DeveloperWeek Management 2024 + AI DevSummit 2024 (+ DW Europe/LATAM 2024)

Guillermo Fisher, Kuzaa, Fractional CTO

If you’re an engineering leader, you’ve probably heard your cross-functional peers say things like “the team is too slow” or “we can’t trust engineering’s estimates”. You might’ve received this feedback in a 1:1 conversation, or you may have seen it pop up in an engagement survey. When you know your people are working hard, and the wins you’ve accumulated don’t seem to matter to anyone outside of your team, that kind of feedback can be demoralizing—not just to you, but to the engineers you support. But how can you change that narrative? How can you rebuild trust in your team?

In this talk, we’ll cover techniques you can use to focus your team’s energy on high impact work, control the narrative about your team through proactive communication, and manage stakeholder relationships. I’ll walk you through my own real-life experiences applying these techniques, and provide options that will help you tailor your own authentic approach.

Key Takeaways
- How to use metrics to tell a compelling story about your - engineering team’s success
- How to align your team’s focus with the company’s highest priorities
- How to communicate about your teams wins and losses in a way that builds trust
- How to engage with stakeholders across the organization to understand their expectations and better manage them

The success of an engineering leader hinges not just on their ability to deliver quality, cost-effective solutions, but also on their perception among peers. This presentation offers a roadmap to achieving this, ensuring leaders not only deliver quality, cost-effective solutions but also command respect and confidence across their organization.