Seniority

In some jobs, your superior is the person who knows how to do your job better than you do. They’ve spent years honing their skills, mastering the nuances of the work, and rising through the ranks. Eventually, they are promoted to leadership roles, where their expertise guides the rest of the team to perform at their best. This model of seniority, where experience and skill in the task itself are paramount, is common and highly effective in many professions.

But it’s not the only way to structure leadership. Not all managers need to be experts in the specific tasks their teams perform. Some are brought in for their expertise in management itself. Leading, organizing, and optimizing team dynamics. So, what makes a good manager in such cases, especially when they’re not deeply familiar with the technical work their team is performing?

The Transition from Developer to Manager

As a developer, I initially struggled with this transition. Coding had been my craft, my focus, and my source of pride. But when I stepped into a management role, I quickly realized that continuing to code wasn’t just impractical. It was counterproductive.

From time to time, I’d still try to contribute to the codebase. But my work was never as polished as the rest of the team’s. Pull request (PR) comments would pile up, and I’d be slow to address them because I was juggling other management responsibilities. My attempts to contribute code actually slowed the team down.

This realization hit me hard: my role as a manager wasn’t to write code; it was to empower the people who did.

Shifting Focus: From Coding to Removing Obstacles

The best way I could contribute to the team was by removing obstacles. Developers work best when they can focus entirely on their craft, free from distractions and bottlenecks. My job became identifying and eliminating anything that stood in their way.

For instance:

• Unclear Requirements: Often, teams get bogged down trying to resolve business decisions in the code. My role is to ensure that developers aren’t stuck figuring out what the business needs. I communicate directly with the business team to get clear answers and relay them back to my team.

• Interdepartmental Coordination: Developers shouldn’t have to chase down information from other teams. I take on the responsibility of connecting with other departments, gathering the necessary inputs, and ensuring everything is in place so the team can focus on building.

• Process Streamlining: I look for inefficiencies in our workflow. Are there unnecessary meetings? Can we automate repetitive tasks? Are we prioritizing the right projects? My goal is to clear the path so developers can concentrate on solving technical challenges.

What Makes a Good Manager?

A good manager isn’t just someone with technical expertise or years of experience in a specific field. A good manager:

1. Understands Their Team’s Needs: Whether or not they’re a technical expert, they listen to the team, identify pain points, and address them effectively.

2. Facilitates, Not Micromanages: They trust their team to do what they were hired for and focus on creating an environment where the team can excel.

3. Acts as a Shield: They protect the team from unnecessary distractions, whether it’s office politics, conflicting priorities, or excessive meetings.

4. Communicates Clearly: They ensure that everyone understands the objectives, priorities, and expectations. They are the bridge between the team and other stakeholders.

5. Empowers, Doesn’t Compete: They don’t feel the need to outshine their team or prove they’re the smartest person in the room. Instead, they celebrate the team’s successes and enable individual growth.

Letting Go of the “Expert” Mindset

For former developers stepping into management, the hardest part can be letting go of the mindset that technical contributions are the only valuable ones. It’s tempting to try to prove your worth by jumping back into coding, but the truth is that your value lies elsewhere.

As a manager, your job is no longer to be the best coder—it’s to help others become the best coders they can be. It’s about creating a high-functioning, collaborative team that can tackle challenges more effectively than any single individual could.

A New Definition of Seniority

Seniority doesn’t always mean being the most skilled at a specific task. In management, seniority means understanding how to lead a team, support its members, and drive success for the organization as a whole.

So, whether you’re a technical expert stepping into a leadership role or a seasoned manager with no technical background, the key to success is the same: focus on what your team needs to thrive, and do whatever it takes to make that happen. In the end, that’s what being a good manager is all about.

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