Leaving a Team Better Off

Abstract

Mojan and Fred discuss how reliability engineers can be most supportive in organizations to enable the most value-extraction from them and the team.

Key Points

Building on the discussion from episode 1138, Mojan and Fred dive into the ultimate measure of a successful Reliability Engineer: making oneself redundant. They argue that the Rel Engineer is essentially an internal consultant whose goal is to implement processes and coach teams so they can autonomously sustain DfR efforts. This shift from doing the work to enabling the team frees the engineer to tackle more interesting, systemic problems.

Topics include:

Achieving Redundancy: The ultimate goal is to work until you are no longer needed for day-to-day DfR tasks, making yourself technically “redundant.”
The Consultant Mindset: The Reliability Engineer’s primary role is that of an internal consultant, teaching the team and implementing systematic processes for self-sufficiency.
Avoiding a Disservice: Performing all DfR work yourself is a disservice, preventing the necessary skills and ownership from being embedded within the organization.
Sustainable Change: DfR must be systematic; the goal is for changes and improvements to continue long after the individual leaves the team or client.
Focusing on Value: By transferring routine tasks, you free up your bandwidth to tackle more complex, systemic, and strategically important problems.
Coaching Over Training: A successful DfR program requires hands-on coaching and asking the right questions, not just formal training, to foster team ownership.
Measuring Success: True success is building a program that is designed and prepared to thrive and continue without your constant presence.

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