Accidentally Manager – A Survival Guide for First-Time Engineering Managers

This session is about your career perspective as an engineer, especially when the path may take an “unexpected” turn from technical lead to first-time engineering manager. We will explore the differences between managing and leading, review different management styles, and discuss their impact on both the manager and the team member. Finally, we will find out why you do not want to treat everyone equally. I will share my personal experiences going from being one of the team to actually managing it: the pitfalls of suddenly being responsible for the team, typical problems surfacing, and how to avoid common mistakes. As part of the session, I would also like to share thoughts and considerations about which career path could be the right one for whom, and what the advantages and disadvantages are going one way or the other. This is not a “You get it all from the expert”- session, but a session to share experiences and discuss how this fits to your career path.