We are hiring a director of platform engineering at honeycomb. Because of this, I've chatted with a few managers who have been trying unsuccessfully to advance to the director role. Here is the advice I've had for them; I'd love to hear yours.
First of all, make sure you're at a company that is going to need to hire directors. I'd look for a place with >100 engineers that is growing quickly. Is there oxygen at that level?
(I wrote a whole piece about eng levels which is still relevant: https://charity.wtf/2020/09/14/useful-things-to-know-about-engineering-levels/)
It's easier to get promoted into a director role than it is to get hired in as one if you haven't done it before.
Companies are way too fucking risk-averse when it comes to this stuff, but it is what it is. They'd rather hire someone with a spotty record than hire on potential.
So the first and most obvious step is to make your interest known. Ask your manager, "what is the skill gap for me between the job I have now and a director role?"
Registering your interest makes it more likely they will consider you, or help grow you in that direction.
If you have a good manager who believes in you, and the opportunities exist, that may be all you have to do.
... but as for the other 80% of us... 🤣
Let's look at some of the ways that being an effective engineering manager tends to differ from being a director.
You can be a great EM, beloved by your team, without giving much thought to managing out or up. Directors cannot. It might even be the opposite.
You can have a bit of a reputation for being stubborn or difficult as an EM, and it can be fine. But it may sabotage your attempt to be a director.
Similarly, you can be a strong technical EM who occasionally dives in to help course correct technical issues.
That can enhance your value and reputation as an EM. But it's a knock against you as a director.
Here's the thing: ✨directors run the business✨.
VPs should be focused on the longer term, looking over the horizon, forming strategy. Directors are execution machines.
I really like this piece: https://kellblog.com/2015/03/08/career-development-what-it-really-means-to-be-a-manager-director-or-vp/ although the key graf is a little buried:
Directors run the business. They are accountable for results. You can't be bopping in and writing or reviewing code, or tossing off technical opinions. That's not your job anymore.
One of the most uncomfortable things to internalize as you climb the ladder is that people will make snap judgments about you based on the tiniest fragments of contact with you, and those judgments will forever determine how they think of you or interact with you.
Because of that, you really do want to guard against being too cranky, too tired, or out of spoons. People will take it personally.
Remember, you don't hear most feedback. If you visibly don't get along with a couple folks, assume 10x as many are in silent agreement with them.
Get good at managing up. If there's a problem, make sure you are the one to bring it to your manager (and swiftly), along with "here's where I went wrong" and "here's what I'm planning to do about it."
Absolutely no surprises.
Get as much experience as you can managing managers. The gulf between managing engineers and managing managers is nearly as profound as the gulf between being an engineer and being a manager.
But it's sneakier, because you don't feel out of your depth.
As a manager, you lean on your own unique blend of strengths and charisma -- whatever it is that makes people look up to you.
As a director, you have to help your managers figure out how to wield influence using their unique strengths. What works for you won't work for them.
Directors run the business ... so you CANNOT be seen as a blocker. People must want to come to you of their own accord to get shit done and break through the blockers.
If they go to other people for advice on how to break through you, you're not a good director candidate.