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Become an Effective Software Engineering Manager
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Gain insights into becoming an effective software engineering manager. Explore essential skills to manage people successfully and navigate career challenges in the tech industry.

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Overview

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So, you’re here. Why is that? Think about it. Perhaps you’re interested in becoming a manager in the future. Maybe you’ve been promoted into a new role and are looking for advice on how to get started. You may have already been a manager for some time and are looking for a guide to help you become better at your job. No matter where you are in your career, this course is for you. Yes, you. The technology industry is facing a skills crisis. This isn’t because we don’t know how to write software or how to scale our infrastructure. We’ve been getting a lot better at that. Instead, it’s because we don’t know how to manage people. Computers don’t create software, people do. We need to make more people succeed. Good managers can solve this problem. You can be a great one.

So, you’re here. Why is that? Think about it. Perhaps you’re interested in becoming a manager in the future. Maybe you’ve been p...Show More

TAKEAWAY SKILLS

Project Management

Management

Content

170 Lessons18 Quizzes

Before We Begin

3 Lessons

Get familiar with essential management skills, communication, team dynamics, and leadership principles.

Who Is This Course For?

Structure of the Course

Your Journey in This Course

A New Adventure

8 Lessons

Look at transitioning into engineering management, focusing on team dynamics, communication, and proactive leadership.

Story map for the Chapter

Beginning Your First Week

Snapshots

Introduce Yourself to Your Team

One-on-One Meetings

Create Your Snapshot

And Relax...

Quiz - Your First Week as a Manager

Manage Yourself

10 Lessons

Work your way through self-organization techniques, task categorization, and measuring managerial output.

Story map for the Chapter

Let's Get Organized

Tool 1: Your Calendar

Tool 2: Your To-Do List

Tool 3: Your Email Inbox

Tool 4: Your Place to Capture Information

How to Categorize Your Activities to Feel Productive

How to Measure Your Output as a Manager

Okay, I'm Ready!

Quiz - Manage Yourself

Interfacing with Humans

13 Lessons

Enhance your skills in communicating, delegating, and managing relationships in software engineering management.

Story map of the Chapter

Interfacing With Humans

Programmers as Managers

How to Communicate Well

It's Not About You

Giving Feedback

Delegation

Do Not Delegate Accountability

The Scale of Delegation

Working With Your Manager

The Power of Summaries

Quiz - Interfacing With Humans

Onward!

One-on-Ones

8 Lessons

Map out the steps for building trust and fostering effective one-on-one meetings.

Story Map for the Chapter

Week In, Week Out

Contracting: Your First One-on-Ones

What to Talk About and How to Do It

Taking Notes

Remember: You Are Not a Therapist

Okay, What's Next?

Quiz - One-on-Ones

The Right Job for the Person

8 Lessons

Simplify complex topics to align job roles with individual strengths and motivations.

Story Map for the Chapter

What Motivates People?

The Zone of Proximal Development

Task-Level Proximal Development

Career-Level Proximal Development

The Cathedral and the Bazaar

A Review Before Reviews

Quiz - The Right Job for the Person

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

8 Lessons

Piece together the parts of effective performance reviews, from preparation to post-review actions.

Story Map for the Chapter

Myth Busting

Performance Reviews

The Written Review Form

What to Do on the Day

How to Talk About Money

Where to Next?

Quiz - Performance Reviews

Join Us!

13 Lessons

Step through the essentials of effective hiring, from creating job descriptions to making offers.

Story Map for the Chapter

Picking Who to Hire

A Note on Culture Fit

Writing Great Job Descriptions

Interview Process

Reviewing Applications

Performing Screening Calls

The First Interview

Optional Technical Exercise

Final Interview

Making the Offer

From Hiring To...

Quiz - Hiring Candidates

Game Over

12 Lessons

Unpack the core of managing employee departures, retention strategies, and effective exit processes.

Story Map of the Chapter

People Leaving Is Normal

Good Reasons for Leaving

Bad Reasons for Leaving

Fighting the Good Fight

Making Staff Leave

Preparing the PIP

Creating the PIP

Delivering and Implementing the PIP

Layoffs

Enough Goodbyes Already!

Quiz - Employee Leaving

10.

How to Win Friends and Influence People

8 Lessons

Master the steps to build effective networks, mentor others, and enhance managerial influence.

Story Map of the Chapter

Going Beyond Your Team

Building Your Network

Giving Back

Mentoring

Coaching

Time to Take It Up a Level

Quiz - Influencing People

11.

Humans Are Hard

8 Lessons

Grasp the fundamentals of managing team dynamics, motivation, and psychological challenges in leadership.

Story Map for the Chapter

Scrutiny and Judgment

Wobble

The Whip and the Carrot

Mount Stupid

Bridging the Gap

It Isn't Just Humans...

Quiz - Dealing With Humans

12.

Projects are Hard

6 Lessons

Navigate complex project challenges, manage stress, and balance scope, resources, and timelines effectively.

Story Map for the Chapter

The Eye of Sauron

Victims of Your Own Success

Scope, Resources, and Time

And Relax...

Quiz - Dealing With Projects

13.

The Information Stock Exchange

8 Lessons

Focus on effective information management, ethical handling, and navigating workplace politics as a manager.

Story Map of the Chapter

Spies and Gatekeepers

Share Just Enough Information

Workplace Politics

Using Politics Positively

Using Politics Negatively

It's Time to Decompress

Quiz - The Information Stock Exchange

14.

Letting Go of Control

13 Lessons

Piece together the parts of effective management, focusing on delegation, Stoicism, and personal well-being.

Story Map for the Chapter

Transcending Tasks

Stoicism and You

The Trichotomy of Control

Escaping the False Productivity Trap

Using Your Capacity Wisely

Stop Checking Those Notifications!

What You Do Outside of Work Matters

The Importance of Sleep

Moving Your Body

The Only Moment That Matters is Now

Letting Go...of This Chapter

Quiz - Letting Go of Control

15.

Good Housekeeping

10 Lessons

Learn how to use effective housekeeping techniques for better productivity and team cohesion.

Story Map for the Chapter

Communication Dictates Software Design

Breaking Silos With Guilds

Encouraging a Culture of Talks

Department Talks

Turning Problems Into Learning Opportunities

Management Bugs

Tools to Solve Common Problems

Let's Organize Our Careers

Quiz - Good Housekeeping

16.

Dual Ladders

7 Lessons

Look at career paths in software engineering, focusing on roles, frameworks, and progression.

Story Map for the Chapter

Individual Contributor Track

Management Track

Progression Framework

Career Progression Troubleshooting

Time to Tackle the Big Issues

Quiz - Dual Ladders

17.

The Modern Workplace

13 Lessons

Work through modern workplace dynamics, emphasizing diversity, remote work, and work-life balance.

Story Map for the Chapter

Diversity and Inclusion

Cultural Issues

The Shift Toward Remote Working

Priming Yourself for Supporting Remote Working

Communication Practices for Distributed Teams

Trust Is Essential for Remote Working

Values and Goals as Guidance

Face Time

Work-Life Balance

Notes on Culture

To the Land of Unicorns

Quiz: Test Yourself

18.

Startups

7 Lessons

Grasp the fundamentals of startup management, fostering growth, innovation, and career opportunities.

Story Map for the Chapter

Software Is Eating the World

Opportunities for Managers

Catching and Surfing a Wave

Why Management at Startups Is Critical

What Does Your Future Hold?

Quiz: Test Yourself

19.

The Crystal Ball

6 Lessons

Deepen your knowledge of career visioning and planning for software engineering managers.

Story Map for the Chapter

Life, the Universe, and Everything in Between

Your Vision

Your Plan

Performing the Exercise With Your Staff

Quiz - The Crystal Ball

20.

Wrap Up!

1 Lessons

Investigate the importance of vision, actionable plans, and effective human management for success.

Conclusion

Certificate of Completion

Showcase your accomplishment by sharing your certificate of completion.

Course Author:

The Pragmatic Programmers

Developed by MAANG Engineers

Every Educative resource is designed by our in-house team of ex-MAANG software engineers and PhD computer science educators — subject matter experts who’ve shipped production code at scale and taught the theory behind it. The goal is to get you hands-on with the skills you need to stay ahead in today's constantly evolving tech landscape. No videos, no fluff — just interactive, project-based learning with personalized feedback that adapts to your goals and experience.

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Hands-on Learning Powered by AI

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Instant Code Feedback

Evaluate and debug your code with the click of a button. Get real-time feedback on test cases, including time and space complexity of your solutions.

AI Mock Interviews

Test your skills in a simulated interview setting. Receive personalized feedback based on your performance. Available for Coding Interviews, System Design, and more.

Adaptive Learning

At various checkpoints throughout Educative courses, you will be prompted to take a quick assessment. Receive a condensed curriculum tailored to your strengths and skill gaps.

Explain with AI

Select any text within any Educative course, and get an instant explanation — without ever leaving your browser.

AI Code Mentor

AI Code Mentor helps you quickly identify errors in your code, learn from your mistakes, and nudge you in the right direction — just like a 1:1 tutor!

Free Resources

FOR TEAMS

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Become an Effective Software Engineering Manager Save

Become an Effective Software Engineering Manager
Save