Engineering Team Red Flags and What They Mean

We’ve all seen stressed-out and poorly performing Engineering organizations. Over my years in technology, I’ve seen the same red flags pop up repeatedly, with predictable results. I’m sharing the top 9 signs I look for, along with what they usually indicate, in the hope that others who see the same signs will better understand them and see the next steps to resolve them. Fear In the highly unstable world of technology, fear is far too common. Engineering teams are sometimes prized assets of an organization and sometimes expensive cost centers. At most organizations, they are both, depending on who you talk to. But fear is corrosive. It impedes trust and hinders productivity. It pulls attention away from the work and creates conditions for negative politics to thrive. Signs of fear appear in faces and body language. They show up in defensiveness and insecurity. They manifest in politics. They mean that staff don’t feel secure in their roles. Usually, they are afraid of threats to their