Context
Engineering managers often operate in relative isolation. Within a company there are forums for engineers and for senior leadership, but EMs rarely have structured space to share problems, learn from peers, or develop their management practice with people facing similar challenges.
Challenge
Creating something that felt genuinely useful rather than another meeting. The risk was building a forum that people attended out of obligation but didn’t find valuable, which would signal that EM development wasn’t a priority.
Approach
I kept the format deliberately light: a small group, a rotating facilitator, and a single topic per session chosen by the group. No slides, no agenda sent in advance, no formal outputs. The emphasis was on candid peer conversation. I sourced the first few topics by asking EMs what problems they were actually sitting with.
Outcome
The group ran consistently for over a year. Attendance was voluntary and remained high. Several EMs cited it as one of the most useful parts of their development. The format was later adapted and used across other manager communities in the organisation.