Podcast Summary: Effective Engineering Manager

Episode: Building Effective Strategy

Release Date: December 31, 2023
Hosts: Slava Imeshev and Adam Axelrod

Episode Overview

In this episode of the Effective Engineering Manager podcast, hosts Adam Axelrod and Slava Imeshev explore the critical role of strategy in engineering management. They break down why having a strategy is essential at all levels of leadership, from frontline manager to VP. The discussion provides a practical framework for building and executing a results-oriented strategy, emphasizing the overlap between individual leadership, team alignment, business impact, and organizational growth. Real-world anecdotes, actionable advice, and a concluding checklist make this conversation invaluable for both new and experienced engineering managers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Is Strategy for Engineering Managers?

[00:20–04:56]

• Distinguishing Tactics from Strategy:
  Adam clarifies that engineering management requires separating day-to-day tactical tasks from broader, impactful strategies.

  “Building a strategy is around distinguishing the day to day tactical tasks ... from the bigger picture.” – Adam [00:20]

• Strategy Exists at Every Level:
  Not just a C-suite concern; strategy is necessary for all management roles.

  “If you're doing your job well, you have to have a strategy regardless of your level.” – Slava [04:19]

2. Why Every Manager Needs a Strategy

[02:47–05:38]

• Clarity, Alignment, and Focus:
  Strategy brings clarity to what the team is working towards, how their work aligns with the company mission, and how to measure success.
• Career & Organizational Growth:
  Strategic thinking distinguishes leaders from individual contributors and propels both organizational and personal growth.

3. Real-World Example: CI/CD Implementation

[05:38–07:50]

• Slava’s Anecdote:
  Slava describes leading a years-long initiative to implement CI/CD, aligning everyone around an ambitious, measurable vision.

  “The vision ... was like I mentioned, developer checks something in version control and it's in production in two hours.” – Slava [05:54]

  • Key success factors: shared vision, clear milestones, measuring progress, and maintaining focus despite distractions.

4. Framework: The Triangulation of Strategy

[07:50–15:16]

• Three Pillars of an Effective Strategy:

  1. Direction (Vision & Goals): North Star for the team, creative and holistic.
  2. People (Strengths-Based): Leverage the existing skills, avoid relying primarily on filling skill gaps.
  3. Business Need: Strategy must tie directly to tangible business objectives.

  “The triangulation is around direction, people and a business need.” – Adam [08:32]

• Document and Make It Measurable:
  A strategy must be written down and tied to objective metrics—be it productivity, cost, or business value.

5. Grounding Strategy in Reality

[15:16–17:27]

• Workability from Day One:
  If a strategy requires preconditions (e.g., major hiring) before you can begin, it’s “a hallucination.”

  "...if the strategy has certain preconditions ... this is not a strategy, it's a hallucination." – Slava [15:42]

• Iterative, Realistic Steps:
  Reverse-engineer achievable milestones from your North Star vision.

6. Practical Steps to Building Strategy

[17:27–23:43]

• Act Like the CEO of Your Organization:
  Imagine leadership responsibility over your domain, regardless of size.
• Reverse-Engineer from Vision:
  Work backward from strategic goals to present reality.
• Tie to Business Value:
  Ensure strategy is always linked to company missions or market focus.
• Maximize Team Strengths & Build Partnerships:
  Effective strategies rely on both internal capability and cross-team collaboration.

7. The Importance of Partnerships and Buy-In

[23:43–26:16]

• Stakeholder Engagement:
  Success depends on partnerships across teams and explicit buy-in from your management chain.

  "If we build strategies which are not taking into account our partners in our bosses, chances of us being successful are not very high." – Slava [23:45]

• Cross-Functional Relationships:
  Establish “depends on” relationships, lateral and vertical, to enable execution.

8. Iteration, Communication & Global Perspective

[26:16–32:01]

• Plan for Flexibility:
  Strategies must evolve as the business or market changes; frequent, incremental progress is key.

  “A strategy shouldn't be something that's completely set in stone...” – Adam [27:21]

• Regular, Multi-Level Communication:
  Keep all stakeholders (upper management, peers, team) informed and engaged.
• Embrace Distributed & Global Teams:
  Leverage resources and contributions from all regions, not just locally.

9. Strategic Planning: Levels of Detail Over Time

[32:01–36:51]

• Long-Term vs. Short-Term Planning:
  High-level, flexible objectives for the distant future; precise, actionable plans for the coming quarters.
• Visual, Concise Strategy Artifacts:
  Plan should fit on a slide for quick reference; detail only where immediate action is required.

  “The further out the objectives, the more high level they should be...the closer to the current moment, the more precise this should be.” – Slava [35:38]

10. The Strategy Checklist for Managers

[38:11–40:34]

• Adam’s Practical Checklist:
  1. Foundation: Early strategy with vision, achievable goals, team-aligned strengths.
  2. Growth-Oriented: Challenging yet realistic, capable of scaling with team growth.
  3. Business Alignment: Directly tied to key business goals—financial, market, or product.
  4. Build Partnerships: Use lateral relationships to align and buy in.
  5. Communication Plan: Regular updates to all stakeholders, showcasing progress and soliciting feedback.

  “The strategy should be challenging but reasonable ... represent the team at 2x or 3x growth.” – Adam [38:35]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On strategy at all levels:
  "If you're doing your job well, you have to have a strategy regardless of your level." – Slava [04:19]
• On achievable strategies:
  “If the strategy has certain preconditions ... this is not a strategy, it's a hallucination.” – Slava [15:42]
• On the importance of cross-team partnerships:
  “Chances of us being successful are not very high” without stakeholder buy-in. – Slava [23:45]
• On planning detail over time:
  “The further out the objectives, the more high level they should be...the closer to the current moment, the more precise this should be.” – Slava [35:38]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Start | |-----------------------------------------------|------------| | What is Strategy? | 00:20 | | Strategy at Every Level | 02:47 | | CI/CD Implementation Example | 05:38 | | The Triangulation Framework | 07:50 | | Grounding in Reality: Realistic Strategy | 15:16 | | Practical Steps in Building Strategy | 17:27 | | Partnerships and Getting Buy-In | 23:43 | | Iterative, Communicative, Global Strategy | 26:16 | | Planning Levels of Detail Over Time | 32:01 | | Strategy Checklist for Managers | 38:11 |

Takeaways

• Every engineering manager, at every level, should have a living, actionable strategy.
• Effective strategies are built on three pillars: direction (vision), strengths-based people planning, and real business needs.
• Work only with what you have today; don’t pin your entire strategy on future resourcing or ideal conditions.
• Build partnerships across teams and up the management chain to secure lasting buy-in and achieve results.
• Iterate, communicate, and adapt—business, teams, and markets evolve; your strategy must as well.
• Maintain the right level of planning: concrete details short-term, high-level for the long-term.
• Use a practical checklist as a regular touchstone for strategic alignment and progress.