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That and a couple of other items on the list would fall (for me) under "mentoring/growing." I feel like a senior engineer should be working only on the really d

That and a couple of other items on the list would fall (for me) under "mentoring/growing." I feel like a senior engineer should be working only on the really difficult stuff and also enabling other engineers to eventually be able to also work on the really difficult stuff. Enabling people to work to high standards, helping them when they're stuck, and helping with time estimates are all great parts of mentoring. It's a little shocking to me that "make sure folks are working well together" is tossed aside as "the manager's job." Part of being on a team, to me, is learning to communicate and work together effectively -- that's not a "manager's job," it's everyone's job. A senior engineer, by virtue of being senior, should also know and be able to teach effective communication strategies. It's just as important for an engineer to know how to communicate properly, whether it's within the team, with superiors, or with customers. This can reduce and lubricate many kinds of friction that ultimately cause needless work.

tinco 8y ago
It might be shocking to you, but it is exactly the manager's main job. If people would magically communicate well and work together fluidly, we wouldn't need managers at all. It would just be team leads talking to product owners. You can try to hire around this, and sometimes this works, especially in small teams or early stage startups. But at some point this breaks down, humans simply can't be rational and social all of the time.
- cimmanom 8y ago
  Yes, it’s the manager’s ultimate responsibility. But it’s not only the manager’s job. Every team member, and especially those with more experience, has a responsibility to ensure the team communicates and operates cooperatively and effectively. It’s the sort of thing that can’t be imposed by above by a manager if individuals aren’t taking responsibility for it in the first place.
- sdrothrock 8y ago
  > but it is exactly the manager's main job I would disagree; a manager is not necessarily an engineer and thus cannot mentor a junior engineer as well as a senior engineer could. I'm not saying that a manager cannot or should not mentor, but that a senior engineer should ALSO be mentoring based on shared experience. There's no need for a mentor monopoly. :) This is a bit off topic, but to me, a good manager is basically an umbrella and a funnel for the team. The manager covers the team and protects them from crap to keep them productive, then funnels their communications and output to the correct places. Basically, the API for sales or execs or whatever to communicate with the team. That's where a manager differs from a senior dev for me -- the responsibilities are completely different. You can't have a good team driven from the top; everyone has to be working and pulling their weight. Now, I'm not saying that we should expect people to be rational and social all of the time, just that a large part of mentoring should include "soft" skills like how to deal with other people and yourself when you're not rational or social. This is definitely something that can be learned and eases workplace friction so, so much. Edit: If this sounds familiar, I think it might be because I tend to harp on this on HN whenever it comes up. I feel like the "soft" skills are under- or completely devalued here sometimes, but they can really make or break a team just as much as technical skills. I saw this comment on another thread that's sort of speaking to the same effect but from a practical perspective: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18158042 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18158042
  - pm90 8y ago
    Don't know why you are being downvoted, this is exactly how I see a manager as well. To add to protecting the team from external shitstorms, is also to be an advocate for team members so they don't have to constantly worry about raises and promotions.

tinco 8y ago

It might be shocking to you, but it is exactly the manager's main job. If people would magically communicate well and work together fluidly, we wouldn't need managers at all. It would just be team leads talking to product owners. You can try to hire around this, and sometimes this works, especially in small teams or early stage startups. But at some point this breaks down, humans simply can't be rational and social all of the time.

cimmanom 8y ago
Yes, it’s the manager’s ultimate responsibility. But it’s not only the manager’s job. Every team member, and especially those with more experience, has a responsibility to ensure the team communicates and operates cooperatively and effectively. It’s the sort of thing that can’t be imposed by above by a manager if individuals aren’t taking responsibility for it in the first place.
sdrothrock 8y ago
> but it is exactly the manager's main job I would disagree; a manager is not necessarily an engineer and thus cannot mentor a junior engineer as well as a senior engineer could. I'm not saying that a manager cannot or should not mentor, but that a senior engineer should ALSO be mentoring based on shared experience. There's no need for a mentor monopoly. :) This is a bit off topic, but to me, a good manager is basically an umbrella and a funnel for the team. The manager covers the team and protects them from crap to keep them productive, then funnels their communications and output to the correct places. Basically, the API for sales or execs or whatever to communicate with the team. That's where a manager differs from a senior dev for me -- the responsibilities are completely different. You can't have a good team driven from the top; everyone has to be working and pulling their weight. Now, I'm not saying that we should expect people to be rational and social all of the time, just that a large part of mentoring should include "soft" skills like how to deal with other people and yourself when you're not rational or social. This is definitely something that can be learned and eases workplace friction so, so much. Edit: If this sounds familiar, I think it might be because I tend to harp on this on HN whenever it comes up. I feel like the "soft" skills are under- or completely devalued here sometimes, but they can really make or break a team just as much as technical skills. I saw this comment on another thread that's sort of speaking to the same effect but from a practical perspective: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18158042 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18158042
- pm90 8y ago
  Don't know why you are being downvoted, this is exactly how I see a manager as well. To add to protecting the team from external shitstorms, is also to be an advocate for team members so they don't have to constantly worry about raises and promotions.