What role should a senior leader play in creating and supporting an autonomous culture for software development? Where is it important to step in, and where is it important to be hands-off?

Engineering Culture & Values Employee Engagement

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VP of Engineering23 days ago

Autonomy for software engineering teams is critical. I’ve seen team morale and engagement go up or down based on the level of autonomy they have. Leaders can play a supportive role by recognizing that their team members are the experts on the current state of tech — you’re there to facilitate their work and help them, not to be the decision-maker or the strongest voice in the room. You can share a general framework or present the goals that the company wants to achieve, then allow your team to brainstorm and propose solutions. It’s essential to give them space to use their skills and knowledge to come up with their own solutions.

Any guardrails that we put in place need to be as minimal as they can be, but they should provide some standardization and prevent technology sprawl. The goal is to give teams the freedom to make decisions, learn, and even fail while still maintaining necessary software standards to ensure cohesion and efficiency.

Technology Consulting Director23 days ago

The leader must clearly articulate the vision, goals, and strategy for the software development team. Autonomy fosters innovation and empowers team members. Good leaders trust their team and resist the urge to micromanage. Stay hands off unless there is a brewing conflict or escalation that needs leader's intervention. Just set goals, KPIs and track them on regular basis to stay on course.

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VP of Supply Chain in Finance (non-banking)20 days ago

I think it is important to make sure that the Autonomy is also balanced with the responsibility that comes along with it. As leaders we need to provide clear expectations of the responsibilities that development teams have to their peer departments, other development teams, and particularly the impact they may have on support resources when shifting technology stacks or introducing new technology. With this understanding and focus on collaboration, teams can then maintain the right level of autonomy to be effective while still being cohesive with the organization. Consistent KPIs are a great tool to help measure the impacts.