From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,5ea968aeb8c7f10d X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-Thread: f43e6,d71a6822cd2fec5 X-Google-Attributes: gidf43e6,public From: NotGiven@ReqD.com (L. Darrell Ray) Subject: Re: Do I Really Need A Supervisor? Date: 1997/03/25 Message-ID: <5h8i3q$ni5$2@trsvr.tr.unisys.com>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 228221461 References: <5g7u24$1jeg@uni.library.ucla.edu> Organization: UNISYS Newsgroups: comp.software-eng,comp.lang.ada Date: 1997-03-25T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: In article , jsa@alexandria (Jon S Anthony) says: > >In article dewar@merv.cs.nyu.edu (Robert Dewar) writes: > >> Well your definition of management is highly peculiar. No, I am not mixing >> up these two concepts, not the way I use the terms. Technical leadership >> is indeed an important managerial skill. > >Do you believe it a necessary skill for "good" management (in this >sort of area)? > >/Jon > >-- >Jon Anthony >Organon Motives, Inc. >Belmont, MA 02178 >617.484.3383 >jsa@organon.com > I'm not the poster but I will give my opinion (as if anyone who knew ever expected me to *not* give my opinion :-). A first line engineering manager does *not* have to be technically great but needs a good general understanding of the relavant technologies and of good engineering practices. But IMO does *NOT* need to be, and it is often better if the manager is not, the technical lead. The need for direct knowledge of a technology (but not of a general understanding of possiblities) decreases as the management level increases. What managers need and is most often missing in practice is people and management skills. A *good* manager can seem to have had no effect on the project *unless* you look for what they have done because they prevent problems.