Setting Engineering Goals and Reporting to Stakeholders
Plus, 3 ways we sabotage our goals, the biggest effect on code quality, and a guide for leaders feeling overwhelmed at work
In our first Labs episode of the year, LinearB COO and Co-founder Dan Lines is joined by CTO Yishai Beeri to explore how elite engineering organizations set and report on their engineering goals.
Modern engineering leaders face a dual mandate of achieving operational excellence while aligning their work with business priorities. To achieve this, you need to deliver software predictably—projects need to be delivered on time, within scope, and as promised so the rest of the business can drive ROI. Dan and Yishai highlight goal-setting methodologies to achieve predictable delivery and key metrics to focus on, ranging from planning accuracy and capacity accuracy to cycle time.
Along with goal setting, we cover how to effectively report on your goals and progress to business stakeholders. Plus, you can download LinearB’s CTO Board Deck Template to leverage in your next board meeting.
“We need to remember that less is more. Don't come with 50 numbers, it's not going to work for the business discussion. Focus on what really matters and always show how that aligns with the business.
If you're talking about predictability, ‘this project is landing on time or 90 percent of it is landing on time, and here's why, and here's the choices that I've made.’
That was when you start overcoming those glazed eyes of some numbers on something that I don't understand. You're seeing success when you get people are asking you to drill down, right?
Episode Highlights:
01:24 Key terms to know when setting goals
02:17 Engineering leaders’ dual mandate: operational excellence and business alignment
08:18 How can engineering leaders set goals to achieve both sides of this mandate?
11:37 Why engineering organizations need to deliver predictably
19:37 How to set goals around resource allocation
27:30 Reporting on your goals to business stakeholders
32:56 CTO Board Deck Template
The Download
The Download is engineering leadership content we’re reading, watching, and attending that we think you might find valuable.
1. 3 ways we sabotage our goals (and how to stop)
Setting goals that only focus on your desired outcome can hold you back from achieving what you need, and you must balance outcome-based goals with ones that focus on developing new skills. Three of the biggest mistakes when goal setting are:
Only setting performance goals at the exclusion of learning goals
Getting trapped in low-level goals
Thinking too narrowly and not searching for inspiration from unrelated areas
Read: 3 Ways We Sabotage Our Goals (and How to Stop)
2. The biggest effect on code quality
When projects enter crunch time, and people have to work more than the usual 40 hours to hit a deadline, you start to see code quality get worse as people cut corners to reach the finish line.
This is why you must include project forecasting exercises and break work down into small chunks. Don’t have your teams push themselves to get work done at the expense of buggy deliverables.
Read: The biggest effect on code quality
Complimentary Gartner Guide to Software Engineering Intelligence Platforms (Sponsor)
Engineering teams are rapidly adopting Software Engineering Intelligence (SEI) Platforms to improve engineering team productivity and value delivery. According to Gartner’s recent Market Guide, the use of SEI platforms by engineering organizations will rise to 50% by 2027, compared to 5% in 2024.
Get ahead of the curve, and learn how you can unlock the transformative potential of SEI platforms by leveraging key features like:
Extensive data from DevOps tools for critical metrics and insights.
Customizable dashboards that highlight pivotal trends and inform strategic decisions.
Insights into key performance indicators that showcase your team's achievements.
3. A Guide for Leaders Feeling Overwhelmed at Work
When faced with mantras like “Move fast, break stuff,” and “Do more with less,” it’s no wonder engineering leaders are constantly stressed out by what’s expected of them.
Friend of the show and leadership coach Lena Reinhard wrote a fantastic article that breaks down some of the main factors that cause managers to feel overwhelmed and offers tips on how you can get help.
Read: Dealing With Chaos: A Guide for Leaders Feeling Overwhelmed at Work
4. An engineering leader’s guide to reporting up
Effective reporting can help you plan strategically, own your goals, and advocate for what your team needs. LinearB’s workshop with LeadDev will help you feel more prepared, confident, and ready to showcase engineering’s impact.