Transition from individual contributor to engineering manager. Your output is now your team's output — not code you wrote. This 16-week outcome maps the hardest career transition in software engineering.
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Hold a real 1:1 with each direct report
2 weeks (30–60 min per direct report)
In your first two weeks, hold a dedicated 1:1 with every person who reports to you. Not a status update — a conversation about them: their career goals, what they want to learn, what frustrates them, and what you can do to help. Take notes during or immediately after each conversation.
Proof required
Submit your 1:1 notes for each direct report with names redacted. Notes must include: one thing each person wants to learn, one thing that frustrates them, and one specific commitment you made to them. Add a 150-word reflection on what surprised you most about these conversations.
What gets checked
Notes exist for every direct report — not just the ones you were already close to; every person gets the same quality of conversation
Each note has a specific commitment from you, not 'I'll think about it' — a commitment is a defined action with an implied timeline
The surprise reflection identifies something that actually surprised you — generic 'they want to grow' reflections indicate you did not listen deeply enough
Resources
Foundation: start here · Depth: go deeper · Mastery: for the dedicated
Foundation
Lara Hogan: Questions for our first 1:1
Depth
Manager Tools podcast
Mastery
The Manager's Path
Run your first team retrospective
Give your first piece of difficult feedback
Write and ship a team charter together
Navigate your first real team conflict
Deliver a real project through the team
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