The Manager-IC Relationship

I've had a handful of managers throughout my career so far, and recently I've been thinking about what separates a strong manager-IC relationship from a weak one, and what's helped me grow the most.

In my mind, the ideal manager-IC relationship is not one where the manager simply gives orders and the IC executes. It's also not one where the manager is solely responsible for the IC's growth. The best version feels something like a partnership.

A good manager is motivated to help the IC grow and advance their career, and looks for opportunities and projects for this to happen. They communicate and relay information from their own manager and the broader org to the IC, and are transparent about team goals and direction. They also give proper, candid feedback.

A good IC is self-driven and intends to grow their career. They take on increasing levels of ownership as they grow and operate with autonomy. They also care about the impact of their work, and they look for ways to make their manager's life easier, not harder. They take feedback seriously and use it to iterate.

This is the type of symbiotic relationship that helps managers and ICs thrive. It relies on both parties putting in effort, and a certain level of trust between the two.

With this in mind, you can also deduce the qualities that make for a bad manager-IC relationship. Micromanagement. Lack of trust. Lack of communication. Without these ingredients, the relationship breaks down.

Of course, not every relationship is the same. It takes time to understand each other and what is required of both parties to be successful, and there isn't a one-size-fits-all model.

The best manager-IC relationships are not accidental. They are built deliberately, over time, and through repeated cycles of execution, feedback, and trust.

But, when done right, they are everything.