First 90 Days as Engineering Manager
Transitioning from an individual contributor to an engineering manager is one of the most significant career shifts in technology. The first 90 days in this role can define your entire leadership journey. Here's what I learned during my transition to managing a team of 20+ engineers at UPS.
Understanding Before Leading
My first priority was to understand the existing systems, team dynamics, and organizational culture. I spent the initial weeks in "listen mode," conducting one-on-ones with every team member. This wasn't about making immediate changes—it was about building trust and understanding the context.
Each conversation revealed unique perspectives on challenges, opportunities, and what success looked like from their viewpoint. This foundation of understanding became critical for making informed decisions later.
The People-First Approach
One of the biggest misconceptions about engineering management is that it's primarily about code and systems. In reality, it's about people. The technology problems we solve are important, but they're always solved by people working together.
I established regular office hours, open forums for feedback, and made it clear that career development conversations were always welcome. This approach not only improved team morale but also increased productivity as engineers felt more supported and understood.
Setting Clear Expectations
Clarity is kindness. During those first 90 days, I focused on establishing clear communication channels, defining team goals, and setting transparent expectations. This included:
- Weekly team standups with consistent format
- Monthly one-on-ones focused on growth and feedback
- Quarterly goal-setting aligned with organizational objectives
- Open-door policy for urgent matters
Building Technical Credibility
While the role shifted from hands-on coding to architectural decisions and team enablement, maintaining technical credibility was essential. I made it a point to:
- Review code and architecture decisions regularly
- Participate in technical design discussions
- Stay current with industry trends and best practices
- Remove blockers that prevented engineers from doing their best work
Quick Wins and Long-Term Vision
Balancing immediate impact with long-term strategy is crucial. I identified quick wins—process improvements, tooling enhancements, documentation gaps—that could be addressed within the first 90 days while simultaneously working on longer-term initiatives like team structure optimization and career development frameworks.
One quick win was automating our deployment pipeline, which saved the team several hours per week. This demonstrated that I was focused on improving their daily work experience, not just managing from above.
Reflection and Continuous Improvement
The first 90 days taught me that leadership is a journey, not a destination. Every day brings new challenges and learning opportunities. The most important lesson was to stay humble, keep learning, and always prioritize the growth and success of the team.
If you're navigating your first 90 days as an engineering manager, remember: listen more than you speak, understand before you act, and always prioritize your people. The technical solutions will follow naturally when you have a motivated, supported team.