You have 0 further articles remaining this month. Join LeadDev.com for free to read unlimited articles.

Partners

We're diving into how engineering managers can cultivate ownership in their employees.

First off, let's acknowledge why ownership is key. Ownership shows that employees understand a companies mission, priority, and feel empowered to action against that mission in their day to day. Teams with high ownership go from underperforming to the dream team. How do we grow this ownership magic? 

As an engineering manager, you probably have a pretty good sense of how a project should be done. But - it's not about you! It's about asking the SEs questions that spark critical thinking. Questions lead to that 'aha' moment. You can cultivate ownership by validating your employees critical thinking instead of dictating decisions. 

Curiosity is key when asking questions. Even if you think you know the answer, show genuine curiosity in what others think. You'll be surprised how often there's a better solution than expected. People know when you are asking questions without curiosity - and that only creates a feeling of needing to be "right". 

We'll look at questions, curiosity, responding instead of reacting, gratitude, and 1:1s. We'll discuss empowering people to decide, while making sure there's a safety net. Guardrails are crucial (as well as showing them how to ask for help). 

Lastly, understanding values ties it all together. Knowing what matters helps everyone steer in the same direction.