Keep climbing the ladder
This week I had my “mid-year” conversation with my new manager. As we were having this conversation, we talked about being aligned on vision, as I’m now a direct report of her, discussed managing up to avoid creating “drag” and instead help within the org's success.
In corporate jobs, the best employees make their manager’s lives easier which encourages giving them more scope and responsibility.
— Dare Obasanjo (@Carnage4Life) June 25, 2021
You get there by being autonomous instead of needing regular guidance, bringing solutions not problems and taking ownership when you don’t have to.
Every time I have this conversation, I understand the next level and keep growing in the “Individual Contributor” ladder. Seniority keeps getting redefined as I know more of what I need to do and what the organization expects and needs from me.
Breadth vs depth?
— Bryan Liles (@bryanl) June 8, 2021
Which one pushes you further up the tech career ladder? IMO, breadth wins ultimately.
I’m always introspecting, and I feel it’s part of my character and how I think I grow personally. This year feels different, though. I think the stakes have been getting higher in the latest meetings I’ve attended. And improving my area of influence has become a focus for me, keeping the org successful in the projects we take part in.
One last thing: don't let anyone tell you that the tech/engineering is the easy part. It's not. It's hard. Soft skills are also hard. It's ALL hard, and both are required to succeed.
— Matt Klein (@mattklein123) May 19, 2019
As I come closer to the next level, I try to understand the expectations for it from the company, the organization, my manager, and myself. In a way, it is a matter of making yourself “dispensable” at the level you’re currently at.
How I view, this is that I want to be working at the next level. I need to help others work at the level I’m currently at. This way, I’m not required as someone else can occupy and grow in that spot.
Some of the most effective senior engineers are the ones who help others by teaching how they think about problems. At some point, your biggest contribution becomes explaining your mental model.
— Jaana Dogan ヤナ ドガン (@rakyll) June 15, 2021
We‘ll see when I get my next promotion, but at the same time, I want to enjoy seeing myself grow and understand how to move the levers, iterate on how I carry myself at work and communicate, explain, and expand.
Happy coding!
Related
- StaffEng Book a great resource of people wanting to stay in the individual contributor (IC) track.
- Being Glue by Tanya Reilly is definitely one of my most re-viewed videos of the past year.
- Matt Klein’s excellent thread on how he grew as an IC.
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