What use is a manager?

I’ve been asked repeatedly by senior engineers — what use is a manager to me?

Skilled, senior engineers don’t need a manager, do they? Recently I’ve had conversations with staff-level engineers who claimed they have never had a manager that was of any use to them. They have had managers that did not understand what they were doing. They also expressed that they have had managers that thought they knew, and wanted to insert their own, somewhat incompetent, opinions into the work. At worst, they had managers that filled their day with tasks to do, and then expected frequent updates on the work.

There is a saying in the tech industry — “hire brilliant people and get out of their way”. I dislike this saying because it portrays hero culture and diminishes how success is a collaborative effort. I do agree that senior engineers don’t need a manager to tell them what to do. They don’t need a manager who is trying to outsmart them or be a better expert. As I wrote in my previous post about leadership skilled managers will excel in leadership and facilitation instead of trying to be the experts.

This is true not only for senior software developers but goes for most skilled professionals. For the longest time, I did not see much value in having a manager. Most of the managers I had early in my career were acting as project managers, handing out tasks, and doing administration. That was until I met the best manager I have ever worked for. His big contribution was team building. He was able to build a strong team. In this team I found support and safety to be transparent and experiment. When I was challenging how things were done in other parts of the organisation I knew that my team backed me up. The manager of this team was also a great coach. He did 1–1 coaching sessions, while also teaching us the skills of coaching. He made me realize the difference a great manager can make.

During my conversations with senior engineers they have expressed a longing for a manager they can use. Be it a manager who understands what they do and can provide support and sparring. Or be it someone who can coach and challenge to help them with growth. Or perhaps even provide new perspectives on how their work fits into a bigger picture. Managers can build strong teams and create an environment where senior engineers can thrive.

I wish for everyone to experience a manager that makes a difference in their work, and then holds all future managers to the same bar of excellence.

I am curious about your experience. Do write me a comment 👇. What value do you get from a manager? What do you wish you would get?