Power, Influence and Authority in Engineering Leadership - Dinosaur.js

Leadership opportunities are available at all levels of an organization, but some are more evident or clearly defined than others. Helping an organization achieve its goals may require us to step up as engineering leaders. As individual contributors, we may be able to support our team in negotiating the scope of a feature, facilitating a meeting or looking into that part of our codebase everyone shies away from. How about improving processes, helping define the culture or even the career journey of an organization? Do we need to be managers to have explicit authority to be agents of change? Maybe ... or maybe not

This talk explores different challenges that engineering teams have through the lens of power, influence or authority from the perspective of engineers or managers. If you've ever wondered if you should step into management, this talk can give you some insight into the right tool or role needed to be an agent for positive change. After this talk, you should have a better idea of whether making the management career change can give you the tools you need to grow and help others in the process.

Transcript

1. ! Power, Influence and Authority in Engineering Leadership @buritica
4. "Juan, I think I want to go into Engineering Management" — an engineer
5. Why?
6. "I would like to help my team move forward" — same engineer
7. Why would management allow you to make change?
8. "Because I would have authority" — same engineer
9. ! Not so fast
10. What kinds of change are you looking for?
15. Authority
16. Authority the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce
18. ! Authority
19. Authority the power to influence others, especially because of one's commanding manner or one's recognized knowledge about something.
20. ! Authority
21. What authority does an engineer have?* * in a "healthy" org
22. Authority Conventionally, authority is legitimate ⚡ power
23. By hiring you confer legitimate power over a technical domain
24. Authority of an IC function individualContributor () { let authority = ['technical-domain'] }
25. Authority is not static
26. Experience can modify authority
27. Autonomy of an IC function individualContributor () { let authority = ['technical-domain'] if (experienced) { authority.push('own-time') } }
28. Experience as a modifier • JR IC: little authority over their time • Sr Eng: some authority over their time and other's time • Staff Eng: full authority over their time and some over other's
29. Modifiers vary depending on company, org, team, and even manager
30. So I can change all the softwares?
31. Maybe...
32. How much does your team trust you ...
33. ... and what is your scope of influence?
34. Everytime you make decisions you trade on trust
35. Architectural decisions require higher trust than implementation ones
36. What authority does a manager have?
37. Authority of a manager function manager () { let authority = ['people, processes'] if (experienced) { authority.push('strategy') } }
38. Autonomy of a manager function manager () { // ... let autonomy = authority.indexOf('own-time') authority.pop(autonomy) }
39. So I can change all the peoples and processes?
40. Maybe...
41. How much does your team trust you ...
42. What is your scope of influence?
43. or might I say, closure?
44. Management has authority over software through people & process
45. Authority Closures function vp() { function director() { function manager() { function individualContributor(){ // software } } } }
46. Management authority isn't enough all the time ...
48. ... also, authority closures don't tend to work the other way around
49. Authority Closures function individualContributor() { function manager() { function director() { function vp(){ const compensation = '$$$' const process = 'waterfall' } } } }
50. But sometimes, there is hope!
52. We all have the opportunity to step up as leaders
53. * Disclaimer leadership takes time, effort and patience.
54. But most importantly trust
55. Authority Closures function individualContributor() { function manager() { function director() { function vp(){ const onCall = 'rotation' } } } }
56. Building trust can help you pierce your closure
57. Authority Closures function vp() { let oncall = 'rotation' function director() { function manager() { function individualContributor(){ onCall = 'team owned' } } } }
59. "Juan, I think I want to go into Engineering Management" — an engineer
60. "So you're saying I don't need to be a manager" — an engineer
61. Not entirely ...
62. I want to encourage you to be a leader
63. The intent of leadership is to deliver outcomes for the greater good
64. We're part of an industry that has an abnormal amount of power to cause change in the world
66. Working in technology gives you authority over the future of people at a never before scale
67. Knowing about your "authority closures" may give you the ability to focus change
68. Stepping into management is a career change
69. But stepping up as an IC leader is a lower risk way of getting experience
70. .. and building trust
72. ... so that you can eventually make the change you want
73. We need more and better engineering managers
74. No matter how hard you try you will be someone's worst boss
75. But it will all be worth it when you become someone's best boss
76. And accept you can't change it all
78. Thanks @buritica
79. Photo Credits ESMAD