Unlocking the Power of the Skip Level Meetings — Darva Satcher // GitLab Inc.

Quotes

• "We are led by the product. So as the product changes, the team change. So currently, AI is coming, which will also impact the team structure." - Darva Satcher

• "Skip levels are when I'm a director, and my direct reports are engineering managers, and engineers reporting to me, to the engineering managers. There is a gap between what the engineers are working on and what I'm working on, on a day-to-day basis. Most directors were engineering managers, right? So, we're used to working with engineers, so we don't get the opportunity to. It's important not only for us to stay in touch and engage with them. But for them to keep in touch with us." - Darva Satcher

• "I usually go into the skip level meetings saying; your manager is your coach. I'm a cheerleader on the sidelines rooting for you. We're a team to support you. And you have twice as many people looking out for you. You've got your managers coaching you, and then I'm your sponsor. It's great feedback. It creates results because it affects change. It makes psychological safety because they're not afraid to speak up." - Darva Satcher

• "The director scares people off. Every year, someone has an anniversary, it's in the channel, and I reach out to them. When I meet with engineering managers, I ask them who's winning and doing something great. And then I'll go into the group Slack channel and say, fantastic job XYZ you had an amazing impact here. Fantastic. Anytime you see something, you say something." - Darva Satcher

• "If they say something that the engineering manager is not doing, or if they have a meeting, they've requested of me to say that, I want that information. I like that feedback because that's how I coach the engineering manager." - Darva Satcher

• "Rule number one, always have an agenda. Rule number two, from the very beginning, says, "I'm going to share this information with your engineering manager." How can you affect change if you have a long meeting and can't tell your engineering manager?" - Darva Satcher

• "Another rule is to look at it as data. Don't look at it as right or wrong. After they say, my managers are not supporting my career, when you go to the manager, the manager might say, but I am. It doesn't matter what you think you're doing. What matters is the result." - Darva Satcher

• "Take yourself and your emotions out of the way and say, Well, regardless of what I think I'm doing, the direct report is not receiving that, and I need to support them where they are. I need to force them where I am." - Darva Satcher

• "For some reason, I process frustration by pivoting to a challenge. Wow, this is an opportunity; the more frustrated I am, the more frustrated most people are about the same thing. I found an opportunity to improve efficiency." - Darva Satcher