Ask HN: Excelling at Middle Management

[pedoh]

What are the tips / tricks / tools / processes / books you use to help you be an effective tech manager?

Tools might include dedicated use of project / task management tools such as Trello, Pivotal Tracker, JIRA, et cetera.

Processes might include practicing inbox zero, sticking to a very tightly regimented schedule (always groom the backlog first thing in the morning).

My particular struggles include a personal high cost of context switching and a very non-eidetic memory.

What works for you?

[hkarthik]

I'm starting to run into more of these types of responsibilities and honestly the simplest thing for me to start taking more notes in my Moleskine notebook.

I've been doing Inbox Zero for a while, and I'm starting to segment my schedule out as well.

[loumf]

Peopleware, Effective Executive (classic). Adopt some time management technique (doesn't matter what), and get good at it.

[dreamdu5t]

Weekly 1-on-1's with every one I manage. We go for a walk and get lunch or coffee and talk.

Managing deliverables is much easier than managing people. Simply tell them when something needs to be done, get a commitment to it, and track it anywhere shared (whiteboard, trello, jira, or whatever).

[petervandijck]

Weekly 1on1 OUTSIDE of the office: I cannot agree more. This is the best management tool out there. It has to be outside of the office (else you'll have nothing to talk about and cut the meeting short).

[petervandijck]

When you say "tech manager", are you asking about managing projects or managing people? (Or both?)