Book SummaryThe Manager's Path, by Camille Fournier

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of The Manager's Path

In The Manager’s Path, engineering executive Camille Fournier introduces readers to the field of engineering management—the management of software engineers, who design and code software systems and programs.

Being an engineering manager brings some unique challenges, Fournier says. Managers are often promoted from an engineering role, so they have the technical knowledge needed but may struggle with traditional managerial skills like clear communication. They must also adjust to new responsibilities—like managing several teams simultaneously or setting a schedule to complete a project—which are very different from the designing and coding they’re used to.

(Shortform note: The nature of a software engineer’s work may make the transition to management particularly difficult, but struggling in a new managerial role isn’t unique to this field. Many new managers struggle with their new responsibilities, some business experts say. New managers often...

The Manager's Path Summary The Engineering Management Career Ladder

Before we discuss the essential skills, we’ll briefly cover the six levels of the typical engineering management career ladder. Fournier based her career ladder on personal experience, and she notes that your titles and responsibilities may vary, since software engineering is a young field and there aren’t many agreed-upon roles or definitions yet. She says this ladder can still be helpful, though, as it offers a general outline for how your career will likely progress.

(Shortform note: Other software engineers add that the speed with which the field changes also makes it difficult for people to agree on titles and roles. As technology quickly evolves, the industry creates new roles for people who work with new software and engineering techniques. These new roles develop faster than they can be standardized, increasing confusion.)

Level #1: Mentor

The first managerial experience many software engineers have is being a mentor to a junior team member, such as an intern or new hire. Experienced engineers take on this responsibility, but it’s not an official managerial role. As a mentor, you’re still...

The Manager's Path Summary Skill #1: Clear Communication

Now that we’ve laid out the typical engineering management career path, we’ll discuss the essential skills you’ll need to build along the way. We’ll start with clear communication. Clear communication is one of the most important skills for an engineering manager to have, according to Fournier. Maintaining clear communication has three main benefits:

1. It increases effectiveness by ensuring your team (or teams) understand your expectations and their tasks.
2. It improves problem-solving by ensuring you understand your project’s current status. You’ll notice any issues as they emerge and solve them more quickly and easily, instead of only noticing them when they’ve grown more damaging and harder to fix.
3. It increases rapport by helping you build relationships with your team members. These relationships help your team feel safe enough to innovate—they’re comfortable in the group, so they can take risks without fear of repercussions if they make mistakes.

The Importance of Rapport In Communication

Fournier describes increased rapport as a benefit of clear communication, and some business experts suggest that [increasing rapport makes it easier to...

The Manager's Path Summary Skill #2: Strategic Planning

The second essential skill for engineering managers is strategic planning, which includes dividing projects into steps, assigning tasks to your team, and creating a schedule to complete them. A strategic plan accounts for the resources the project requires and accurately reflects your team’s work processes and availability, Fournier says, ensuring your projects are completed properly and on schedule.

(Shortform note: An important part of strategic planning is ensuring your team members have enough uninterrupted time to complete their tasks on schedule. While people often try to multitask, Brian Tracy explains in Eat That Frog, what they’re actually doing is task-switching—and every time you switch from one task to another, it takes your brain 17 minutes to focus on the new task. To work effectively, Tracy recommends dividing your schedule into 60- to 90-minute time slots and assigning a task to each slot. Managers can approach strategic goals this way and can give employees the space to do the same.)

In this section, we’ll walk through the career ladder Fournier...

The Manager's Path Summary Skill #3: Adaptability

The third essential skill for engineering managers is adaptability, the ability to handle and create change. This is an important skill for people in the technology industry because the field is constantly evolving, and you must keep up with these changes to succeed. Fournier says adaptability is a skill you’re likely suited for because you’re already used to the technology industry’s constant evolution. You can apply that mindset to your managerial style, helping your team and the company become more flexible and successful.

(Shortform note: Some business experts say adaptation is essential for all industries, not just the tech industry, because change is getting faster and more ubiquitous. It’s difficult for company leaders to guide their companies through such uncertainty— especially in industries that don’t continually evolve, as their leaders aren’t used to handling change. To adapt to fast, ubiquitous change, embrace continual learning: Learn new things whenever possible, and use that knowledge to improve the company. By modeling this behavior, you encourage your subordinates to do...

Shortform Exercise: Prioritize Essential Tasks

Prioritizing is an important part of strategic planning and being a good engineering manager because it lets you complete your most important tasks without getting overwhelmed. In this exercise, you’ll sort through a list of tasks to determine which ones you should prioritize.

First, write down your tasks. (For example, if you’re in HR, your tasks might be submitting payroll, sending an email to a coworker who’s leaving the office soon, reviewing job applications, and researching a competitor’s pay scale.)