Case guides for engineering managers
Each guide is the free part of a case in EM Field Guide: the situation, what matters most, how it lands in teams across Asia, and one way to open.
Hard conversations
- How do I tell a senior engineer their work isn't at the level their title says?Their seniority makes the gap awkward to name, and silence turns it into a review-time surprise.
- What do I say when someone on my team is underperforming and it's time for a PIP?A PIP can read as the exit door, so people stop listening just when clarity matters most.
- What do I do when two of my engineers are in open conflict?Each side's story makes sense on its own, and the team is starting to pick sides.
- How do I deliver news I disagree with (reorg, freeze, no promotion)?You have to back a decision you argued against without losing the team's trust.
- What do I do when a report cries or gets angry in a 1:1?Strong emotion takes over the agenda, and how you react sets what people will risk telling you.
1:1s and coaching
- What do I do when my 1:1s have turned into status updates?Status is the safe topic, so the real agenda never comes up.
- How do I run a career conversation with someone who wants a promotion now?Wanting it isn't the same as being ready, and a clumsy no costs you their trust.
Under pressure
- How do I lead a major incident as the manager, not the fixer?Your job is to coordinate, and everyone wants you to fix.
- How do I run a blameless postmortem when someone really did break prod?Blameless has to hold even when the cause has a name.
The app has the full cases, with the script, a rehearsal with a character, and a debrief. See about EM Field Guide.