Build & Scale High-Performing Engineering Teams

A High-Performing Engineering Team is a team that consistently delivers high-quality work, meets deadlines, and innovates.
This talk explores a practical framework for building and scaling high-performing engineering teams. We will delve into a maturity model that outlines key stages of team evolution.
By the end of this session, you will have a clear understanding of the factors that contribute to team excellence and practical strategies to implement them in your organization.

Transcript

1. Build & Scale High-Performing Engineering Teams Magda Miu | @magdamiu Sr. Engineering Manager @Adobe
2. A High-Performing Engineering Team is a team that consistently delivers high-quality work, meets deadlines, and innovates.
3. How Do You Measure 1 - Falling behind 2 - Treading water 4 - Innovation 3 - Repaying debt From “An elegant puzzle” by Will Larson • Cycle Time: How quickly your team can deliver features from start to finish. • Deployment Frequency: How often your team releases new features or bug fixes. • Employee Satisfaction: How happy and engaged your team members are. • Mean time to repair (MTTR): How quickly the team can fix issues. • Customer satisfaction: Feedback from users on product quality and performance.
4. Engineering Teams - Maturity Model Scale and Continue to Grow because Leadership is a Continuous Journey Setup your Team for Success by giving them the Right Tools Evaluate Your Team's Current State & Build from There Foundation Efficient Strategic
5. Foundation 01
6. Assess Your Team's Starting Point Focus on Psychological Safety • Psychological Safety is a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes. • f(Psychological Safety ) = Trust + Permission + Respect Start with Why Define Roles & Responsibilities
7. Assess Your Team's Starting Point Focus on Psychological Safety Start with Why • Together with your team members define your mission, objectives and individual development plans • Be curious and learn more about your team, your stakeholders, your business area Define Roles & Responsibilities
8. Assess Your Team's Starting Point Focus on Psychological Safety Start with Why Define Roles & Responsibilities • Empowered Driver & Product Trio = Product + Architecture + Engineering • Be ready to tackle difficult conversations to match the right people with the right place • How we work: agile & engineering principles, team alliance, values, strengths
9. Efficient 02
10. Setup your Team for Success Focus on Product Mindset & Developer Experiencer • Product Mindset = Customer Focus + Data-Driven Decisions + Iterative Improvement • Developer Experience = Technology + Culture + Working Practices • Operational Transparency 🤓 • Collaboration 󰹯 • Reduced cognitive load 🚀 • Documentation 📃 • Tech Wealth 💰 • Short feedback loops 🔁 • Low levels of friction 🦾 Learn How to Handle Ambiguity Focus on a Growth Mindset Communication & Celebration
11. Setup your Team for Success Focus on Developer Experiencer Learn How to Handle ambiguity • Apply the Landscape of DoubtⓇ ➡ • Apply thinking in systems to make better decisions • Make hard decisions and ruthless prioritization • Show the progress towards objectives Focus on a Growth Mindset Communication & Celebration
12. Setup your Team for Success Focus on Developer Experiencer Learn How to Handle Ambiguity Focus on a Growth Mindset Apply Covey's Circles of Influence to map the situation to the right circle • What is in our CONTROL • What we can INFLUENCE • What we can’t control and influence - can we learn to ACCEPT it?! Model curiosity and be focused on continuous improvement and learning Communication & Celebration Circle of Control Circle of Influence Circle of Concern
13. Setup your Team for Success Focus on Developer Experiencer Learn How to Handle Ambiguity Focus on a Growth Mindset Communication & Celebration • Listen to understand • Learn to give and receive feedback • Be aware about the cultural differences • Apply Situational Leadership • Cultivate a culture of celebration
14. Strategic 03
15. Leadership is a Continuous Journey Use Strategic Thinking Contribute to your team/org/company’s success: • Look for trends ◦ Identify relationships, patterns, and trends that affect strategic decisions. • Challenge your assumptions ◦ Generate new possibilities by challenging your assumptions. • Anticipate opportunities and threats ◦ Take steps to create, not just respond to, the future. Purpose-Driven Leadership Grow Other Leaders
16. Leadership is a Continuous Journey Use Strategic Thinking Purpose-Driven Leadership • Scale your teams - you are in your role to make an impact. • Employee interaction ◦ What do you need to be successful in accomplishing our goal? ◦ What help will you need to get? • Decision making ◦ What impact will this have? How will this affect our people or our customers? • Coaching & the power of questions ◦ Where will my coaching time have the biggest impact? Grow Other Leaders
17. Leadership is a Continuous Journey Use Strategic Thinking Purpose-Driven Leadership Grow Other Leaders • Scale and Amplify Impact • Personal Fulfillment • Organizational Strength
18. Engineering Teams - Maturity Model Scale and Continue to Grow because Leadership is a Continuous Journey Setup your Team for Success by giving them the Right Tools Evaluate Your Team's Current State & Build from There Foundation Efficient Strategic
19. If you want to learn more…
20. Success is a team sport @simonsinek
21. Thanks! Do you have any questions? X: @magdamiu LinkedIn: /magdamiu Website: magdamiu.com