A roundtable with front line managers at IEEE-TEMS

Insights from a roundtable with front line managers at IEEE-TEMS: trust, empathy, expertise, and AI skills will all be important in 2026.

A roundtable with front line managers at IEEE-TEMS

Last night I had the opportunity to take part in lively zoom roundtable with more than a dozen technical engineering managers and directors for an evening of candid conversation. The group represented a wide range of disciplines—GPU and ASIC teams, software leaders, operations managers, and project managers. What united us was a shared responsibility for steering complex product development efforts in a rapidly evolving environment.

Common KPIs for Technical Managers

We started with an overview of key results that most technical managers need to deliver to succeed:

1. Deliver products, features, and value to customers
   • Within budget or agreed to cost
   • Within Scope: meet commitments
   • Within Schedule / On time
2. Build trust with win-win relationships
3. Encourage growth: individuals reports and team as a whole
4. Innovation: build new capabilities

Small Wins, Big Impact

One theme that surfaced quickly was the outsized value of “simple” projects. Several managers shared examples where modest efforts—often requiring fewer resources and tighter scopes—ended up creating significant impact for their teams and companies. These successes were contrasted with high-profile, resource-intensive projects that drained time and budget but never delivered on their promises.

The takeaway was clear: impact is not always proportional to complexity. Sometimes the most powerful outcomes come from initiatives that are straightforward, tightly focused, and executed with discipline.

Where to Invest—and Where to Cut

Another thread was the need to constantly rebalance where energy and investment go. Leaders compared notes on which activities were worth doubling down on, which areas deserved fresh experimentation, and which legacy practices had become distractions. Cutting low-value work frees up space to invest in emerging opportunities like vibe coding or team-driven innovation.

The AI Factor

It’s impossible to talk about the future of product development without talking about AI. The group discussed how to harness AI for real leverage—whether in design, operations, or customer value creation—while avoiding the trap of chasing hype. The challenge is not just adopting new tools but finding ways to monetize them, integrate them responsibly, and ensure they actually solve meaningful problems.

Building Trust and Effective Metrics

We closed the night reflecting on culture and measurement. Developing KPIs that truly guide performance—without being gamed—remains a universal challenge. Just as important is the ongoing work of building trust and relationships, both within teams and across organizations. Clear communication and mutual respect continue to be the foundation for any successful project.

Final Thoughts

The evening reinforced a truth that many of us know but too often forget: engineering leadership is not just about technology, it’s about judgment. Knowing which projects to green-light, which experiments to run, and which activities to cut can determine the trajectory of a team or even a company. And in a world where the technology landscape is shifting faster than ever, the ability to adapt and continue to learn are two critical skills an engineering leader must cultivate.

About the Event

Adjustments at the Half in 2025 to Prepare for 2026
https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/496840
Date: 04 Sep 2025 7:00 PM PDT

Sean Murphy, consultant at SKMurphy, Inc. will facilitate a peer-to-peer discussion for engineering managers that will help you to look back at 2025 to gather lessons learned and apply them to your plans for 2026.

Think back over projects you have delivered in 2025 and your impact on business. Are there projects that took less effort that had a large positive impact? Are there projects that took a lot of effort but seemed to have little impact? What strategies or approaches do you want to use again in 2026? Are there experiments you are going to try?

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