Put Roadmapping On Your Roadmap
Picture this…you tell your manager you eventually want to become a higher-level software engineer (senior/staff/whatever). They respond that to get there, you need to start thinking more about the long-term direction of the team and ways to increase your impact.
You leave the meeting and ask yourself, where do I start?
Start with getting involved in roadmapping.
Most teams dedicate time to plan out the roadmap for the quarter. As a software engineer, it’s difficult to have the impact required of higher-level engineers if you are not involved in planning and roadmapping.
Do not wait until you think you have something to contribute to get involved! Being a fly on the wall is a great place to start.
Why This Is Important
It helps you understand what is and isn’t a priority for the quarter.
It gives you the opportunity to contribute ideas that could end up on the roadmap.
It gives you visibility into the process of prioritization.
It gives you an idea of what the long-term vision is.
It helps you understand how your team’s work ties back to company objectives.
It helps you understand the problems your stakeholders face (which might spark brilliant ideas).
It makes you feel more ownership over the work your team is doing.
It strengthens your collaboration muscles.