Help! I'm a (Research Software) Manager!

Here is a video recording of my US-RSE talk from May 2021. It’s aimed at research software development, but the main theme - and the theme of Manager, Ph.D. - is that research gives us training in the advanced skills we need to be great managers. We just need to learn the basics of being a good manager, first.

In 10 minutes, I quickly cover:

• One-on-ones

• Feedback

• Delegation

• Acccepting that you’re now a manager.

You can also download the PDF of the slides.

Resources and next steps

My suggestion would be to start with one-on-ones. I have a quickstart guide to getting starting with one-on-ones. It lists out daily steps and resources to get one-on-ones up and running over the course of a month.

Other resources presesnted in the talk are below -

One-on-Ones

• Manager-Tools basics podcasts

• The Manager’s Path: Camille Fournier

• re:Work @ Google one-on-one guide

• An online list of good one-on-one resources.

• Huge list of potential questions

• My one-on-one meeting template: letter, A4

Specific feedback

• Manager-Tools basics podcasts

• re:Work @ Google’s Situation-Behaviour-Impact model

• Three Feedback Models

• Don’t use “sandwich” feedback, it doesn’t work

• Software developers feel more productive when they’re getting useful feedback about job performance

Delegation

• Manager-Tools basics podcasts

• Manager-Tools Responsibility Ladder podcasts

• An Engineering Team where Everyone is a Leader - Gergely Orosz

Growing into your role

• re:Work new manager training guide

• The Manager’s Path: Camille Fournier

• Lab Dynamics: Cohen & Cohen

• Rands (tech) leadership slack

• I have a weekly link roundup newsletter on the topic of managing research computing teams.