The rise of a new title in the data industry, Data Strategist, caught my attention recently. Initially, I was skeptical. "Isn’t this just a fancy term for a Data Manager?" I wondered. However, as I delved deeper, I realized my perspective was heavily influenced by my recent tenure at Doximity. At Doximity, the Data Engineering and Data Analytics Manager roles have always blended technical individual contributor work (often referred to as "IC Work") with responsibilities as people managers and functional leaders in the data organization and product. Prior to Doximity, I rarely had managers who had the expectations or bandwidth to do both.
This player/coach role might sound too good to be true. Imagine a role where you could work with data, cultivate people and teams, and build data strategies that propel a business towards success, all without working 80 hours a week. After over five years as a manager at Doximity, I can confidently say it is not only possible, but it is also the best type of management role (and a role we are currently hiring for 🤩). Inspired, I reached out to our Data Leadership team here at Doximity to discuss why and how we aim to find balance amidst the chaos.
Benefits of IC Work When Managing
"Actions speak loudest. One of the fastest ways I found to gain trust from reports, peers, and stakeholders is by writing code to address a technical issue they care about. This approach works especially well if you are inheriting or joining a new team."
– Doximity Data Analytics Manager"Understanding what all the teams are working on and enhancing collaboration among them is probably one of the best things about being a manager because you can facilitate communication to different silos that could benefit from each other."
– Doximity Data Engineering Manager
Whether it has been communicated explicitly or not, if you’re expected to do IC work and management, you’re doing two jobs. However, I view this as an opportunity to actively improve my skills and company through IC work while also building a better environment for my people and their teams. Leading by example builds rapport with your team and stakeholders and allows you to experience the same challenges your team faces daily. Some problems, especially technical ones, are best diagnosed up close. If you always view things only at a high strategic level without hands-on experience, you may end up with a distorted view of the problem. At the end of the day, we’re all data people. We find joy in solving complex problems with and around data. IC work keeps us connected to what inspires us and provides the instant reward that comes with delivering a solution.
Ingredients for IC & Management Success
Create Process
"Taking time to establish core philosophies within each team provides them the fundamentals and confidence to take more ownership within their projects and products. This enables me to take more of an advisory role, which empowers my team to grow while keeping me apprised of high level project and implementation decisions so that I am informed enough to jump in and help when necessary."
– Doximity Data Engineering Manager"Though 'process' can have a bad reputation, it's essential for efficiency and time management. I balance structure with flexibility to keep processes adaptable. Clear processes provide consistency, allowing my team and me to focus on execution."
– Doximity Data Analytics Manager
Time management is one of the hardest things to do as a manager, especially when a majority of your responsibilities involve meetings. Simply suggesting someone spends less time in meetings is easier said than done. Creating a process such that your presence at meetings isn’t required to obtain the information you need ensures success in your teams, projects, and people. For example, align with tech leads on your team so they know when and how to tag you on proposals and communication threads. Encourage conversations in team-wide channels rather than individual direct messages. Sync with your product managers monthly to keep a pulse on team success.
Plan Your Time
"Dedicating time to IC work and dedicating time to management separately allows each to get the proper attention that they need. Trying to manage both at the same time can lead to burnout or frustration from those that are depending on you."
– Doximity Data Engineering Manager
Time management is one of the hardest things to do as a manager, period. Yes, I intentionally wrote that again. While processes can reduce meeting demands on your calendar, there will still be meetings, ad-hoc requests, and an abundance of Slack messages and emails vying for your attention. We’ve all had days filled with meetings or goals for getting things done, only to find 30 minutes here and there to make progress. This won’t enable you to go deep on any particular task. Introducing focus blocks on your calendar communicates expectations to others and yourself about your priorities. This will ebb and flow from day to day, week to week, and quarter to quarter. Claire Lew, CEO and IC contributor at Canopy, a leadership development company, calls this technique "Fluid Focus."1 You won’t always be able to prioritize time for deep IC work, and that’s okay. Planning your time means also planning fluidity into your plans.
Delegate, Delegate, Delegate!
"I view delegating as an act of advocacy and sponsorship. Each time you entrust someone else with a task, you are demonstrating your confidence in their abilities. This fosters their growth as well as a stronger working relationship."
– Doximity Data Analytics Manager
Delegation is crucial for a manager. When considering time for IC work, recognize opportunities for others to lead or own various projects, freeing up time for you to contribute where your unique skills are most needed. Additionally, when taking on larger projects yourself, ensure you build them in a way that allows transition to team members. Focus on achieving a minimum-viable-product or proof-of-concept. This gives you an opportunity to lead by example while also scoping a manageable deliverable for yourself.
Choose Wisely
"My team's objectives serve all of the Doximity Data Teams. Since my primary motivation is the enablement of my team, I tend to choose IC work that insulates my team from short-term matters so that they can focus on the objectives that deliver high-value outcomes to the entire Data organization."
– Doximity Data Platform Engineering Manager
The types of projects or tasks you take on as a manager won’t be the same as those you took on as an individual contributor. When each day carries the potential for interruptions and possible fires to fight, your priorities will inevitably shift, and they should. Choose projects that aren’t time-sensitive and that aren’t dependencies for someone else’s work. This affords you the freedom to reprioritize without derailing your team or leaving you unable to deliver on commitments. The best type of project work will be something seen as a “nice-to-have” or a “quality-of-life” improvement. These projects take advantage of your unique strengths and expertise and are a great opportunity to guide your team on how to work with similar projects in the future.
The Rest is Up to You
Being a manager is challenging enough without the expectation to contribute individually. However, contributing alongside your team brings numerous benefits, making you a better manager and data professional. That said, you set yourself up for failure if you take on the same projects as you did as an IC and try to squeeze project work in between meetings. Instead, reframe the kinds of things you work on, carve out dedicated time for IC work, and keep an eye out for small, non-urgent, well-scoped projects that leverage your strengths and bring value to your team and organization. While it may take more effort than traditional management roles, the fulfillment obtained through guiding and shaping teams while also actively learning and applying yourself technically is worth it. Whether you call yourself a Data Strategist is up to you. 😊
Acknowledgments
Thanks to the entire Data Leadership team at Doximity for sharing their quotes, feedback and experience.
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