I speak to a lot of senior engineering talent looking for new roles, or frustrated in their current role. A very consistent message is that they are not “enabled to do their job”. It reminded me of this article about high performing engineering teams. Takeaways: RESPECT your people and DON’T get in their way. Great read and reminder about what your team is thinking.
https://www.coderhood.com/11-elements-high-performing-engineering-teams/
“Respect Your People
Now that you hired great people, respect them. Trust them to thrive and innovate. Let them do what you believe they can do. Remember how you hired them because you decided they were smarter than you? Or that they could do things that you can’t do? Let them show you how it is done. Do not quench their spirit.
Instead of telling your people what to do, ask them what you should be doing. Be there for them and support them. Trust and support is the definition of true respect.”
“Don’t Get In People’s Way
Since you hired smart people, people smarter than you, let them do their job. Don’t try to change them, but do not prevent them from evolving. Leverage their strengths, let them do their best and get out of their way.
Encourage people to make mistakes, once. Then, keep your eyes open to make sure they don’t repeat it. Repeated mistakes become part of the culture, and they are difficult to eradicate.”