Describe a time when you showed initiative.

Situation:

In my previous role as a Senior Engineering Manager at XYZ Tech, our team was responsible for maintaining and enhancing a critical component of our company's flagship product. The component had a growing backlog of feature requests and bug fixes, and the team was struggling to keep up with the demand while maintaining high-quality standards.

Task:

I recognized that our current development process was not scaling effectively to meet the increasing demands. The team was often bogged down by manual testing, which was time-consuming and prone to human error. I saw an opportunity to improve our efficiency and product quality by introducing automated testing and continuous integration (CI) practices.

Action:

1. Research and Planning: I researched best practices in automated testing and CI, and identified tools that would fit well with our existing tech stack. I created a detailed proposal outlining the benefits, required resources, and a phased implementation plan.

2. Gaining Buy-In: I presented the proposal to senior leadership, highlighting how automation could reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks and allow the team to focus on more strategic work. I also emphasized the potential for catching bugs earlier in the development cycle, improving overall product quality.

3. Pilot Project: With approval, I led a pilot project to implement automated unit tests and a CI pipeline for one of our less critical modules. I involved key team members in the process to ensure knowledge transfer and buy-in from the team.

4. Training and Implementation: After the successful pilot, I organized training sessions to upskill the team on writing automated tests and using the CI tools. We then rolled out the automation framework incrementally to other parts of the codebase.

5. Monitoring and Iteration: I set up metrics to track the impact of automation on our development process, such as time spent on testing, number of bugs detected early, and overall deployment frequency. I used these metrics to make continuous improvements to our automation strategy.

Result:

• Efficiency Gains: The introduction of automated testing and CI significantly reduced the time spent on manual testing. This allowed the team to handle a larger volume of feature requests and bug fixes without compromising on quality.

• Improved Quality: The automation framework helped catch bugs earlier in the development cycle, leading to fewer issues in production and higher customer satisfaction.

• Team Morale: By eliminating some of the more tedious aspects of the development process, the team's morale improved, and they were able to focus on more rewarding and strategic work.

Reflection:

This initiative demonstrated my ability to identify process inefficiencies, develop a strategic plan to address them, and lead the team through successful implementation. It also highlighted the importance of continuous improvement and the value of investing in automation to drive long-term success.

We have a complex backend architecture, and new developers were having a difficult time understanding how data flowed and where each application ran. I decided to go through each server and and nginx config to find how connections were routed and where data flowed, then I drew an architecture diagram on a whiteboard so all developers could see and reference it. I explained to each developer how it worked, and as a result developers were able to identify issues and potential issues quicker, and it allowed them to develop faster when they had a clear picture of the system architecture.

Earning the trust of a team is essential for effective collaboration and success. I approach this by:

1. Being Transparent: I prioritize open communication and honesty. For instance, during a project update meeting, I openly shared the challenges we were facing, which helped build trust among team members as they felt informed and included in the process.

2. Listening Actively: I make a conscious effort to listen to my team members’ ideas and concerns. When a colleague proposed a new strategy, I encouraged discussion and incorporated their feedback into our plans, demonstrating that I value their input.

3. Following Through on Commitments: I ensure that I meet deadlines and deliver on my promises. For example, when I noticed our team was at risk of missing a deadline on a key project, I took the initiative to reorganize our workflow, delegate tasks more effectively, and set up short check-in meetings. This allowed us to complete the project on time, reinforcing my reliability to the team.

4. Showing Empathy: I take the time to understand the individual needs and motivations of my team members. By being supportive during high-pressure times and recognizing their personal challenges, I create a safe space for open communication.

5. Encouraging Collaboration: I foster a team-oriented culture by celebrating collective achievements. After we completed a project successfully, I organized a small team celebration to recognize everyone’s contributions and strengthen our bond.

6. Being Approachable: I maintain an open-door policy, inviting team members to share their thoughts or concerns. This accessibility helps establish a friendly atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable engaging with me.

By implementing these strategies and sharing specific examples, I build a foundation of trust that strengthens team dynamics and enhances overall performance."

Situation/Task: Team had a growing backlog of inactive tickets that were over a year old, and the ticket queue was growing every week.

Action: Organized a bug bash to close old tickets or assign developers to work on them. Added longer running tickets to the next sprint backlog. There were certain tickets which were unassigned, asked team to have oncalls have a go at them to be discussed during next ops call, with a target of 5 oldest unassigned tickets to be resolved if possible.

Result: Ticket count went down 50% and old ticket (+1 year) count went down 90%. Oncalls were able to make sense of existing and new tickets without going through pages of left tickets.