How I stay motivated as an engineering manager

4 ways to work through the ebbs and enjoy the flows

Photo by Aleksandr Ledogorov. A symbol of hope, healing, and resilience.

No matter what type of team you manage, staying motivated to lead others can feel like a never-ending goal. I get it because I live it too.

Some weeks, I’m on it and feel like I’m where I belong. Other weeks, I question whether people management is best for work-life balance.

In part, most jobs have ebbs and flows throughout the year.

I’ve been reflecting on this topic as I complete my second year as a manager. (Go me!)

There have been moments when I loved leading a team and others when I’ve considered transitioning back to an IC role. I’ve decided that the flows outweigh the ebbs, and I will keep going.

In this article, I’ll explain what I do to feel motivated throughout the year.

Have someone to talk to

My support system is the cornerstone of my motivation. I’m lucky to have my family, mentors, and a good manager who listen and provide advice.

Each person offers a unique perspective and brings their experience to the situation, which helps me handle the challenges and celebrate the wins.

Take, for example, in my first year as a manager, my department went through an organizational change. I was anxious about what to say to my team. My dad, also a manager, recommended that I reassure them that we’ll figure it out together and gave me tips for delivering the speech.

Who should you have in your corner?

I recommend having people you trust who are great listeners, have enough experience to provide advice, and can offer a different perspective.

Process what’s going (try writing)

But sometimes you need to think about things by yourself.

Writing is excellent for that. You can write privately in a journal or share online.

Whatever you decide, it should give you time to slow down and process what’s going on, which can reduce stress and increase your learning.

If you don’t have time to write an article, I recommend a simple weekly report about your week. I fill out the following questions to process all the stuff that comes with leading a team.

• What’s something new or exciting that I want to learn more about?

• What’s the strategic direction for our department?

• What is my team focusing on? Is it the right thing?

• What did I get done this week?

• What did my team get done this week?

• What should we focus on next week?

Remind yourself of the flows (aka wins)

David Goggins uses the Cooking Jar Method to push through challenging times. If you’re a Googins fan, like me, you might be familiar with this. If not, don’t worry, the idea is simple.

David Goggins grew up in poverty. At times, his mother struggled to make ends meet. Yet, despite their challenges, Goggins always knew that if he needed a pick-me-up, he would find a treat in the cookie jar at the end of the day.

As an adult, Goggins uses the cookie jar as a metaphor for where you store your wins. When you’re feeling discouraged, you go into the cookie jar and remind yourself of your accomplishments.

For me, that’s the weekly report I mentioned earlier. I can quickly scroll back to the previous week and see all the great work I did when I have a presentation or task I’m not anxious about.

Find something fun to do outside of work

Yes, I’m talking about hobbies. Stay with me. As you get older, it’s hard to find time for hobbies. You might have kids, a partner, house duties, etc., but a hobby doesn’t have to be complicated or consume all of your time.

Instead, consider it something you enjoy doing in your spare time. It can still be a hobby even if you don’t it every day.

For me, that means spending time with my family, playing Fortnite with my nephews, and riding my bike.

Now, admittedly, I’ve gotten away from riding my bike in the last year, but in writing this article, I realize that I miss cycling with my road biking crew and plan to get back into it.

Figure out what you have fun doing, pick a frequency, schedule it, and treat it like a meeting at work. Don’t miss it.

Final thoughts on staying motivated to lead

As hard as it is when you’re in an ebb state, realize that things will start flowing again.

Before I became a manager, I was a Controls Engineer focused on delivering projects that improved how we controlled the temperature and humidity in data centers. I had no experience with performance evaluations or strategic planning for a team. But that’s what I was now being asked to do.

Sure, I read books and articles like this one, but the challenges I faced in my first year have helped me accelerate my growth as a leader.

So, embrace the challenges and lean on your support system and process to stay motivated through the ebbs.

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