10 tips for working with engineers

As product management requires working with a variety of teams, it also requires the ability to work with different types of people. Working effectively with engineers is an essential part of being a successful product manager, but sometimes people struggle to communicate with them.
In my experience, I have collaborated extensively with engineers and gained some insights on how to effectively work with them. This has enabled me to identify some key factors that have contributed to our successful communication.

I have summarised 10 key points, to help you build great relationships with your tech teammates.

1. Establish clear communication lines and a process

Develop a solid foundation for communication with your engineering team. Have a basic process - what are the steps from a customer inquiry or ticket to delivering a solution or pushing into the software production git.

Set clear aims when it comes to what, how, and why you are building as a team. Additionally, you can use visual tools such as diagrams and mockups to help clarify your ideas. The more you document what you are doing as a team - the better: people can refer to a specific source of information if they have questions regarding a project so fewer misunderstandings occur.

2. Speak a common language

You don’t need to be an engineer or a techie to work successfully with one, but it will be easier for both sides if you know some basics. When you understand technical terminology and concepts used by the engineering team, you can communicate effectively with them. This will also help you to understand the limitations and possibilities of what can be achieved technically to an extent.
Furthermore, understanding the engineering process and its constraints helps you set realistic expectations and timelines when necessary, but don’t assume you can estimate engineering hours. You will be also able to provide clearer requirements.

3. Support their autonomy

Support your engineers in their autonomy to make technical decisions. They have valuable experience in a certain domain, therefore their contribution to the product development process is crucial. Ask them for their input on projects and respect their expert knowledge. You should ensure taking their feedback and ideas into account, this will also help both sides to build mutual rapport in the long term.
It’s essential to remember that you are all working as a team, and everyone is contributing to the working process.

4. Prioritize effectively

Prioritize features and requirements based on technical feasibility, available resources, timeframes, and impact on the product. This helps engineers focus on the most important aspects of the product. Give clear guidance and make sure that you are all on the same page.
As a product manager is vital that you communicate product features and requirements with all teams involved. Determine which ones are most important, and focus on delivering them first, as they have the biggest impact on the success of the product. There are many prioritization frameworks, some that have been popular in PM circles are MoSCoW, RICE, and the Kano model. Here is a link to learn more.

5. Show appreciation

Show appreciation for the work the engineering team does. Celebrate successes and milestones and provide opportunities for recognition. Take time to build a strong relationship with your engineering team. Understand their work style, the challenges they meet in the working process, and their future goals.
Schedule regular one-on-one meetings to check in on their progress and offer support when needed. Engineering can be demanding on people, it can be a grind and not always as fun or as easy as it sounds.

6. Foster a culture of collaboration

Foster a culture of collaboration between the teams. Encourage active communication between the teams involved in product development and hold regular stand-up meetings to keep everyone on the same page. Create a positive working environment, where everyone feels free to share their honest opinion and provide valuable feedback.

7. Be proactive

Involve engineers early in the process. Stay on top of your engineering team’s progress and be proactive in addressing any issues that arise. This way you will avoid last-minute surprises and delays and will help you lunch a successful product within the timeline.

8. Embrace Agile frameworks

Agile frameworks such as Scrum or Kanban can help improve collaboration between product managers and engineers. Here is a comparison.
These frameworks promote regular check-ins, clear communication, and incremental progress toward goals. They provide a set of principles and practices that help you become more productive.
They are both designed to be flexible and adaptable to ever-changing requirements, which will let your team become more responsive when circumstances change.
They encourage transparency and visibility into the project's progress, promoting accountability and trust between the teams involved.
Both focus on the customer, with the team being attentive to its needs and expectations. Rather than dictating what features should be developed, the approach is demand-driven, responding to what the customer wants.

9. Set realistic expectations

Work with your engineering team to set realistic goals and timelines. Be sure to take into account the time and resources needed to complete tasks. Do not set deadlines without expert evaluation, as doing so without proper assessment could impede the progress of a project as a whole.
Manage expectations with the client on a regular, they won’t need details, but if something comes up, be transparent and stay objective about the situation.

10. Listen to and give feedback

Engineers are experts in their respective fields, so be sure to listen to their feedback and incorporate it into your product development process. Identify issues without proposing solutions. Let them thrive in their work. This helps you build better products and create more collaborative working relationships within your team.

Provide feedback on the progress of the engineering team, and offer guidance on how to make improvements. Make sure to provide both positive feedback and constructive criticism, and give the team a chance to respond. Promote a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging team members to reflect on their practices, identify an area of improvement, and try new approaches. The goal is to help your team learn from its mistakes and become more effective over time.