"Forewarned is forearmed." Leading technical professionals is no cake walk. Be aware of the most common and unique challenges you may encounter on your journey to technical leadership mastery.
A Shift in Perspective
In the business community, perspectives appear to be divided when it comes to whether or not leading technical professionals (a.k.a. “techies” – those involved in research, development, engineering, or computer-related technology) differs from leading non-technical people. After thirty years of leading various technical, non-technical, and mixed teams, I’d have to say that, although the leadership challenges are similar, expecting to maintain a one-size-fits-all approach to leadership is naive.
Those who think leading technology workers is just like managing anyone else make me suspicious of whether or not they have actually spent much time leading a broad spectrum of techies. Those who have managed people with strong technical and/or scientific skills know that techies provide some unique challenges to even the most talented leaders. When the team leader/manager and workers are all technical people, further complications can and do arise. So, if you want to lead techies successfully, you must first understand what techies and non-techie leadership have in common and then what makes them different.
Common Challenges for All Leaders
Any leader in today’s technology-driven business culture must address a variety of common challenges, including:
Managing and motivating workers
Managing risk taking and uncertainty in projects
Creating a productive work environment
Maximizing the productivity and vitality of teams
Leading and managing effectively across organizational structures
Leading change within established corporate cultures
Transferring technology and information across organizations and within organizations
Organizing for innovative product development
Managing tensions among development efforts and cost/schedule pressures
These challenges have established the core competencies of good leadership whatever the context. However, when comparing the nature of those being led (techie versus non-techie) as well as the context of their work, it becomes quite evident that differences do, in fact, exist. [5]
Unique Challenges Associated with Technical Professionals
Consider the following (non-comprehensive) list of unique challenges that are faced by leaders of technical professionals.
Elitism: Although technical professionals do not have a monopoly when it comes to having strong egos and engaging in elitist behaviors, there appear to be a disproportionate amount of “prima donna” and maverick (independent spirit) behaviors among techies. Techies are fond of pushing limits and challenging the status quo. They take pride in being able to solve problems no one else can solve. “Most of the time, they do things that no one outside of their peer group can even comprehend. The trouble is that they know it. Techies have an inner diva – call it an ego if you wish – that is a reflection of just how good [they think] they are.” [1] The thing to remember is that there is always someone better and it doesn’t hurt to bring techies (who think too well of themselves) down a peg or two by inviting them to converse with that “someone better” (assuming you know someone of that caliber). Other approaches that may have a similar effect are: 1) to hold a peer review of their latest work (where the individual whose work is being reviewed must listen and thank each reviewer for their comments and suggestions without rebuttal), and 2) (assuming you are technical yourself) asking pertinent detailed questions which challenge the techie to think beyond their usual perspective about their work. This latter approach may not make them any less arrogant, but it will get them thinking from different perspectives (and it usually demonstrates they really don’t know everything). If they can answer all of your questions satisfactorily then more power to them. However, make sure you keep your antennae tuned to detect any bullying or abusive behavior toward their less gifted peers (either verbally or in action).
Eccentricity: There’s no doubt about it, we techies tend to be a weird bunch. Stereotypically, techies are perceived (by much of what one might call “normal society”) to be introverted social misfits who are often disinterested in other people and have no fashion sense. Many techies have evolved a ‘geek’ culture built around a world of memes (i.e., cultural images, videos, phrases, etc., propagated across the Internet and often altered in a creative or humorous way), gaming, and music – where outsiders might have no idea what geeks are talking about or to what their seemingly strange communication refers. Leaders (especially those not techie themselves) shouldn’t expect to necessarily “get it” or be a part of the geek world – just let them be who they are. NOTE: There are some geeks who truly are brilliant but also antisocial. These individual contributors may find solutions to problems no one else can solve (even their colleagues), but they also can be very disruptive to collaborative teams. The leader must decide whether or not the tradeoffs between brilliant production and team disruption merit keeping the antisocial solo contributor around.
Different incentives and motivation: Many technical workers value interesting projects over promotions (and in rare cases raises). They expect to be well paid for what they do, but money is more a matter of “keeping score” and publicly acknowledging their technical prowess (and worth) rather than a primary driver (whereas monetary compensation is a much stronger incentive for sales, marketing, or senior management people). Leaders should be primarily concerned with creating and sustaining an environment that nurtures creativity and fosters innovation, maximizing the potential of technology mavericks, and organizing the physical environments for technical teams.
Independence: Leaders of technical professionals need to remember that techies are an independent lot, who do not respond well to strong direction and micromanagement. These leaders will get better results when they look for project volunteers instead of making seemingly arbitrary leader-directed assignments of their techies to tasks or projects.
Problem-solver focus: Technical professionals are problem solvers – first, last, and always. Leaders need to be careful that they themselves don’t become an obstacle. If management policies, rules, standards, or process are perceived by techies as a hurdle to getting work done, inventive techies will come up with creative ways to work around the “management problem” (and not always in accordance with management’s wishes).
Need for information in a timely fashion: When a techie asks his/her leader (or manager) a question, it’s because s/he has exhausted every possibility of resolving the issue. Techies usually consider asking their manager a question to be an admission of defeat and any sort of defeat is a blow to their pride. Regardless of the reason – whether the techie was defeated by corporate bureaucracy, by inadequate access to information, or by an inability to spend money without a manager’s blessing – the techie-posed question represents something significant: an obstacle in the techie’s path to progress. If the leader does not answer the question, the techie will resent that leader for holding him/her back from meeting targeted goals. Therefore, it is important that the leader answer the question, resolve the issue, or acknowledge receipt of the question which demonstrates that the leader at least cares. Of course, then the leader must actually care, as the techie will wait in anticipation until the promised answer arrives. On the other hand, you may experience situations where your techies find it difficult to provide you with necessary information, especially in a form that addresses your primary concerns as a leader. Your focus will be on results and timeframes, whereas the focus of your techies is more often on technical design and implementation details. They may also be reticent to bring information to your attention for fear of being shot as the bearer of bad news, or because they don’t want to admit their defeats or mistakes. Be aware that you must educate your techies in how to “manage up.” They need to understand how to translate their ideas and concerns into language and concepts that have bearing in your world as a leader (essentially, the language of business), just as much as you need to translate and express your ideas and concerns in language that reflects their lingo and perspectives. By treating failures and mistakes as opportunities for learning and collaboration, and keeping your more negative emotions on a tight rein, you encourage your techies to bring bad news to light sooner than later.
Need for solid infrastructure and tools: Techies are drawn to state-of-the-art tools and approaches. No techie wants to work on “ancient” infrastructure that breaks down regularly. Management’s willingness to invest and keep the IT infrastructure current tells a techie that the organization is in it for the long haul and committed to quality. Cutting corners and pinching pennies contribute to an impression of decay; no techie worth his/her salt wants to be associated with a dying organization.
Credibility: Techies often tend to see things in “black and white” rather than in shades of grey. They have a strong sense of right and wrong, and expect people to walk their talk. They need to know that management is serious about new projects and initiatives, and that their leaders are committed to completing them. When leaders demonstrate a lack of commitment, or renege on promises, techies eventually stop taking anything their leaders tell them seriously. This erodes trust, reduces respect, and makes it harder for leaders to maintain positive morale. As a result, techie performance degrades and the business ultimately suffers.
Techies don’t work 9 to 5: Techies work a problem until they find a solution – it’s just the way they’re made. When confronted with an interesting challenge or a project that intrigues them, they tend to work around the clock to find solutions. Working solely within mandated timeframes with little or no flexibility, and little or no potential for telecommuting, sparks rebellion in most techies these days. They’ll work significant overtime to get a job done and to support their team, but may rebel if management approaches them with a “bean counter” mentality about the actual number of hours spent doing what they were hired to do – solve problems (whatever it takes)!
Continuous learning: Creative techies are always riding “the bleeding edge” of technology, which means they must stay on top of current thinking and events in their industry (and respective disciplines). It’s practically impossible to be innovative when you’re unfamiliar with the latest advancements. Management needs to stop looking at training budgets as the first things to cut when finances get tight. Training is not an employee cost. It’s a cost of doing business. [1]
Techies don’t make it a habit of crying “Wolf!” Leaders need to pay attention when a techie says something is important. When a leader ignores a techie, the techie perceives that the leader lacks respect for the techie, doesn’t understand the issue being raised, and/or the leader considers his/her own agenda to be of greater significance than the issue being raised by the pro (techie) in the front-line trenches. Leaders pay handsomely for techie expertise, so why are they unwilling to listen to their “experts?” I’m not trying to say that techies are never wrong, but for the most part, be assured that ignoring techie warnings will come back to haunt you someday. Techies understand risks and the worst case scenario. Allow them do their jobs and listen to them – you won’t be sorry.
Creative techies need challenges: Assigning repetitive tasks puts a damper on techie creativity. If you keep your creative techies in a constant grind of resolving routine tickets or cranking out hardware or software releases for “band-aid” approaches or quick fixes, the best talent will become bored and leave because there’s no challenge. Techies don’t want boring. They want interesting. This may not be as much of a problem for techies engaged in manufacturing and operations activities – where performing tasks well repetitively is often the norm – but it most definitely is for techies who work in Research and Development and other creative technical pursuits.
Get to the point: Techies are less concerned about tact and the social niceties than are other workers. So, when you need something from a techie, don’t beat around the bush or waste a lot of time “setting the stage.” A techie is much more interested in what you’re about to add to their already overflowing plate. The list of what a dedicated techie expects to accomplish on any given day is long. Demand is high. Deadlines loom. In addition, there is likely to be a lot of behind-the-scenes brain clutter about which you (as leader) may be unaware. Is it any wonder techies want their leaders to “get to the point?”
Repeated requests for the same information drive techies nuts: Techies thrive on crossing things off the list and moving on. Accomplishing a task (regardless of how small) offers a sense of satisfaction and progress. If you ask a techie repeatedly for the same information, you communicate one of two things – either that you didn’t care enough to pay attention to their efforts the first time around, or you are scatterbrained and need a better means of organizing and maintaining visibility of the information you receive. In either case, the leader needs to take steps to modify their own behavior.
Crisis should not automatically mandate directive action. In crisis situations, leaders with experienced techies should focus on removing obstacles and running interference rather than on micromanaging. The talented techie is focused on one thing: solving the problem. S/he won’t have time to explain every little thing to you along the way, so just feed him/her the information requested or needed (including the desired outcome), and get out of the way (i.e., give your techie time to concentrate). Crisis moments are not mentoring moments; save that for a post-mortem review. It’s your job to run interference – guard your techie’s cubicle from invasion by management or representatives from other functions, temporarily forward their incoming calls to your number, and provide plenty of sustenance to keep energy levels high.
Finally, the challenges described in this report expand when both the leader (you) and those being led are technical people. This situation may foster a sense of negative and unwelcome competitiveness within you. For instance, your focus as a leader must expand beyond that of techies operating in the trenches. You may find it difficult to adjust to the changes demanded by your new role and resent it when past peers (who now report to you) either don’t recognize the change or they begin distancing themselves from you. In their eyes you are now one of “them” (management) instead of one of “us” (techies). You may assume that your ideas should carry more weight now that you’re a leader, whereas your past peers may strongly disagree. Needless to say, adjustments are required on both sides.
References
[1] E. Banks, Successfully Managing Talented Technical People, PacketPushers.net, 16 January 2012. Accessed: 06 July 2015. Accessed from http://packetpushers.net/successfully-managing-talented-technical-people
[2] J. Rapoza, The Challenge of Managing Tech Workers, eWeek.com, 02 January 2006. Accessed: 06 July 2015. Accessed from http://www.eweek.com/c/a/IT-Management/The-Challenge-of-Managing-Tech-Workers
[3] B. Tulgan, The Top Ten Hardest Things About Managing People, Rainmaker Thinking, Inc., New Haven, CT, 2013.
[4] G. McQuain, Tips & Tricks For Managing Technical People, Guest post to TheOperationsBlog.com (Marci Reynolds), 2 February 2012. Accessed: 150706. Accessed from: http://theoperationsblog.com/2012/02/managing-technical-support-staff
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