Learn concepts like management skills, working with different people, and working out who our team is and what they do.

Become an Effective Engineering Manager

The technology industry is facing a skills crisis. It’s because we don’t know how to manage people. This module aims at improving our managing skills. In this module, we’ll start with learning concepts like managing ourselves, interacting with humans, having one-on-one meetings with managers, and choosing the right person for the job. Next, we’ll learn how to deal with different people and projects. In the end, we'll touch upon the modern workspace concepts and life cycle of startups.

Become an Effective Software Engineering Manager


> "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world." - _Archimedes_


**Why should you read this?** One-on-ones are the most important meetings that managers have. It's where work gets done, trust is built, and great working relationships are forged.

**What will you learn?** You will learn the techniques and tools to have productive and effective one-on-ones. You’ll learn how to take notes and organize information and how to run sessions that both you and your staff will enjoy and look forward to.

**What will you be able to do that you couldn't do before?** You will be able to run one-on-ones with ease. You won’t dread them, and you’ll look forward to them. Additionally, you’ll be able to use them as a basis to continually improve your relationships with your staff. You’ll discover how not to do them, too!

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# Scenario: One-on-ones

This afternoon you begin your one-on-ones with your team. You’ve got three of them booked in today: Ben, Katie, and Lee. Your initial meetings with them went swimmingly, but you were mostly just gathering information about their roles within the team and the projects that they are working on. Today it’s down to business, and you’re feeling some stage fright.

For context, you had a bunch of ideas last night that felt inspirational, motivating, and life-affirming. However, upon reflection this morning, they seem awkward, cheesy, and dumb. You nervously tap your fingers on your knee. You want to get these relationships off to the right start. You worry you’re going to be spending several hours sitting in painful on-off silences. What if you don’t have anything interesting to say? What should you say? Your previous manager was broadly absent, so you don’t have experiences from the other side of the table to model. You begin to get a bit worried.

Story Map for the Chapter

Scenario: One-on-ones