Great engineering managers have strong debugging skills and know how to apply them to non-technical problems. They pursue ‘the why’ of the problem before jumping to conclusions. They seek the underlying issue and don’t stop at half-baked ideas.
When managers skip this debugging mindset and jump to conclusions, they solve the wrong problem—one nobody cares about. This not only undermines their abilities within the team but also creates additional problems.
- Related Note(s):
- Engineering managers seek to understand all perspectives at the table.
- Finding and understanding the real problem is a big part of a manager’s craft.
- When your manager delegates a task to you, collect information and try to identify the root problem your manager wants/needs to solve.
- When you solve a problem, presenting your solution is a good idea, especially for a public audience to share experiences.
- Finding the real problem requires scientific thinking combined with psychological research.
- Source(s): “Best engineering managers are often great debuggers. Because a great debugger is relentless in the pursuit of the ‘why’ for a bug.” — Camille Fournier, The Manager’s Path
