Facebook’s Industry Manager on How Engineering Managers Can Empower Their Teams

Effective team management requires engineering managers to be aware of what’s going on around them. You need to talk to your team and ask the right questions to gain a deeper insight into your team’s dynamics. 

Sabina W., Industry Manager at Facebook’s Hong Kong Office, highlights three questions that engineering managers need to ask to empower their team to do their best work.

Are you using all of the resources available to you and your team?

Engineering managers need to think about their team’s collective strengths. When you work with a diverse group from all over the world, everyone brings something unique to the table.
Therefore, engineering managers need to understand each team member’s abilities, perspective, and skill sets to know how they can work together.
The best way engineering managers can learn about their team is through 1:1 calls and team meetings. This way, they get clarity on the individual strengths, interests, and goals of the employees. 

2. Do your team members feel respected, heard, and valued?
-------------------------------------------------------

Efficient team management is crucial. Engineering managers need to listen to their team members to ensure that they perform to their utmost potential. If your team members don’t feel like their opinions and feedback receive attention, you may lose their trust.
Not everyone may voice their opinions during conference calls; therefore, it’s your responsibility to talk to members who aren’t vocal.
With businesses building a global remote workforce, engineering managers should respect what each developer has to offer. You need to create a culture of support and respect while encouraging open communication and transparency within your team.

Want to hire a dedicated development team? Try Turing. Turing helps companies quickly build quality software development teams dedicated to working on their complex projects, products, and solution needs.

3. Are you making the best possible decisions for your team— and standing firm in it?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“When I think about the leaders I admire, I remember how their strong leadership principles and unwavering commitment helped us succeed,” says Sabrina.
Successful engineering managers know how to balance emotion with reason and make the best decisions for their team. Evaluate the opportunities and risks before making decisions, and then commit to them.