On one rainy November day, I was catching up with the most Senior Engineer in our company. As we reminisced about the past year and a half, he confided in me that “he loved his job again”.
It had been a year and a half since I took over product at this company, which at the time, was particularly challenging for the team. Strategy shifts, valued colleagues departing, and a lack of structure for technical priorities loomed over us. (This is also before our CTO joined). As the newly appointed Product Lead, I understood the magnitude of the task ahead and the necessity of deliberate action to navigate our course correction.
3 things I did as a Product Leader to help engineers love their job again:
- Active Listening: I engaged with each engineer, lending an ear to their concerns and meticulously diagnosing the most pressing obstacles hindering our innovation.
- Strategic Planning: I ensured our upcoming roadmap made ample room for critical technical work and addressed lingering technical debt.
- Balanced Prioritisation: I provided crucial support to our customer-facing teams, particularly when bombarded by insistent customers vying for their feature requests to leapfrog other priorities.
It wasn’t an overnight transformation; it took a year to shift habits. Yet, we started this journey from a place of compassion and mutual trust. Through attentive listening, strategic planning, and collaborative support, we harmonised the demands of our business, customers, and technical requirements. As a result, we witnessed a significant drop from 30% to a mere 5% in unplanned work. We began to move, think and celebrate as a team…and love our jobs again.
Hey Heather! 