| I originally wrote this on a train from Prague, Czech | | | | I manage people. |
| Republic to an interview in Vienna, Austria; one of the | | | | I firmly believe that your team is everything; they make |
| things I typically do as a lead-up to an interview is | | | | or break a company. I work hard to make sure that |
| mentally walk through what I do, and what my | | | | there is a high level of trust within the team (in each |
| organizational priorities are. This got me thinking about | | | | other, in the company, and in me), and make it a point |
| the many times I've gotten the "so, you write web | | | | to look out for their best interests while adding value to |
| pages and programs, right" line from my friends who | | | | the product. Managing people also includes building |
| aren't working in the technology sector. It's an | | | | relationships with other teams, and maintaining |
| understandable mistake; I was a developer before I | | | | appropriate communication both into and out of my |
| got into management, and software is still my focus. | | | | team. |
| Today I manage technology organizations. And in | | | | I build operational efficiency. |
| answer to that much more specific question of "what | | | | Operational efficiency describes how effective my |
| do you do", here is what managing technology | | | | team works. It includes things like making sure they |
| organizations means in my world. | | | | have the best tools to accomplish there work (tooling), |
| I ensure capability matches expectations. | | | | making sure they receive their work at exactly the |
| Or more accurately, that expectations match capability. | | | | right time (process and workflow), and have working |
| New systems and new technologies allow us to do | | | | habits that make optimal use of their time and abilities |
| things previously impossible, time consuming, or difficult. | | | | (methodology). |
| That's a cool thing, and it's easy to get caught up in the | | | | I contribute to the strategic vision. |
| idea of painless, powerful solutions plugging into our | | | | Operational efficiency is an important cog in the |
| organizations. Making new systems work, play well | | | | product development machine, but the really interesting |
| with our existing systems, and understandable to the | | | | piece of my work lies in building strategy for gaining |
| masses that will be using them requires a lot of effort | | | | and maintaining a competitive advantage in our market. |
| and that effort requires specialized skills. It's important | | | | To that end, I encourage input and feedback on the |
| to make sure everyone from top management down | | | | product from all levels of the organization, and channel |
| understands where a staff is in terms of ability to | | | | them into the product team. Great ideas can come |
| deliver such a solution. I'm not talking about pure talent | | | | from anywhere. I push technologies driven releases at |
| and training; this involves know-how, time commitments | | | | least once a quarter so we can ensure we have a |
| to existing projects, an organization's willingness to | | | | highly optimized, rock-solid product. |
| bring in outside talent, etc. One of my jobs is to make | | | | That's the high level view of what I do. There are |
| sure expectations align with what can be realistically | | | | some other pieces of the pie (some important pieces, |
| delivered, and when. Tech is notorious for slipping | | | | like project management, or IT governance) that I |
| delivery weeks or months against estimated | | | | haven't mentioned here, but if you're looking for the |
| schedules, but achieving a high level of predictability is | | | | 30,000 foot view, there you have it. While my |
| possible, given the right tools and the discipline to use | | | | experiences are specific to technology management, |
| them. | | | | you'll find a lot of crossover with other managers, too. |