Re:Ask HN: How do I deal with my engineering team and motiva...
by moonpompey on Wednesday January 13, 2016 @10:00PM
(#10899364)
I'm going to take a different tact here, because while the top-voted posts ("don't be a jerk then") are probably good advice, it's not the easiest message for anyone to receive.
Consider this: most people will like working for a lead who gives them a lot of value. This isn't necessarily an "education" -- that's not a really tangible thing that directly improves their situation, and it feels bad.
What a team lead can do, that does improve their situation, is allocate work that gives people the opportunity to grow. Work allocation is one of best ways to mentor a junior engineer, if you give them the right work. Andy Grove touches on this a little, when he describes "task-relevant maturity." Beyond that, engineers need projects they can point to, that show off the upper ranges of their abilities, in order to experience career growth.
Beyond that, the usual team-lead skillset applies: providing cover to do good work (redirecting bullshit), long-range vision and planning, and reducing uncertainty. Hope this helps.
Consider this: most people will like working for a lead who gives them a lot of value. This isn't necessarily an "education" -- that's not a really tangible thing that directly improves their situation, and it feels bad.
What a team lead can do, that does improve their situation, is allocate work that gives people the opportunity to grow. Work allocation is one of best ways to mentor a junior engineer, if you give them the right work. Andy Grove touches on this a little, when he describes "task-relevant maturity." Beyond that, engineers need projects they can point to, that show off the upper ranges of their abilities, in order to experience career growth.
Beyond that, the usual team-lead skillset applies: providing cover to do good work (redirecting bullshit), long-range vision and planning, and reducing uncertainty. Hope this helps.