Building a Better Web
June 11–12, 2018: Training
June 12–14, 2018: Tutorials & Conference
San Jose, CA

Becoming a team lead: A survival guide

Joseph Wynn (SpeedCurve)
3:35pm–4:15pm Thursday, June 14, 2018
People and teams
 Location: 210 D/H
Average rating: *****
(5.00, 7 ratings)
Download slides (BIN)

Who is this presentation for?

  • New or aspiring team leads

Prerequisite knowledge

  • Familiarity with the typical engineering team structure

What you'll learn

  • Learn how to set yourself up for a team lead role
  • Understand what to expect in the role
  • Discover tips for managing your team effectively

Description

Transitioning from team member to team lead can be a daunting process—and one full of challenges. You want to steer the direction of the team, but you don’t want to micromanage. You want everyone to excel, but you can’t hand out promotions every week. Perhaps most important of all, you want to take on this role, but you don’t want to burn out before you have a chance to make a difference. Joseph Wynn tells the story of his progression from engineer to team lead and shares tips and insights for becoming an effective team lead and keeping a team happy and successful.

Topics include:

  • Recognizing when you’re ready for a team lead role
  • Setting yourself up for the role within your company
  • Avoiding being overwhelmed in the first few months of your new role
  • Conducting effective one-on-one meetings
  • Nurturing your team
  • Dealing with pressure from stakeholders
  • Keeping your technical skills sharp
Photo of Joseph Wynn

Joseph Wynn

SpeedCurve

Joseph Wynn is a full stack software engineer at SpeedCurve. Previously, he was a technical team lead at BBC News and built software for companies of all shapes and sizes. He contributes to open source projects like Preact, Jekyll, and Wraith.