5 Skills Every Technical Manager Must Have to Be Successful

Technical managers are responsible for leading and managing teams of engineers and other technical staff. They oversee the technical work of their team and ensure that it meets the company’s standards. Technical managers must be able to effectively communicate with their team and other stakeholders. They must also be able to manage projects and ensure that they are completed on time and within budget. In this article, we’ll explore the five skills that every technical manager must have to be successful.

Technical management is a challenging job that requires individuals to have a broad range of skills.

Communication Skills

Communication skills are critical for technical managers. They must be able to communicate effectively with all stakeholders, including their team, the product owners, and their managers. This includes writing reports, emails, and even letters. A technical manager must also be skilled at listening. They must be able to understand and empathize with their team members. Most technical managers are required to have some level of proficiency in writing. This is especially true if they are managing a team of engineers who write code. A technical manager must be able to clearly and concisely lay out the technical details of a project. This includes being able to write technical documentation that their team can understand.

Project Management Skills

Project management skills are important for technical managers. They must be able to effectively manage the team’s existing projects and any new projects they are assigned. This includes managing budgets, timelines, and other project metrics. For most technical managers, project management is a core part of their job. They must be able to effectively plan, organize, and execute projects. This includes creating project plans and schedules, and effectively communicating project details to their team. A technical manager also has to be able to effectively manage and track their team’s workflow. They must be able to help their team identify what tasks need to be completed, when those tasks need to be completed, and what the next steps are for each individual task.

The role takes place in a high stress environment, meaning you need to be able to manage your team, lead projects, and think strategically all at the same time.

Organizational Skills

Organizational skills are an important part of the job for any manager. As a technical manager, you must be able to organize your team’s workload, their assigned tasks, and their deliverables. You must also be able to effectively organize your team’s workspace and workflows. This includes the tools they use to complete their work and where they store their information. Organizational skills are inherent in most managerial roles. However, they are even more important for technical managers. The nature of their job often requires their team to have easy access to large amounts of technical information. This can be in the form of design documents, code repositories, or other technical documentation. Organizational skills also extend beyond just your team’s work. A technical manager must be able to organize the work of their manager and other stakeholders. This includes prioritizing work based on its urgency.

Leadership Skills

Leadership skills are important for any manager. However, they are especially critical for technical managers. A technical manager must be able to effectively lead their team as well as motivate them to succeed. This can be challenging because technical teams are often made up of introverted engineers who prefer to work independently. A technical manager must be able to effectively lead their team by setting goals and creating a vision for the future. They must be able to help their team understand how their work contributes to the company’s goals. They must also be able to help their team make decisions and solve problems. Leadership skills are often closely tied to the vision of the company. This includes knowing the goals, values, and mission of the company. As a technical manager, you must be able to effectively communicate this information to your team.

While you may love technology and staying on top of the latest advances, it’t not enough to get you through as a technical manager.

Technical Skills

As a technical manager, you must be able to communicate effectively about the technical aspects of projects and your team’s work. You must have a thorough understanding of your team’s work as well as an understanding of the work of other departments. This includes understanding design and architectural concepts as well as the code that your team writes. To be effective in any managerial role, you must be able to identify when to use your technical skills and when to rely on the expertise of your team. Being able to communicate effectively using technical language can help you manage the expectations of the people who review your team’s work. It can also help you understand the work that your team is completing.

Conclusion

Managing engineers and other technical staff can be a challenging and rewarding role. It requires a set of skills that goes beyond the technical realm. Technical managers must be able to communicate with non-technical stakeholders, lead their team, organize their work, and be able to effectively manage projects. Only by having these skills and others can a technical manager be successful.