One of your most challenging moments as a manager: sitting across from an engineer whose performance isn't meeting expectations.
You value them as a person, but the team's goals and code quality depend on everyone contributing effectively.
Engagement Message
How do you balance compassion with accountability when a talented engineer is struggling?
The key insight: underperformance conversations require both empathy and clarity. Empathy without clarity enables the issue to continue. Clarity without empathy damages psychological safety and trust.
You need both to drive improvement while preserving the engineer's dignity.
Engagement Message
When have you seen engineering leaders lean too heavily toward one or the other?
Before any conversation, diagnose the root cause. Is this a "skill" issue or a "will" issue? A skill gap means they lack the technical knowledge or ability. A will issue involves motivation, attitude, or engagement.
The same symptom—like slow progress on a ticket—can have completely different causes. Getting this wrong wastes everyone's time.
Engagement Message
How might you tell the difference between a skill and a will problem in an engineering context?
Skill-based underperformance shows up as: trying hard but producing buggy code, struggling with a new framework despite effort, or being great at front-end work but lost in database optimization.
The solution involves training, pair programming, better documentation, or more targeted mentoring.
Engagement Message
Can you think of an engineer who fits this skill-based pattern?
Will-based underperformance looks different: shipping features but resisting code review feedback, avoiding complex architectural tasks, or inconsistent effort on testing and documentation.
This requires different conversations about motivation, role alignment, or professional expectations.
