Engineering Management: Empowering teams with the big‑picture vision

Moderated by Michael Tempest, Senior Engineering Manager at Spendesk, this was a candid event, giving our attendees the opportunity to expand their networks and openly bounce ideas off of other seasoned engineering leaders in the tech community. We discussed:

💡 How to maximise your team focus time while maintaining a broader awareness of the problem space.

💡 Methods to enable your teams to optimise performance, through utilising the latest in AI and eliminating bottlenecks.

🔗 Check out the summary sheet.

Empowering Teams with a Big‑Picture Vision

A clear product vision is critical—it guides teams, supports prioritisation, fuels innovation, and keeps operational gaps front of mind. Without it, teams often default to optimisation work, which can stifle creativity and overlook pressing issues.

Frequent pulse checks with team members are essential. Every engineer is different, so creating an environment where honest conversations and feedback loops are encouraged makes a real difference.

Managing Admin with AI

AI should be seen as a tool to help, not a shortcut. Used well, it can ease the burden of admin and streamline communication:

• Transcribe and summarise meetings with tools like Otter or TL;DR

• Draft performance reviews

• Generate interview questions

• Support async stand-ups and planning

• Summarise key decisions to share across the business

AI can even be used to challenge your own thinking by offering alternative perspectives. It works best when trained on your preferences, such as tone of voice, formatting style, and language. But always double-check the output—especially when it comes to sensitive content like performance feedback.

Optimising Team Focus

Protecting deep work is a priority for many engineering leaders. A few tactics that emerged:

• Use structured calendars and time-blocking to reduce context switching

• Introduce daily ‘Top 3 priorities’ to focus attention

• Rotate roles like bug basher or first responder to minimise distractions

• Use shared sprint planning boards for visibility

While some engineers are naturally strong at juggling tasks, making space for uninterrupted work helps elevate quality across the team.

Your Time Is Precious

Back-to-back meetings are draining. Leaders discussed ways to make better use of their time:

• Ensure every meeting has a clear purpose and outcome

• Trim meetings from 60 to 45 minutes to allow for decompression

• Try meeting-free afternoons or designated focus days

• Tools like Reclaim.ai can help automate smart scheduling around protected time

Balancing Clarity with Compassion

Effective engineering leadership is rooted in trust, consistency, and authenticity. Great leaders strike a balance between authority and approachability, they set expectations clearly, lead by example, and stay open and accessible.

Don’t aim to fit a mould. Confidence and credibility often come from owning your unique leadership style and navigating challenges with honesty and transparency.

Quick Tips for Efficient Management

• Introduce AI gradually, and test multiple tools to find what works for you and your team

• Use AI as a second pair of eyes or a sounding board, but never let it override your own judgement

• Encourage engineers to experiment with both free and paid AI tools for learning and development

• Be mindful of tone, privacy, and the risk of over-automation, maintaining a human touch remains vital

🔗 Check out the summary sheet.

Book recommendation: Leadership Beyond the Management Track – a roadmap for those seeking impact through strategy, mentorship, and vision, not just conventional management.

Spearheaded by Grace Duffy, Principal Consultant & Engineering Leadership Specialist, this event is open to Engineering Leaders who are passionate about supporting the success of their teams.

A bit about Grace:

I am a Principal Technology Recruiter at Burns Sheehan, specialising in Engineering Leadership Recruitment. I am also a DEI activist in the tech community and regularly host DEI Leadership Roundtables for my network in the engineering leadership space🗣️

A few facts about Grace so you can get to know the type of recruiter I am:
🌟Grace helps tech companies scale their businesses through placing the very best Engineering Managers, Heads of Engineering, VPs and Directors into their companies
🌟 Grace is super passionate about Women Empowerment and DEI in tech
🌟Grace can be a bit of a chatter box, so she absolutely loves meeting new contacts for a coffee whenever she gets the chance

Grace is also a big advocate for diversity in Engineering. To hear more, check out grace's latest blog on closing the gender gap below!

If you'd like to hear more and are interested in attending further events, please reach out to Principal Consultant, grace@burnssheehan.co.uk