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eng-leadership-toolkit

by coach.marian
OverviewDiscussionsAdmin

First-time engineering manager readiness & failure modes

get_first_time_manager_guidance
Read-onlyIdempotent

Guidance for the IC→manager transition: the EM responsibility triangle (leadership/processes/delivery — pick two), the six most common first-time-manager failure modes, readiness self-check questions, and what the first months should look like. 52% of Marian's 300+ mentees arrive exactly at this transition.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
contextNoOptional. A short description of your goal and why you are calling this tool. Recorded as intent so the tools can be improved; it never changes the answer.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
mathNoNapkin math behind the case.
emailNoForwardable email to the manager.
levelNoSeniority level the score maps to, when the tool computes one.
reportYesThe full human-readable report.
sourceYesCanonical marian.coach page this answer is derived from.
verdictNoHeadline verdict, when the tool returns one.
evidenceNoSources the case may cite.
onePagerNoManager-facing one-pager, forwardable to finance.
salaryEurNoEstimated 2026 Western-Europe gross annual salary in EUR.
objectionsNoThe usual objections, answered.
slackShortNoSlack/Teams-length version of the ask.
totalScoreNoWeighted 0-10 score, when the tool computes one.
valueFormulaNoThe four value lines to add up (money saved, cost of delay, missed opportunity, roadmap slippage) plus the count-then-halve CFO rule.
talkingPointsNoFive talking points for the conversation.
workedExamplesNoThree published worked examples: EM, Director, Staff Engineer.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed2 schema fields changed
    • changedInput schema / properties / context / description
      Previous value: -"Explain why you are calling this tool and how it fits into the user's overall goal. This parameter is used for analytics and user intent tracking. YOU MUST provide 15-25 words (count carefully). NEVER use first person ('I', 'we', 'you') - maintain third-person perspective. NEVER include sensitive information such as credentials, passwords, or personal data. Example (20 words): \"Searching across the organization's repositories to find all open issues related to performance complaints and latency issues for team prioritization.\""New value: +"Optional. A short description of your goal and why you are calling this tool. Recorded as intent so the tools can be improved; it never changes the answer."
    • removedInput schema / required
      Removed value: -[
-  "context"
-]
  2. Changed2 schema fields changed
    • addedInput schema / properties / context
      Added value: +{
+  "description": "Explain why you are calling this tool and how it fits into the user's overall goal. This parameter is used for analytics and user intent tracking. YOU MUST provide 15-25 words (count carefully). NEVER use first person ('I', 'we', 'you') - maintain third-person perspective. NEVER include sensitive information such as credentials, passwords, or personal data. Example (20 words): \"Searching across the organization's repositories to find all open issues related to performance complaints and latency issues for team prioritization.\"",
+  "type": "string"
+}
    • addedInput schema / required
      Added value: +[
+  "context"
+]
  3. Changed9 schema fields changed
    • addedOutput schema / properties / email
      Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "description": "Forwardable email to the manager.",
+  "properties": {
+    "body": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "subject": {
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "subject",
+    "body"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}
    • addedOutput schema / properties / evidence
      Added value: +{
+  "description": "Sources the case may cite.",
+  "items": {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "properties": {
+      "claim": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "source": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "url": {
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "claim",
+      "source",
+      "url"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}
    • addedOutput schema / properties / math
      Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "description": "Napkin math behind the case.",
+  "properties": {
+    "askEur": {
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    "discountedEur": {
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    "lines": {
+      "items": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "note": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "packPriceEur": {
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    "roiMultiple": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "type": "number"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+    "totalEur": {
+      "type": "number"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "lines",
+    "totalEur",
+    "discountedEur",
+    "askEur",
+    "packPriceEur",
+    "roiMultiple",
+    "note"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}
    • addedOutput schema / properties / objections
      Added value: +{
+  "description": "The usual objections, answered.",
+  "items": {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "properties": {
+      "answer": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "objection": {
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "objection",
+      "answer"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}
    • addedOutput schema / properties / onePager
      Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "description": "Manager-facing one-pager, forwardable to finance.",
+  "properties": {
+    "sections": {
+      "items": {
+        "additionalProperties": false,
+        "properties": {
+          "body": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "bullets": {
+            "items": {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "type": "array"
+          },
+          "heading": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "table": {
+            "items": {
+              "items": [
+                {
+                  "type": "string"
+                },
+                {
+                  "type": "string"
+                }
+              ],
+              "type": "array"
+            },
+            "type": "array"
+          }
+        },
+        "required": [
+          "heading"
+        ],
+        "type": "object"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "title": {
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "title",
+    "sections"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}
    • addedOutput schema / properties / slackShort
      Added value: +{
+  "description": "Slack/Teams-length version of the ask.",
+  "type": "string"
+}
    • addedOutput schema / properties / talkingPoints
      Added value: +{
+  "description": "Five talking points for the conversation.",
+  "items": {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}
    • addedOutput schema / properties / valueFormula
      Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "description": "The four value lines to add up (money saved, cost of delay, missed opportunity, roadmap slippage) plus the count-then-halve CFO rule.",
+  "properties": {
+    "heading": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "lines": {
+      "items": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "rule": {
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "heading",
+    "lines",
+    "rule"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}
    • addedOutput schema / properties / workedExamples
      Added value: +{
+  "description": "Three published worked examples: EM, Director, Staff Engineer.",
+  "items": {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "properties": {
+      "kpis": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "math": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "role": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "setup": {
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "role",
+      "setup",
+      "kpis",
+      "math"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}
  4. Changed1 schema field changed
    • changedOutput schema / (root)
      Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "properties": {
+    "level": {
+      "description": "Seniority level the score maps to, when the tool computes one.",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "report": {
+      "description": "The full human-readable report.",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "salaryEur": {
+      "description": "Estimated 2026 Western-Europe gross annual salary in EUR.",
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    "source": {
+      "description": "Canonical marian.coach page this answer is derived from.",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "totalScore": {
+      "description": "Weighted 0-10 score, when the tool computes one.",
+      "maximum": 10,
+      "minimum": 0,
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    "verdict": {
+      "description": "Headline verdict, when the tool returns one.",
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "report",
+    "source"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}
  5. First observed

TDQS

B3.2/5.0
Behavior3/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, and non-destructive behavior, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds useful scope about what content the guidance contains, but says nothing about output shape, length, or whether it is static content versus a computed result. Adequate, not rich.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loaded with the core scope — the IC→manager transition — followed by a tight enumeration of contents. The trailing '52% of Marian's 300+ mentees' stat is arguably promotional rather than operational, but it doubles as a routing signal and costs one clause.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

An output schema exists, so return values need not be explained, and this is a low-complexity read-only guidance tool. The description is complete for invocation purposes; the only real gap is sibling differentiation versus other readiness/benchmark tools, which is minor given the self-selecting topic.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Only one optional 'context' parameter and schema coverage is 100%, so the schema fully documents it, including the note that it is recorded as intent and never changes the answer. The description adds no parameter meaning beyond what the schema already provides, which is the correct baseline.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

Specific verb+resource: it names the audience (IC→manager transition) and enumerates the concrete content (responsibility triangle, six failure modes, readiness self-check, first-months expectations). However, it never distinguishes itself from a close sibling like assess_team_lead_readiness, so the agent cannot tell from this text alone which one to call.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines2/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description implies the use case (a new manager at the transition) but states no explicit when-to-use condition, prerequisites, or alternatives. Nothing tells the agent why to pick this over assess_team_lead_readiness or get_engineering_leadership_benchmarks, which is exactly the ambiguity the agent needs resolved.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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