How engineering managers can avoid burning out
How engineering managers can avoid burning out
Learn how to empower your team, control your schedule, set clear expectations, delegate, and create a positive culture to avoid burning out as a manager.
When I became a manager, my manager said that this role required me to become more available for the team, which implied that working longer days came with the job.
I was so excited about the opportunity that it didn’t bother me. But after some time, I started feeling overwhelmed. My schedule was so packed that it left me little time to spend with my family.
I needed a strategy to balance the needs of my team with my tasks.
So, I talked to my mentor, read books, and listened to Podcasts about structuring your day as a manager.
In this article, I’ll explain practical strategies to help you avoid burning out while leading your team.
Give your team autonomy
At first, I was nervous about my responsibility as an engineering manager. But then my manager told me that they trusted me to make good decisions for my team. Suddenly, I felt empowered. My manager gave me the confidence to lead my team.
This experience showed me the value of trust and autonomy in the workplace. By letting your team own their tasks, you help them grow and free up some mental space for yourself. Abhishek Nayak highlighted this in The Modern Manager podcast.
Below is a way you can lead your team while giving them autonomy:
Communicate openly and honestly
Set clear expectations (more on this later)
Provide people with the resources and support they need to succeed
Follow-up during 1:1s and team meetings
Doing so can create an environment where people feel respected, valued, and empowered to achieve their goals without you having to be involved in every step
Set expectations
Managers have a responsibility to appropriately scope and set expectations for their team. This can very based on your team and company.
For me, this meant deciding which projects my team would work on by prioritizing our backlog and then holding a hand-off meeting.
During this meeting, I set my expectations for them and empowered each team member to define their implementation plan.
Setting expectations and partnering with your team can avoid burnout and keep everyone focused on delivering valuable results.
Here’s how you can set expectations with your team:
Communicate the goals and objectives of the task
Explain how it supports the team /organization’s goals
Set a specific deadline if this task is time sensitive or collaborate on one
Provide regular feedback and support throughout the task
Delegate tasks effectively
As a new manager, it can feel daunting to let go of tasks and responsibilities you’re used to handling yourself. I’m still not good at it. But it’s something all leaders need to focus on, so I will share some tips from the experts.
In David Allen’s book, Getting Things Done, he recommends the following:
Capture all the tasks that you need to complete
Clarify the meaning of each task and what needs to be done about it
Prioritize them according to urgency and importance.
To help you stay on track, use a project management tool like Asana. Asana will help you visualize your workload and choose which tasks to delegate. By delegating to your team members, you’ll free up your schedule and help them gain valuable experience and visibility with senior leadership.
And remember, delegating doesn’t mean you’re off the hook — it’s still your responsibility to ensure that tasks are completed on time and to the expected standard.
You’ll become a more effective manager, create a more engaged team, and ultimately, avoid burnout if you learn to delegate.
Below is a Workflow Diagram to help you decide what action to take when you get a new task:
Create a positive work environment
It's easy to focus on the negative things, whether the flaws in a movie or the challenges in our work. But as a manager, you must give your team time to celebrate their wins, too, no matter how small they may seem.
When I first became a manager, I inherited a team that I knew had faced many challenges. I wanted to help them overcome these challenges and highlight their accomplishments. So I came up with a simple yet effective solution: In every team meeting, I ask each person to share their wins and challenges since the last meeting.
At first, it was a bit awkward. Some team members would freeze up when I asked them to share a win. But I encouraged them to take a moment to think about it, and when they shared their successes, I celebrated with them. It didn't matter how small the win was - whether it was completing a project on time or simply making progress on a difficult task - I recognized and praised their accomplishments.
Starting with their accomplishments helped create a positive work environment where everyone felt valued and appreciated. So, if you're a manager, I encourage you to take a similar approach with your team. Give them a chance to celebrate their wins, no matter how small, and you'll find that it helps build a more motivated and engaged team.
Find a mentor
When you’re new to a company or feel overwhelmed with new responsibilities, having someone who listens and offers guidance can make a huge difference.
For instance, within my first few months at Amazon, I met a developer who offered to help me onboard. Every week, they checked in on me, offered advice, and listened to my concerns. They helped me feel more supported and capable and inspired me to become a mentor.
Having a mentor can help you deal with difficult decisions. Whether you need a sounding board, a brainstorming partner, or someone to help you gain new skills, finding the right mentor can be a game-changer. So don’t be afraid to reach out to someone you admire and ask them to meet up — you might be surprised by how much they can help you grow.
A quick thing about mentorship — some people aren’t too keen on being labeled as a “mentor” because it can sound a bit too official. However, if you ask for their advice and let them choose the time, they’ll likely be open to meeting with you.
Take control of your calendar
Last but not least, you have to protect your time. When I started my manager role, I threw myself into my work to prove myself. I worked long nights and weekends. But after months of pushing myself to the limit, I hit a wall. I was exhausted and considered transitioning back to an individual contributor position.
It took my mentor telling me to evaluate how I’m spending my days to see the importance of taking control of my schedule.
My day used to involve 5 — 7 hours of meetings, 1–2 hours directly supporting a team member, then 3–4 hours working on my tasks. Over time, I learned to control my schedule by delegating, declining meetings I didn’t need to be in, and challenging myself to have written communication instead of always setting up a quick call that would inevitably go on longer than expected.
I still have some long days, but as I become more strategic in choosing which meetings I attend, I get closer to an 8-hour day.
Take the following steps to control your schedule:
Set your working hours on your calendar
Block out time that you want to use to prepare for a meeting or focus on a task
Prioritize your meetings so you carefully choose which ones you actually need to attend
If your team member invite you to a call, ask if they need you to attend or if it’s just for awareness
A written conversation is often shorter than a phone call. If someone says they have a question for you, ask if this is something they can discuss via IM or if a call is necessary
Final thoughts
Working long hours and being exhausted can feel like the cost of being a manager. To a degree, that’s true. You will undoubtedly spend more time thinking about work than when you were an individual contributor. But taking steps to avoid burnout is important.