"Fix it. Flag it. Coach it. What kind of manager are you?"

I’ve talked before about hands-on coding as a manager being a slippery slope.

It starts with the best intentions, you want to stay close to the work, unblock the team, lead by example. But then something happens: you spot an issue in production, or in a pull request that’s already been merged.

You sigh, fix it quietly, and move on.

It feels efficient. No awkward conversations. No slowing anyone down. Just… handled.

And if you’re a hands-on manager, the temptation is always there.

But that quiet fix, however well-intentioned, becomes a habit. And the more often it happens, the more invisible your thinking, and their learning, becomes.

As managers and Tech Leads we should be doing something different. When we find an issue in some reviewed code rather than fix it ourselves, try gathering the team and asked:

Not to blame, but to understand.
What pressures were they under? What assumptions were in play? What feedback habits had formed?

That moment got me thinking about how management responses to issues like this tend to evolve.

• Level 1: Fix it yourself. Fast, but invisible.
• Level 2: Raise it directly. Honest, but risks shame.
• Level 3: Use it to coach. Slower, but grows people.
• Level 4: Look for systemic causes. Clearer standards, better safety nets.
• Level 5: Build a culture where the team spots and fixes issues themselves.

Each level includes care — but the focus shifts from protecting the team to equipping the team.

Takeaway:​
Next time you catch yourself fixing something quietly, ask:

That’s where growth lives.

Until next time,
Dermot
​The Messy Middle

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