- Set Clear Goals: key role of a Software Development manager. Most goals are made up of mini-goals, or mini steps if you will. Once you have clearly defined the goal, you need to be able to setup the game plan for the goal, filling in the steps to get the goal achieved. Once your goal is defined in minute detail, you are set!
- Lead By Example: There is nothing worse than working for a manager that barks orders all day long, and yet is never around when you need them.
- Set Clear Direction and Vision: It's not enough to simply send an email that says "Our vision is to create great bug free software fast!” that is pretty much useless. What you need to do is make your team live, breath, and act the vision. You need to be able to energize your team to follow the vision that you create, and have a clear roadmap on how each member of the team is helping the vision take shape.
- Motivate Your Team: Nobody wants to work for someone that does not motivate them. But how do you motivate a team. It is actually easier said than done. Take interest in your team, learn about your team, involve them in decision making and make them feel special. Listen to your team when they have something to say. See, different people are motivated by different things.
- Focus On What Is Important: One of the single most important things you can do as a Software Development Manager is focus on what is important. There will be distractions coming at you and your team on a daily basis. You need to have the ability to quickly and easily avoid these distractions and lead your team to the important tasks at hand. Your team could be the most powerful, smart, energetic team on the planet, but if you are not focusing them on what is important, they will fail! The effort that your team puts into the job is very important, but if they are putting all their time and effort into solving the wrong problem, or the wrong problem the right way, they are wasting their time!
- Be the Most Positive Member of the Team
- Be Decisive and Action Oriented: In order to be a great Software Development Manager, you need to have the ability to think carefully, and make decisive decisions quickly. You need to be able to take action and carry out the decisions you have made without looking back. While you are taking action, you also should not have your blinders on, and should be able to ask for feedback every step of the way. Should the feedback be negative, or not the result the wanted, you have to be quick to change direction if needed, and try a different approach.
- Provide the Best Tools
- Provide the Best Hardware
- Trust Your Team and Their Judgement: If you are not able to trust them and their judgement, they should not be on your team.
- Be the Coach: You need to be able to find the right talent, and keep them interested. As a coach you have to be ready to make the plays, and provide feedback on the last period of play! What was done wrong, what was done right? Get to the point quickly, give the feedback, make the changes, and try again if there were mistakes made. If things are going well, still provide feedback and coaching! You always want to be improving the team! You want to try and get your team running to its fullest potential.
http://www.realsoftwaredevelopment.com/2007/08/the-one-minute-.html
