Being a manager isn’t about telling people what to do.
It’s about knowing:
- Who you’re working with
- Seeing their strengths
- Managing their quirks
- And creating an environment where people can succeed in different ways
In last week’s guide, Who’s In Your Engineering Orchestra, I explored the types of people you might find on your team. This post is the companion piece – how to manage them.
Because here’s the thing, you’re not leading a line of identical drummers. You’re conducting a symphony, and everyone plays differently.
Let’s get into it.
The rockstars – first violins
These are your standout players. They’re passionate, creative, and self-motivated. They treat software development as an art, not just a job.
How to manage them:
- Give them freedom: They thrive when exploring new ideas or shaping complex architecture. Avoid micromanagement or anything near it, as it dulls their creative spark.
- Use the credit card analogy: Treat them like premium credit cards with high spending limits. They’ll generously give their time and energy, but that balance adds up. If you don’t help them manage it, burnout will be the bill that comes due.
- Challenge them: They’ll disengage from routine work quickly. Give them R&D, innovation, or mentoring opportunities.
- Watch team dynamics: Rockstars can sometimes bristle at slower colleagues. Help them practice patience and ensure their standards don’t intimidate others.
Reliable contributors – your rhythm section
Your steady, dependable core. They deliver consistently and quietly — never needing a spotlight.
How to manage them:
- Protect their time: They’ll take on extra work without complaining, which can lead to quiet burnout.
- Show appreciation: They may not ask for praise but they deserve it. Make sure they feel seen.
- Offer stretch opportunities: They often underestimate their potential. Gently encourage them to take on new challenges.
Casual contributors – the flutes
Easy-going and cheerful, but they often operate under the radar. They’re friendly, but they don’t always pull their weight.
How to manage them:
- Clarify standards: Sometimes, they’ve coasted because no one ever held them accountable.
- Don’t mistake charm for contribution: If the work isn’t getting done, call it out – respectfully but directly.
- Consider environment: Are they disengaged or misaligned? A shift in responsibilities or clearer structure might help.
Erratic performers – trumpets & trombones
These team members are wildly inconsistent – moments of brilliance, then subpar.
How to manage them:
- Shorten feedback loops: Don’t wait for things to go off the rails. Keep regular check-ins.
- Look for patterns: Are they consistently erratic or reacting to external pressures (burnout, personal stress)?
- Use the bridge test: If 80% of a bridge is built, it still collapses. The same is true for projects. Partial brilliance can’t replace reliability.
- Give chances, but not forever: Set expectations and offer support. But know when it’s time to let go. The team can’t hinge on hope.
Team players – the French horns
They build culture, organize events, and lift team morale. They are great additions to any team.
How to manage them:
- Encourage them: Their soft skills are hard to find and easy to overlook. Celebrate them!
- Protect their energy: They’ll often take on unspoken emotional labor. Keep an eye out for burnout.
- Involve them in onboarding or collaboration work: They’re great for easing others into the team.
Perfectionists – the harps
They can be obsessive about every detail, but their output is immaculate.
How to manage them:
- Define “done”: Make sure they know when to stop refining.
- Reassure them: They’ll often doubt themselves, even after delivering brilliant work.
- Monitor balance: Check in not just on what they’re building but also on how they’re feeling. Perfectionists are prone to quiet stress.
- Coach for perspective: Sometimes “good enough” really is good enough. Help them see the bigger picture.
Pragmatists – the cellos
Practical and efficient. You can rely on them to deliver fast, quality work without obsessing over it.
How to manage them:
- Lean on them for speed: They’re great in high-tempo environments.
- Balance with perfectionists: They’ll often complement one another well. Just because pragmatists are fast doesn’t mean they’re sloppy. Their secret is choosing progress over polish.
- Encourage continuous learning: Since they don’t get bogged down, they can scale quickly.
Disengaged workers – offbeat percussion
Technically present, but emotionally absent. They meet expectations but bring little energy or enthusiasm.
How to manage them:
- Have the hard conversation: Don’t ignore it. Ask what’s going on – gently but directly.
- Create re-engagement paths: Offer a new project, mentorship, or purpose.
- Be honest: Sometimes, it’s not a fit. That’s okay.
Mentors – the violas
They coach, document, and share. They quietly make everyone around them better.
How to manage them:
- Let them lead: Don’t hide them in a corner. Give them space to mentor and teach. But remember, not all mentors want to manage. Let them lead in their own way.
- Celebrate their impact: Even if they’re not loud about it, make sure they know their contribution is seen.
- Shield their time: Don’t let them become the team’s default help desk.
The lone wolves – the tuba
Independent, self-motivated, and deeply focused. But not always great at collaboration.
How to manage them:
- Set clear goals, don't micromanage: Let them work in peace. But clearly define what success looks like.
- Ensure they hand off work: Pair them with collaborators who can translate and integrate their work.
- Monitor: You don’t need to turn them into collaborators. Just make sure they don’t become bottlenecks.
- Check for deeper issues: Independence is great, but isolation can be a problem in disguise.
The short version: create harmonies
As a manager, you’ll work with a varied mix of people, personalities, skills, and work styles. And like any good conductor, your job isn’t to play every note yourself – it’s to bring out the best in everyone else.
It’s this very mix – the contrast in strengths, quirks, and motivations – that gives your team its depth. And when you strike the right balance, people naturally complement each other.
Here’s how to do so:
- Know who you’re managing: Observe how each person works – not just what they deliver.
- Balance the mix: Pair players thoughtfully. For example, perfectionists and pragmatists can complement each other.
- Lead with rhythm: You set the tempo. Don’t let your strongest players carry all the weight.
Of course, no one fits neatly into just one category. Most of us are part rockstar, a bit of pragmatist, and a pinch of team player.
The real work is getting to know the individuals on your team and figuring out how they work best. When you treat your team like the unique mix of players they are, you won’t just be managing. You’ll be conducting.
Take it away, maestro.
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Originally published on Medium.com
