Just like almost every organization this time of the year, we have a lot going on. While I try to ensure our engineering organization strives to be a calm organization as much as possible, sometimes there is a lot going on. We're finishing up 2024 OKR planning, end of year reviews and dealing with some changes within our company.

Recently an Engineering Manager in my org had to take a sick day. With so much going on, it's probably not the most convenient time to get sick. Well, that is life and people get sick. One thing I noticed when that manager took a sick day was how the teams they manage are able to not miss a beat (to some extent of course). Their team's work didn't just stop on that day. Processes were already put into place where their teams can continue to move along even when they are not there. The team knew when to bring me in but also knew to consider "Could it wait until the manager gets back?"

Part of being an effective leader is ensuring you can take breaks when needed and the ship can continue to sail while you are away. I'm very proud to say we (Engineering Leadership at our company) have put a lot of intention into ensuring we are not a blocker and can shepherd our teams into doing great work.

I highly recommend all leaders try out the sick day test. Does the ship keep sailing or do you teams have a bunch of things for you when you return?