust your team to solve problems and make decisions, stepping in only when necessary . 4. Maintain Technical Oversight—But Don’t Micromanage While you should step back from day-to-day coding, it’s important to stay technically informed so you can provide relevant guidance and unblock your team when needed. Osmani notes:

“While the engineering manager may not have any hands-on coding time, they should maintain their technical acumen.” —Addy Osmani, Leading Effective Engineering Teams

This balance allows you to support your team’s technical decisions without undermining their autonomy.

Address Common Challenges Proactively New managers often face:

Imposter syndrome: It’s normal to feel overwhelmed at first. Be transparent with your team about your learning journey. Scope mismanagement: Learn to say no to unnecessary change requests and keep the team focused on priorities . Skeptical leadership: Avoid second-guessing your team’s technical choices without cause, as this can erode trust . 6. Practical Steps for a Strong Start Meet individually with team members to build relationships and understand team dynamics. Assess the project’s status and familiarize yourself with the tech stack to make informed decisions. Address immediate concerns—whether technical or organizational—to build credibility early on . Table: Transition Strategies for New Engineering Managers Challenge Strategy Reference Letting go of coding Shift focus to mentoring, meetings, and people management
Building team trust Be transparent, listen actively, and empower team members
Maintaining technical relevance Stay informed, provide guidance, but avoid micromanagement
Managing scope and priorities Set clear boundaries, prioritize effectively
Overcoming imposter syndrome Acknowledge learning curve, seek feedback, and build rapport

Additional Recommendations Regular self-assessment: Reflect on your management style and seek feedback to improve. Network with other managers: Learn from peers and build alliances outside your immediate team . Commit to continuous learning: Management is a journey—embrace adaptation and growth . If you’d like to dive deeper into specific aspects, you might find it helpful to explore how to foster psychological safety or balance technical oversight with people management as you continue your leadership journey.

Let me know if you’d like tailored advice for your specific team context or further insights from Addy Osmani’s work!

basic-gpt3.5

Burrows Delta	Andrew Model
0.4556	0.9938

Transitioning from an individual contributor role to a managerial position can be challenging, especially when it comes to letting go of technical tasks and focusing on people management. Here are some strategies that can help you make this transition effectively:

Delegate effectively: Trust your team members to handle technical tasks and delegate responsibilities accordingly. Make sure to provide clear instructions, set expectations, and offer support when needed.
Set boundaries: Establish boundaries between your technical work and people management responsibilities. Allocate specific time for each and prioritize tasks accordingly.
Develop your team: Invest time in developing your team members' skills and capabilities. Provide opportunities for growth, offer feedback, and support their professional development.
Communicate effectively: Keep an open line of communication with your team members. Listen to their concerns, provide guidance, and address any issues that may arise.
Seek mentorship: Find a mentor or coach who can provide guidance and support as you navigate your new role. Learn from their experiences and seek advice on how to effectively manage your team.
Focus on the bigger picture: Remember that as a manager, your primary focus is on achieving team goals and driving results. Keep the bigger picture in mind and align your team's efforts towards achieving organizational objectives.
Practice self-care: Managing people can be demanding, so make sure to take care of yourself. Prioritize self-care, set boundaries, and seek support when needed to avoid burnout.

By implementing these strategies, you can effectively transition from an individual contributor role to a managerial position and excel in your new responsibilities.

cl-gradio-pe1

Burrows Delta	Andrew Model
0.5485	0.4628

Transitioning from an individual contributor to a management role can be tough, and it's completely normal to struggle with letting go of technical tasks. Here's a strategy that might help: Focus on empowering and trusting your team. Start by having open conversations, sharing the team’s goals, and encouraging your engineers to take ownership of tasks. It’s crucial to shift from "me" to "we," and allow team members to solve problems independently. Also, use one-on-one meetings to mentor and understand their needs. Don't forget to set boundaries for your involvement, prioritizing strategic planning over day-to-day coding. Finally, embrace the role of a coach, supporting your team to excel and grow. This shift takes time, but it will ultimately enhance both your effectiveness and the team's success.

basic-gpt4o-mini

Burrows Delta	Andrew Model
0.7169	0.4051

Transitioning from an individual contributor role to an engineering manager can be challenging, especially when it comes to letting go of technical tasks. Here are some strategies to help you navigate this transition effectively:

1. Shift Your Mindset

Embrace the Role of a Leader: Understand that your primary responsibility is to enable your team to succeed. Your success is now measured by the performance and growth of your team, not just your technical contributions.
Focus on Impact: Think about how your leadership can create a more significant impact than your individual contributions. This shift in perspective can help you appreciate the value of your new role.

2. Delegate and Empower

Trust Your Team: Start delegating technical tasks to your team members. Empower them to take ownership of projects and decisions. This not only helps you let go but also fosters a sense of ownership and accountability within the team.
Encourage Autonomy: Create an environment where team members feel comfortable making decisions. This can be achieved by providing guidance and support rather than micromanaging.

3. Invest in Your Team’s Growth

Mentorship and Coaching: Spend time mentoring your team members. Help them develop their skills and advance their careers. This not only strengthens your relationship with them but also reinforces your role as a leader.
Regular Check-ins: Schedule one-on-one meetings to understand their challenges, aspirations, and feedback. This will help you stay connected and informed about their progress.

4. Develop Soft Skills

Communication: Work on your communication skills. Clear and effective communication is crucial for a manager. Practice active listening and ensure that you are approachable.
Conflict Resolution: Learn how to handle conflicts within the team. Being able to mediate and resolve issues will strengthen your leadership credibility.

5. Set Clear Goals and Expectations

Define Success: Work with your team to set clear, achievable goals. Ensure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities. This clarity will help you focus on management while your team handles the technical aspects.
Celebrate Achievements: Recognize and celebrate both individual and team accomplishments. This boosts morale and reinforces the value of teamwork.

6. Stay Technically Informed

Keep Learning: While you may not be doing technical tasks, staying updated on industry trends and technologies can help you make informed decisions and provide valuable insights to your team.
Participate in Technical Discussions: Engage in technical discussions without taking over. This shows your team that you value their expertise while still being knowledgeable.

7. Seek Feedback and Reflect

Solicit Feedback: Regularly ask for feedback from your team about your management style and areas for improvement. This will help you grow as a leader.
Self-Reflection: Take time to reflect on your experiences and identify what works and what doesn’t. Adjust your approach based on these reflections.

8. Build a Support Network

Connect with Other Managers: Seek out other engineering managers for advice and support. Sharing experiences and challenges can provide valuable insights and reassurance.
Find a Mentor: Consider finding a mentor who has successfully made this transition. Their guidance can be invaluable as you navigate your new role.

Conclusion

Transitioning to an engineering manager role is a journey that requires patience and practice. By focusing on empowering your team, developing your leadership skills, and embracing your new responsibilities, you can make this transition successfully. Remember, your role is to create an environment where your team can thrive, and that is where your true impact lies.

chatgpt

Burrows Delta	Andrew Model
0.2443	0.2597

Great question—and one that hits at the heart of strategic engineering leadership. As Addy Osmani might say: the best teams move fast and protect the user experience. Balancing innovation and stability means treating calculated risk like a product with its own roadmap.

Here’s how to assess and manage calculated risks effectively:

🧭 1. Anchor Risks to Outcomes

Frame every risk in terms of impact and confidence.

Ask:

What user or business outcome are we aiming to accelerate?
What’s the potential upside if this bet pays off?
What’s the worst-case scenario, and how reversible is it?

“Risk without purpose is chaos. Risk with a goal is strategy.”

🔬 2. Run Lean Experiments, Not Big Bangs

Minimize blast radius. Addy’s approach here is very much about progressive delivery:

Use feature flags, canary deploys, or shadow traffic to isolate risks.
Test in production—but safely.
Encourage spikes or prototypes to explore new ideas with minimal code debt.

📊 3. Use Leading Indicators for Stability

Avoid lagging signals like crash rates or outages as your only safety net. Set up:

Error budgets (from SRE playbooks)
Health dashboards (latency, regressions, error rates)
Quality gates in CI/CD (perf budgets, accessibility, test coverage)

“Speed is a feature, but so is resilience.”

🧠 4. Institutionalize Postmortems and Risk Reviews

Normalize failure. Not as blame, but as a feedback loop:

Use blameless postmortems to examine why a risk failed or succeeded.
Capture “risk playbooks” so the team gets smarter with every bold move.
Prioritize cultural safety—psychological safety is a prerequisite for innovation.

🛠 5. Govern with Guardrails, Not Gatekeepers

Give your team autonomy within boundaries:

Define platform-level policies or linting rules that prevent “sharp edges.”
Encourage engineers to innovate inside of safe zones.
Build tools that catch issues early, not humans that slow them down.

📅 6. Timebox Innovation Windows

Create structured space for experimentation (e.g. FedEx Days, Innovation Weeks, RFC cycles):

Helps separate “stability mode” from “exploration mode.”
Gives leadership visibility into what’s being tried—and why.

⚖️ 7. Continuously Rebalance the Portfolio

Keep a mix of:

Core work: reliability, infra, bug debt
Incremental work: roadmap features
Transformative work: 10x ideas, tech spikes

Track time allocation quarterly. If innovation is slipping, you’ll see it in the trend lines.

TL;DR from Addy’s lens:

“Great teams don’t avoid risk—they manage it like engineers. Design constraints, monitor aggressively, and learn fast.”

Would you like a practical tool or framework to run risk reviews with your team? I can help you set that up next.

basic-gpt4o

Burrows Delta	Andrew Model
0.749	0.0226

Congratulations on your new role! Transitioning from an individual contributor to an engineering manager can be challenging, but it's also a rewarding opportunity to grow and make a broader impact. Here are some strategies to help you make this transition effectively:

Shift Your Mindset: Understand that your success is now measured by the success of your team. Your role is to enable and empower your team members to do their best work, rather than focusing on your individual technical contributions.
Delegate Effectively: Trust your team to handle technical tasks. Delegation is crucial. Identify the strengths of your team members and assign tasks accordingly. This not only helps you focus on management but also fosters growth and ownership within your team.
Develop Your People Skills: Invest time in building relationships with your team. Listen actively, provide feedback, and be approachable. Understanding your team’s motivations and challenges will help you support them better.
Set Clear Goals and Expectations: Work with your team to set clear, achievable goals. Ensure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities. This clarity helps in aligning efforts and measuring progress.
Prioritize Communication: Keep open lines of communication with your team. Regular one-on-ones and team meetings are essential for staying connected, addressing concerns, and providing guidance.
Focus on Career Development: Take an active interest in the career growth of your team members. Help them set development goals and provide opportunities for learning and advancement.
Learn to Let Go: It can be tempting to dive back into technical tasks, but resist the urge. Trust your team and focus on strategic planning, team dynamics, and removing obstacles for your team.
Seek Feedback and Mentorship: Don’t hesitate to seek feedback from your team and peers. Consider finding a mentor who has successfully made the transition to management. They can provide valuable insights and guidance.
Balance Technical and Managerial Tasks: While your focus should shift towards management, maintaining a technical edge can be beneficial. Allocate some time to stay updated with industry trends and technologies, but ensure it doesn’t detract from your primary responsibilities.
Reflect and Adapt: Regularly reflect on your management style and its effectiveness. Be open to adapting your approach based on feedback and the evolving needs of your team.

Remember, transitioning to a management role is a journey. Be patient with yourself and your team as you navigate this change. Your technical background is an asset, but your new role is about leveraging that experience to lead and inspire your team.

openai-generated-prompt

Burrows Delta	Andrew Model
0.591	0.018

Hey there! Transitioning from an individual contributor to an engineering manager is a big step, and it's completely normal to feel a bit of a tug-of-war between your technical roots and your new responsibilities. Let's dive into some strategies that can help you navigate this transition effectively.

1. Embrace the Shift in Focus: Your role now is to amplify the impact of your team, not just your own. This means shifting your focus from writing code to enabling your team to write better code. Think of yourself as a multiplier of your team's efforts.

2. Delegate and Trust: Start by identifying tasks that can be delegated. Trust your team to handle these tasks, and provide them with the autonomy to make decisions. This not only empowers them but also frees up your time for higher-level responsibilities.

3. Develop Empathy and Communication Skills: Your technical skills got you here, but empathy and communication will keep you here. Spend time understanding your team's motivations, challenges, and aspirations. Regular one-on-ones are a great tool for this.

4. Set Clear Expectations: Clarity is your best friend. Make sure your team knows what's expected of them and what success looks like. This reduces ambiguity and helps everyone stay aligned.

5. Prioritize Psychological Safety: Create an environment where team members feel safe to express ideas, ask questions, and make mistakes. This fosters innovation and trust, which are crucial for a high-performing team.

6. Stay Connected to the Tech: While you're stepping back from day-to-day coding, staying informed about technical trends and challenges is important. This helps you make informed decisions and maintain credibility with your team.

7. Invest in Documentation: Encourage strong documentation practices. This not only helps with onboarding new team members but also ensures that knowledge is shared and accessible, reducing bottlenecks.

8. Seek Feedback and Iterate: Just like in engineering, iterate on your management style. Seek feedback from your team and peers, and be open to adjusting your approach based on what you learn.

Protip: Consider setting aside some time each week for "deep work" where you can focus on strategic planning or learning. This helps maintain your technical edge while also giving you space to think about long-term goals.

Remember, this transition is a journey, not a sprint. Be patient with yourself, and celebrate the small wins along the way. You're building a foundation for a more impactful role, and that's something to be excited about. Keep iterating, and you'll find your groove.