Effective engineering management is all about coordinating team players with different priorities and perspectives.
There are different ways to create a rhythm for the team, and the most important ones are through verbal and written communication, your actions, and presence.
Communication requires you to be clear and timely with your messages, ensuring consistency over time to avoid confusion, and providing enough notice so that the team can anticipate upcoming goals.
Your actions must match your words; you need to take initiative when needed and follow through with what you say you're going to do. People only take what you say seriously if you do the same.
Creating a container for your team means that you're present enough to earn their trust in your long-term vision. Personal relationships matter, take time to celebrate their achievements and take regular check-ins for those who need it.
Once you start a rhythm, you have to keep going. Communicating your expectations and goals through your words, actions, and presence is something you have to work into your routine to keep everyone aligned.
You need to take into account that teams are made up of professionals with different backgrounds and specializations. Your role as a manager is to align everyone to work towards a common goal.
Leading a team successfully means creating a rhythm that everyone can understand and align with, this helps in building trust with your ICs and encouraging them to think about the team's vision and direction.
Aligning your team is something you need to do weekly, even daily, if you don't want things to fall apart.
Following these steps regularly results in a team that knows where they need to go and how to get there, building trust with you as a manager is key to leading people to success.