As a  technical program manager (TPM), my background in anthropology makes a huge difference. Anthropologists do fieldwork and observation to study human culture and societies and gain insights into human behaviors and interactions. 

Understanding how people interact and behave is vital in the workplace, too. I use these anthropological methods to support my engineering teams; leveraging these techniques have been so impactful that some have started calling me the “Engineer Whisperer.” 

Shared scope: Product Managers and Technical Program Managers

Wherever there’s shared scope in an organization, it helps to have an understanding of the role. Product managers (PMs) and Technical Program Managers (TPMs) are important counterweights to each other. 

PMs are responsible for the long-term vision of the product and its market fit. They’re engaged throughout the product lifecycle, from scoping and adoption, all the way through user satisfaction and feedback.

TPMs deal with cross-team collaborations. They provide alignment between product, engineering, and business. Product features and strategy have an enormous impact on technical program management, driving the vision every step of the way. 

TPMs and PMs both work with engineering teams to shape workflow and manage challenges to support that vision. 

However, TPMs ensure that all teams are aligned and working toward the same objectives. They keep stakeholders informed about project status and share updates about challenges that could impact the timeline. They bridge the gap between engineering and the business.

And that’s where a little “engineer whispering” comes in handy.

Anthropology in the workplace

From an anthropologist’s perspective, engineering rituals like daily stand-ups and code reviews are essential cultural practices. These activities establish behavioral norms, reinforce group identity and facilitate knowledge transfer. Each engineering team develops its own micro-culture with a distinct language, customs, and values that shape their collective behavior and output. 

An engineer whisperer needs to understand these rituals and norms so they can first understand their teams, and then shape them. Three anthropological methods are essential:

• Participant observation. When you start working with new teams, pay close attention to their daily rituals and culture. Don’t just observe: join in. The more you know about the culture and rhythms of the team, the sooner you may find some areas for improvement, such as communication or process bottlenecks.

• Communication analysis. Pay special attention to how the team communicates. Do people discuss things asynchronously online or do they prefer an in-person huddle? How do they share their opinions and concerns? Is the group vocal or quiet? Do a few voices dominate? What other subtle dynamics are at play?

Just as each person communicates differently, so do engineering subcultures. The word “sprint” might mean two weeks to one team and one week to another. A deeper understanding of these nuances helps TPMs interpret and tailor communications between teams and across the business. It eliminates crossed wires, facilitating communication and making sure teams and stakeholders understand each other.

• Cross-cultural comparison. It’s not sufficient to understand your own team. TPMs who focus on efficiency and impact need to observe teams broadly, to identify best practices and innovative solutions across different teams. At the same time, what works for one doesn’t always work for another. If an approach suits your team, use it. If not, tweak it or find inspiration to evolve something different that produces the same result.

Building new rituals and establishing new norms

Techniques borrowed from anthropology can help engineering teams build new rituals and let engineers take an active role themselves in cross-cultural comparisons. One of the best techniques is bringing different engineering teams together for a  30-minute round table to discuss a single topic. Having a basic requirement that every participant share a thought or takeaway on the topic gives everyone a voice. 

Establishing norms can also help engineers overcome several common challenges such as work interruptions, unanticipated scope changes, and unfeasible deadlines. Ultimately, TPMs are responsible for reducing these frictions. 

In engineering, everything must be planned out ahead of time. Teams need concrete directions at the outset to plan for and deliver impact and value. A TPM can establish milestones and avoid scope discussions, new requests, blocks, and changes. With clear communication, the TPM can clearly capture engineering capacity of a project and manage expectations before committing to due dates. When projects and requests come in, the TPM ensures that all dates and commitments are validated with the team. 

A single point of contact approach established by a TPM becomes the source of truth for status reports and updates. This reduces the number of incoming voices, keeping people aligned in an “onwards and upwards” project trajectory. 

“The way of the TPM”

The TPM is the liaison who anticipates project obstacles, communicates them, creates buffers, and makes necessary adjustments to timelines or milestones. It’s an evolving role that consistently bridges the gap between engineering and business.

Change is inevitable, but how teams cope with change is key. Creative solutions to keep projects on track or adjusting delivery also keep teams flexible and adaptive when project requirements and priorities change. Communication and understanding are fundamental for process improvements and continuous learning. The TPM (with a little help from anthropology) shows the team the way.

Ready to become an engineer whisperer? Learn more by watching my DevCon presentation, A TPM’s Guide: Become an Engineer Whisperer.