Become An Effective Software Engineering Manager

You may find that your preconceptions about some of your staff could be completely wrong: maybe Bob was underperforming recently because he needs more variety, but you thought it was best for him to stick with what he knows. That was wrong! Maybe Alice is happiest when she can stay inside her comfort zone, and the new challenge you gave her is uncomfortable rather than exciting.

Bazaar Browsers • To avoid stagnation. Unlike the cathedral constructors, the bazaar browsers find working on the same area for a long time a sign of stagnation rather than mastery. Ensure that you're talking with them about how they feel, and give them opportunities to switch up what they're doing as time goes on. • To even move around teams. If your team is unable to keep a bazaar browser motivated, then why not consider loaning them out to another team for a short while? They'll get to do something new and fun and bring back knowledge. You could even take on a bazaar browser in return to inject some new energy into your team.

Bazaar Browsers The bazaar browser wishes to sample the sights and sounds of as much as possible. They want excitement, variety, chaos, and change. This is where they thrive and grow. You need to be able to offer them the following opportunities: • To get as much newness as possible. Is there a new project coming up? Your bazaar browsers want to sample new challenges, domains, products, and technologies as much as possible. Put whatever new thing you have in front of them first. • To build and throw away. Are you about to go through a phase of quick prototyping and iteration? Are you going to be experimenting with some new technology? Your bazaar browsers love this. Send it their way.

Cathedral Constructors • To go deep, not wide. Your cathedral constructors relish in thorough knowledge. Is there an opportunity for them to contribute back to open source projects that they are an expert in? Are they able to purposefully stay away from newness in order to practice deep mastery? • To show others their own ways. Those that become experts also benefit (and often relish) in teaching others what they know. Ensure that your cathedral constructors have the opportunities for mentoring. • To revel in the detail. Try to keep incomplete knowledge or politics away from your cathedral constructors so they can focus on the small details. Let them be in their happy place.

Cathedral Constructors Your cathedral constructors yearn for focus, stability, purism, and crafts-manship. As a manager, you need to be able to offer them the following opportunities: • To become subject-matter experts. Is there the opportunity for them to build and contribute to a core area of the technology stack? Can they be given ownership over it in such a way that lets them become the most knowledgeable in the company about that particular part? • To be a cornerstone of the team. Is there an opportunity for them to become the individual that their teammates seek advice from when approaching something new? Are they able to provide the scaffolding that new functionality is built on top of?

Think of your team for a moment. Given that you've worked with them for a short while, have you begun to see which of them are “cathedral constructors” and which are “bazaar browsers”? The important consideration is that regardless of whether your staff thrive within chaos or stability, neither is right or wrong.

Ensuring that your staff are continually engaged in conversations about improving their skills and achieving their goals ensures that you are supporting the highest human need in Maslow's model: self-actualization. This is a surefire way of keeping your staff engaged and happy.

You can apply the zone of proximal development at a task level in a number of ways. For example, try delegating a challenging programming task to a less-experienced member of your team, but pair them with somebody more senior. This improves the programming skill of the junior and the mentoring skill of the senior. Additionally, you could delegate your own decisions or actions to a member of staff on your team who is interested in becoming a manager in the future. You can mentor them through it, both improving their skills and giving them empowerment.