After years of high growth and a focus on scale, we’ve been seeing a retraction in the tech industry at large. Engineering leaders’ roles have been shifting alongside: Increasingly, leaders hear questions like “how productive is your team?”, “what returns are we expecting from this investment?”, and are expected to achieve their goals with lower budgets and smaller teams. 

Managing in a downturn like this one is challenging. You need to radically change the way that you and your team operate and consider not only whether you’re achieving your goals in the desired quality (effectiveness), but also how you’re doing so (efficiency): What people, budget, time, and engineering approaches can you use to achieve your plans at as low a cost as possible? 

So how can you be an effective leader when the industry, your company’s strategy, and the demands towards your role have changed?

What steps can you take to increase efficiency while maintaining quality, a respectful and humane working environment, and helping your company achieve its goals?

How can you utilize metrics, tech, and collaboration with your team members to get better results?

And how do you motivate your team(s) during a time of uncertainty like this one?