There’s a saying: “A soldier who doesn’t want to become a general is not a good soldier.” As someone who has spent many years in technology, I also aspire to management roles.

Recently, the company organized a management training session from which I gained a lot. To better digest and absorb what I learned—“output exercises input”—I’m recording my reflections here. This is both personal consolidation and, I hope, inspiration for friends who are also walking the path from engineer to manager.

Efficiency Above All

During the workshop, one idea overturned my previous understanding yet resonated deeply: the core responsibility of a manager is to be accountable for efficiency.

“What does a manager need to do? Only one thing: be responsible for efficiency.”

This may sound a bit cold, seemingly different from the often-quoted “empower the team” or “help reports grow.” The course pointed out that those are higher-level organizational goals, whereas for a frontline manager the most direct and important objective is to improve the efficiency of the team and organization.

This reminded me of engineering, where we pursue code efficiency and system performance. Likewise, in management, efficiency means better resource allocation, smoother collaboration, faster response to requirements, and ultimately achieving organizational and business results.

This is not to downplay the human side; rather, every method and act of care should ultimately serve the improvement of efficiency—that is the direct manifestation of managerial value.

Simplify Through Standardization

Another keyword that impressed me was “standardization.”

“The more standardized something is, the simpler it becomes, the easier it is to manage, and the less it tends to go wrong.”

In tech, we know this well: unified coding conventions, standardized PR flows, consistent deployment pipelines, comprehensive runbooks, etc. These practices improve code quality and collaboration efficiency while lowering communication costs and the risk of errors.

The course discussed standardization from two main angles:

• “Motion analysis”: replicate excellence and elevate the whole

  “Motion analysis” means observing, recording, and analyzing the working patterns of high-performing employees, extracting key reproducible actions, and turning them into SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) to share with the team. It’s akin to spreading “best practices” in our field.

  For example, a senior engineer’s unique approach to debugging or a set of efficient troubleshooting techniques can be broken down and standardized, benefiting the entire team and quickly boosting execution efficiency and problem-solving capability. It transforms individual excellence into organizational strength.

• Process standardization: map the flow and keep it smooth

  Besides individual excellence, the course emphasized mapping and optimizing the whole business process. Whether it’s requirement intake, development, testing, deployment, or incident response, a clear standardized flow ensures smooth handoffs and reduces friction.

  For instance, a standardized requirement submission process should specify the format, approval steps, and evaluation methods, avoiding repeated clarification and rework due to vague requirements. The more standardized the process, the less internal friction and the higher the execution efficiency.

For managers, standardizing a team’s work and processes means:

• Lower execution difficulty: easier for team members to pick up tasks.
• Higher overall effectiveness: less unnecessary exploration and repeated effort.
• Easy replication and promotion: good experience and methods can spread quickly.
• Fewer vague instructions from the manager: avoiding feedback like “be more proactive,” which leaves reports puzzled.

Standardization is not about stifling innovation; rather, it lays a solid foundation for routine execution so the team can devote more energy to real challenges and innovation.

Redefining the Manager

The training also reshaped my understanding of what it means to be a “manager”:

• Responsibility over authority: The primary attribute of management is responsibility—owning the organization’s operating capability and results.
• You may not directly manage people: As long as your performance depends on others in the organization, or you materially influence its capability and outcomes, you are playing a managerial role.
• Self-management is the starting point: “Self-management is where management begins.” You must manage yourself before you can manage the team and tasks.

For those moving from engineering to management, this is critical. We may start by managing a project or module; even without direct reports we need a managerial mindset to coordinate resources, push progress, and ensure results.

A Shift in Mindset

One of the biggest challenges in moving from an individual contributor to a manager is the change in mindset.

• From “doing the work” to “getting work done through others”: We used to enjoy hands-on problem-solving. As managers, we need to let go, trust the team, and achieve results through guidance and empowerment.
• Focus on principles, not drown in details: The course suggested, “Don’t join discussions about problems that have already happened; join the making of principles.” Managers should step out of trivial tasks and think more about direction, strategy, and rules. Of course, a reasonable level of technical sensitivity is still important in engineering teams.
• Strengthen communication and coordination: Translate technical language into words that teammates, other departments, and customers can understand to ensure accurate and efficient information transfer.

Reflections and Challenges

The training was like a window through which I glimpsed a small part of management science. Coming from a technical background, I know there is a long road ahead:

1. Balancing efficiency and empathy: While understanding that efficiency is central, how do we balance it with human care so team members don’t feel dehumanized? This will require ongoing learning and practice.
2. Standardization versus innovation: Innovation is the lifeblood of an engineering team. How do we drive standardization while preserving creativity and preventing rigidity?
3. Building non-technical skills: Communication, coordination, decision-making, risk identification, and even culture building (such as preventing generational conflict) are all new to me.
4. Practice reveals the truth: Theory is foundational, but real management ability is forged in practice. The key is to apply what we’ve learned, review, and iterate.

Closing Thoughts

“Reading brings insight; true understanding comes from practice.” This management training opened a new door for me and gave me a clearer view of my career. The path from technologist to manager may be full of challenges, but it is equally rich in opportunities. With these takeaways, I will keep learning, reflecting, and growing, striving to become a “general” who understands technology, excels at management, and can lead a team to create greater value.

I hope these reflections give you something to think about as well.