Meta to Ask Many Managers to Become Individual Contributors or Leave

Re:Meta to Ask Many Managers to Become Individual Contributo... by rsynnott on Tuesday February 07, 2023 @03:40PM (#34699207)

> When the EM becomes an IC, how does this help the team grow their own skills and not get distracted by problems the EM should be moving out of their way?

Well, generally the team would still have an EM, just not that EM.

> When the EM is an IC, what stops them from either interfering with small stuff

What stops any IC doing that?

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Re:Meta to Ask Many Managers to Become Individual Contributo... by the_af on Tuesday February 07, 2023 @03:45PM (#34699290)

> Well, generally the team would still have an EM, just not that EM

If there is an EM role, I don't see the problem. I took TFA to mean "become an EM who also codes".

> What stops any IC doing that?

Nothing, but an IC has by definition time to tackle big problems. Also, other ICs are their peers. An EM+IC has no time to tackle big problems -- or if they do, then they are neglecting their management role -- and so by default will tend to focus on nitpicking or small tasks. Tasks that are best done by junior level ICs.

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Re:Meta to Ask Many Managers to Become Individual Contributo... by rsynnott on Tuesday February 07, 2023 @03:51PM (#34699387)

> I took TFA to mean "become an EM who also codes".

I don't _think_ that's what they're saying. I read it as "we have too many EMs; would some EMs like to un-EM, please?

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Re:Meta to Ask Many Managers to Become Individual Contributo... by the_af on Tuesday February 07, 2023 @04:07PM (#34699651)

Oh. In that case I misunderstood TFA. Wouldn't be the first time! In that case, I agree with you: no problem with an EM going back to an IC role.

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