What Engineering Managers Care About: Key Attributes and Management Practices

Engineering managers play a crucial role in ensuring that projects are not only completed successfully but also optimized for efficiency and reliability. Their primary concern is often centered around achieving the project objectives while maintaining the highest standards of performance and safety.

Engagement and Recognition

Engineers contribute their expertise to the project, and engineering managers ensure that these contributions are recognized and rewarded. The manager's role involves formulating a clear plan for achieving the project goals and providing detailed instructions to the team. They guide the group to work together towards these goals, fostering a sense of unity and shared purpose.

The success of a project does not lie solely in the plan but also in the adaptability and flexibility of the team. managers must anticipate potential issues and have contingency plans ready. A wise manager involves the team in defining these contingencies, thereby gaining a broader perspective on the problem and strengthening team cohesion. This approach not only ensures a more robust solution but also builds trust and confidence among team members.

Meeting Project Goals

Engineering managers are highly focused on three key objectives:

Executing the project on budget.

Completing the project on time.

Ensuring that the project performs as planned.

These goals are non-negotiable and form the foundation of the project's success. Managers work closely with their teams to ensure that these goals are met through diligent planning, resource allocation, and efficient project management practices.

System Reliability

Another critical concern for engineers is ensuring system reliability. This involves establishing standby systems and conducting thorough risk assessments to mitigate potential failures. Engineers understand the importance of redundancy and fail-safes to ensure that the project runs smoothly without unexpected downtime or failures.

Personal and Professional Development

From my experience, engineers approach their roles with varying levels of emphasis on personal and professional development versus project completion. These perspectives can be broadly categorized as follows:

20% prioritize advancement over project and team, seeing the project as a means to an end.

70% focus equally on the project and their advancement, seeking to build their professional reputation through successful project outcomes.

10% prioritize their personal goals and seek project opportunities that align with their long-term ambitions.

However, the engineering managers who have achieved the highest success rates share a common trait: trust in their professionals during tough times and deferring to their expertise when facing challenging situations. This was vividly demonstrated in a situation where a customer demanded an impossible one-month change in just three days. The manager trusted their engineers to accomplish the task and focused on customer relations, setting a positive example for how to handle difficult situations.

Technology Implementation

Engineering managers also play a critical role in evaluating new technologies and assessing their potential applications. They analyze the feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and long-term impact of new technologies and technologies. This assessment helps in making informed decisions that align with the project's goals and the organization's strategic objectives. By staying informed about the latest technological advancements, managers can identify opportunities for innovation and improvement, contributing to the overall success of the project.