A lightweight system for measuring engineering productivity that puts the overhead on managers, not engineers—using changelogs, standups, and visibility over surveillance.

Individual contributors can expect workplace psychological safety, but managers do not. This is not something that can be fixed, it's part of the role. Like how a plumber will sometimes have to smell sewage.

Reasons:

1. Managers are more or less fungible.
2. They compete against each other since contributors and other resources are limited.
3. They are exposed to competitive pressures affecting the company.
4. They are not fully informed about the the subjects for which they are responsible.
5. Nobody will protect managers from these factors the way an IC is protected.

Managers can have a psychologically safe environment in a "peace through strength" fashion, or by being in the right place at the right time. But it is not permanent, and regression to the mean is just a growth cycle or reorg away.

Advice for first-time managers from someone who learned it the hard way, cleaned it up, and passed it on.

A simple kanban for multiple personal projects.