Customization Guide — Engineering Manager Toolkit

Adapt this management system to your team size, company stage, and management style.

By Team Size

Small Team (2-4 reports)

• Simplify OKRs: 1-2 objectives per quarter, each with 2-3 key results
• Weekly 1:1s (30 min) — you have time for depth
• Hiring pipeline may be overkill — use Applications table from your company's ATS instead
• Health checks: informal (ask in 1:1s instead of formal surveys)

Medium Team (5-8 reports)

• The template as-is is designed for this size
• Bi-weekly deep 1:1s alternating with quick check-ins
• Full OKR system with team + individual objectives
• Monthly health checks with the survey template

Large Team (9-15 reports)

• Consider splitting into sub-teams with tech leads
• Add a "Skip-Level 1:1" database for monthly conversations with indirect reports
• Delegate OKR tracking to tech leads, review at the team level
• Health checks become critical — can't rely on 1:1 intuition alone
• Add a "Team Leads" view to track your tech leads' effectiveness

By Company Stage

Startup (Pre-Series B)

• Simplify everything — process should never slow you down
• OKRs: company-level only, team contributes directly
• Reviews: lightweight, quarterly, focused on growth
• Hiring: you're probably doing it all yourself — streamline the pipeline

Growth Stage (Series B-D)

• Full template is appropriate
• Add cross-team OKR dependencies
• Formalize the review process with HR
• Hiring: coordinate with recruiting team, add interview training tracker

Enterprise

• Layer in compliance requirements (documentation, approvals)
• Align OKRs with corporate strategy framework
• Reviews: align with company-wide calibration process
• Add a "Succession Planning" section to team roster

Customizing 1:1s

For New Managers

Start with structure:

• Use the full template every time
• Prepare 2-3 questions in advance
• Take notes and share them with the team member
• Follow up on every action item

For Experienced Managers

Adapt the template:

• Use it as a lightweight checklist, not a rigid agenda
• Let conversations flow naturally
• Focus on listening more than asking prepared questions
• Keep the action item tracking — that's always valuable

1:1 Formats for Different Situations

Additional Properties to Consider

For Team Roster

For OKRs

Integration with Company Tools

With Your Company's HRIS

• Keep this as your personal management tool alongside official systems
• Use the performance review template for your prep — then enter formal ratings in the HRIS
• Cross-reference compensation data when relevant (keep it private)

With Project Management (Jira/Linear)

• Link OKR key results to epics/projects in your PM tool
• Use sprint velocity as input to OKR progress tracking
• Keep management data in Notion, engineering data in the PM tool

*Your management system should serve you, not the other way around. Start with the basics and add complexity only when you feel the need.*

Import Guide — Engineering Manager Toolkit

Step-by-step setup for your management operating system in Notion.

Step 1: Import Databases

Import in this order:

1.1 Team Roster → databases/team-roster.csv

Column types: Name (Title), Role (Select), Level (Select), Start Date (Date), Skills (Multi-select), Career Goal (Text), Last Review Date (Date), Next Review Date (Date), One on One Day (Select), Manager Notes (Text), Status (Select)

1.2 One-on-Ones → databases/one-on-ones.csv

Column types: Date (Date), Team Member (Text→Relation), Type (Select), Topics Discussed (Text), Action Items (Text), Blockers Raised (Text), Career Discussion (Text), Follow Up Items (Text), Mood (Select), Duration Minutes (Number), Next Meeting (Date)

1.3 Team OKRs → databases/team-okrs.csv

Column types: Objective (Title), Key Result (Text), Quarter (Select), Owner (Text→Relation), Status (Select: On Track/At Risk/Completed/Behind), Progress Percent (Number), Confidence (Select), Target Value (Number), Current Value (Number), Unit (Text), Notes (Text)

1.4 Hiring Pipeline → databases/hiring-pipeline.csv

Column types: Candidate Name (Title), Role (Select), Source (Select), Stage (Select), Applied Date (Date), Recruiter (Text), Resume/Phone/Technical/Culture/Overall Score (Number), Decision (Select), Offer Amount (Text), Notes (Text)

1.5 Team Health Checks → databases/team-health-checks.csv

Column types: Date (Date), Dimension (Select), Score (Number), Trend (Select), Team Size (Number), Survey Respondents (Number), Comments (Text), Action Taken (Text)

Step 2: Create Relations

• 1:1 Meetings → Team Roster (which team member)
• Team OKRs → Team Roster (OKR owner)
• Hiring Pipeline → Team Roster (optional: referral source)

Step 3: Create Views

1:1 Calendar View

On 1:1 Meetings → Calendar view by Date. Filter to upcoming meetings.

OKR Board

On Team OKRs → Board view grouped by Status. Filter to current quarter.

Hiring Pipeline Board

On Hiring Pipeline → Board view grouped by Stage.

Team Health Timeline

On Team Health Checks → Table view sorted by Date descending.

Upcoming Reviews

On Team Roster → Table view sorted by Next Review Date. Shows who's due for a review.

Step 4: Build the Hub

Create "Manager Hub" page → copy from pages/manager-hub.md → embed linked views.

Step 5: Set Up Templates

1. 1:1 Meetings → New template → templates/one-on-one-meeting.md

2. Create a separate "Performance Reviews" section → use templates/performance-review.md

3. Hiring Pipeline entries → use templates/hiring-scorecard.md as a sub-page template

Privacy Note

Keep 1:1 notes, performance reviews, and hiring pipeline private. Only share:

• OKR tracker (read-only with team)
• Team health dashboard (anonymized, with team)
• Individual 1:1 pages (only with that specific team member)