Re:How to manage software developers without micromanaging
by lmkg on Monday February 14, 2022 @03:23PM
(#30337757)
Several of those goals are still subject to the whims of factors outside of your control.
E.g. "lead engineering on a project that has at least one other engineer." What if no project comes about? What if you start such a project and it gets canceled by strategic re-alignment? What if management keeps re-assigning the other engineer out from under you? What if executive leadership decides a larger project is priority #1 and demands 100% of your time? What if your division re-organizes how it assigns work and changes what it means to "lead" a team?
Not attaching goals to specific projects is certainly step number 1, and insulates you from some measure of change. But all of your goals are still subject to varying degrees of being de-valued or re-defined after a year's time.
E.g. "lead engineering on a project that has at least one other engineer." What if no project comes about? What if you start such a project and it gets canceled by strategic re-alignment? What if management keeps re-assigning the other engineer out from under you? What if executive leadership decides a larger project is priority #1 and demands 100% of your time? What if your division re-organizes how it assigns work and changes what it means to "lead" a team?
Not attaching goals to specific projects is certainly step number 1, and insulates you from some measure of change. But all of your goals are still subject to varying degrees of being de-valued or re-defined after a year's time.