Your Manager Doesn’t Come with a User Manual (But You Can Totally Write One)
Your manager is like legacy code: you didn't write it, but it's your problem. Learn how to debug the relationship by co-authoring a user manual for working together.
#1about 5 minutes
Why great technologists often become poor managers
A common pitfall in the tech industry is promoting individuals for their technical skills rather than their leadership abilities, leading to communication breakdowns.
#2about 3 minutes
Your manager doesn't come with a user manual
Instead of expecting your manager to have all the answers, you should proactively co-author a relationship agreement to define how you will work together.
#3about 3 minutes
Shift from working for to working with your manager
Use empathy and emotional intelligence to understand your manager's goals, stressors, and communication preferences to build a true partnership.
#4about 5 minutes
Build professional trust by showing vulnerability
Vulnerability is not a weakness but a powerful tool for building trust quickly by admitting mistakes, asking for help, or sharing personal context.
#5about 4 minutes
Use proactive communication to prevent misunderstandings
Bridge the anxiety gap by providing frequent status updates and clarifying conflicting priorities to prevent guesswork and stress for both you and your manager.
#6about 4 minutes
Take ownership of your career growth conversations
Use one-on-one meetings strategically by setting the agenda and scheduling separate, dedicated time to discuss your career aspirations and development needs.
Related jobs
Jobs that call for the skills explored in this talk.
Matching moments
03:23 MIN
Facing the crisis of performance and manager engagement
Management in times of Agentic AI - The Human Premium
05:52 MIN
Career advice for developers transitioning into management roles
Coffee with Developers
03:42 MIN
How engineering managers can stay technically hands-on
Building Your Own Classification Model with JavaScript - Coffee with Developers - Carly Richmond
04:50 MIN
Navigating the middle manager sandwich of expectations
Making of a (TA) Manager: What I learnt after moving to the Dark Side
04:15 MIN
Actionable tips to boost team motivation
The Chief Joy Officer and Decoding Motivation@Work
03:21 MIN
Key leadership mindsets and skills for tech leaders
Successful talent development: A joint journey of executives and talents
04:30 MIN
A manager's strategic and personal view on talent development
Successful talent development in tech: A joint journey of executives and talents
02:03 MIN
The significant shift from manager to leader
Culture Starts With You: Rethinking Leadership in 2025
Stop Wasting Time: How to Lead a Stand-Up Meeting & Get ResultsWe all know the feeling: your stand-up meeting starts… and the energy in the room slowly deflates. Eyes glaze over, minds wander. Maybe you can even see their attention drop on smartphones or laptops.Within minutes or even seconds, instead of a quick...
Jordan Cutler
How to Manage Workplace BlockersThere are 2 things even the most opinionated software engineers can agree on:Naming is hard.Being blocked sucksBut you need to deal with both of those—Every. Single. Day. Today, we’ll talk about #2, how to overcome it, and how not to be like the skel...
Luis Minvielle
How to Have an Effective 1-on-1 MeetingOne-on-one meetings are rated as the most useful meeting according to workers in tech, above retrospective and team meetings. On top of that, workers who compared weekly 1:1 meetings with yearly reviews said that when they had weekly meetings, they w...
Chris Heilmann
WWC24 Talk - Brenda Romero - Stay: Surviving and Thriving in TechBrenda Romero discusses her tech career journey, overcoming burnout, and inspiring future game developers at WWC24.Here is what she had to say in the video:Hey everyone! Thanks for joining us!Reflections on a Rough YearLast year, I gave a talk about ...
From learning to earning
Jobs that call for the skills explored in this talk.
35:23
22:34
23:02
29:00
19:50
21:33
22:39
23:17.webp?w=240&auto=compress,format)
.webp?w=240&auto=compress,format)
