Surviving in the "chaos management" era

Engineering managers are navigating an unusually chaotic period marked by AI-driven expectation inflation, widespread layoffs, org flattening, and rapid project pivots. The key argument is that more AI skills are not the answer — what EMs need most are non-technical skills: communicating clearly under pressure, managing up to distracted directors, and persuading stakeholders across the org. Two core skills are highlighted: information compression/decompression (articulating ideas concisely and listening effectively) and persuasion (with five named methods). The most actionable advice is to proactively seek high-quality feedback from senior leaders rather than waiting for it, using specific, focused questions to get past generic praise.