Building High-Performing Network Engineering Teams: Beyond Technical Skills
What Makes a Network Engineering Team Truly High-Performing?
A month into managing a network engineering team, I've been reflecting on what separates good technical teams from exceptional ones. It's not just about having the smartest engineers or the latest certifications – though technical competence is certainly important.
High-performing network engineering teams share characteristics that go beyond individual technical skills: they collaborate seamlessly during outages, anticipate problems before they become critical, continuously learn and adapt to new technologies, and most importantly, they multiply each other's effectiveness rather than just working in parallel.
Building this kind of team is both an art and a science, requiring deliberate strategies for hiring, development, and culture building.
The Foundation: What High-Performing Network Teams Look Like
Technical Excellence with Collaborative Spirit
They Don't Just Fix Problems – They Prevent Them:
Proactive monitoring and capacity planning
Documentation that actually gets used and updated
Knowledge sharing that prevents single points of failure
Continuous improvement mindset
They Work as a Unit During Critical Situations:
Seamless incident response with clear roles
Effective communication under pressure
Post-incident learning without blame
Collective ownership of outcomes
They Continuously Evolve Their Skills:
Stay current with industry trends
Share knowledge internally through mentoring
Take calculated risks with new technologies
Learn from failures without fear
The Multiplier Effect
Individual contributors work in isolation, and their output is the sum of individual efforts. High-performing teams create a multiplier effect where the collective output exceeds what individuals could produce separately.
In network engineering, this shows up as:
One engineer's automation work benefits the entire team
Cross-training eliminates bottlenecks and single points of failure
Collaborative troubleshooting solves complex problems faster
Shared standards and processes reduce errors and rework
Building Blocks: The Core Elements
1. Hiring for Team Fit AND Technical Competence
Most network engineering teams hire purely for technical skills, but the best teams hire for a combination of technical competence and team dynamics.
Technical Baseline (Non-Negotiable):
Strong networking fundamentals
Problem-solving methodology
Willingness to learn new technologies
Basic automation/scripting capability (or willingness to develop)
Team Dynamics (Equally Important):
Communication skills, especially explaining complex concepts
Collaboration mindset over "hero" mentality
Intellectual curiosity and a continuous learning attitude
Resilience and calm under pressure
Red Flags in Network Engineering Hires:
"I know everything" attitude
Reluctance to document or share knowledge
Inability to explain technical concepts clearly
Resistance to new technologies or methodologies
Blame-first approach to problem-solving
Interview Strategies That Work
Technical Scenarios Over Trivia: Instead of: "What's the administrative distance of EIGRP?" Ask: "Walk me through how you'd troubleshoot intermittent connectivity between two sites."
Collaborative Problem-Solving: Present a complex network scenario and work through it together. You're evaluating their thought process, communication, and willingness to collaborate.
Past Experience Deep Dives: "Tell me about the most challenging network problem you've solved. What was your approach? What would you do differently?"
Team Scenario Questions: "How would you handle a situation where a teammate's configuration caused an outage?" "Describe a time you had to explain a complex technical concept to non-technical stakeholders."
2. Skill Development Strategy
High-performing teams don't just happen – they require intentional skill development that goes beyond individual certifications.
Technical Skill Development:
Individual Growth Plans:
Annual skill assessment and goal setting
Certification support and study groups
Conference and training opportunities
Lab time for experimentation
Team-Wide Capabilities:
Cross-training to eliminate knowledge silos
Automation and scripting skill development
Cloud networking competencies
Security-focused networking skills
Soft Skill Development (Often Overlooked):
Communication Skills:
Technical writing and documentation
Presentation skills for business stakeholders
Incident communication protocols
Cross-team collaboration
Professional Development:
Project management fundamentals
Vendor relationship management
Budget and business case development
Mentoring and knowledge transfer
Example: Quarterly Development Planning
Q1 Focus: Foundation Strengthening
Individual: Complete automation scripting course
Team: Standardize documentation templates
Soft skills: Technical presentation workshop
Q2 Focus: Emerging Technologies
Individual: Cloud networking certification
Team: SD-WAN pilot implementation
Soft skills: Stakeholder management training
Q3 Focus: Collaboration and Process
Individual: Cross-training on team member specialties
Team: Incident response process improvement
Soft skills: Conflict resolution workshop
Q4 Focus: Strategic Planning
Individual: Industry conference attendance
Team: Next year technology roadmap development
Soft skills: Business writing and budget justification
3. Creating Psychological Safety for Technical Risk-Taking
Network engineering can be risk-averse by necessity – mistakes can cause significant business impact. But high-performing teams need psychological safety to innovate, learn from failures, and take calculated risks.
Building Psychological Safety:
Blameless Post-Mortems: Focus on process and system improvements, not individual fault-finding. Ask "How did our processes allow this to happen?" not "Who made the mistake?"
Encourage Controlled Experimentation:
Dedicated lab environments for testing
"Innovation time" for exploring new technologies
Support for automation projects and process improvements
Recognition for intelligent failures that provide learning
Open Communication Channels:
Regular one-on-ones for honest feedback
Team retrospectives after major projects
Open-door policy for concerns and ideas
Anonymous feedback mechanisms when needed
Example: Failure Recovery Framework
When something goes wrong:
Immediate Response: Fix the problem, restore service
Initial Debrief: What happened, what was the impact
Root Cause Analysis: Why did it happen, what allowed it
Process Improvement: How do we prevent similar issues
Knowledge Sharing: Document and share learnings team-wide
Follow-up: Verify improvements are working
4. Knowledge Sharing and Documentation Culture
Technical knowledge hoarding is the enemy of high-performing teams. Creating a culture of knowledge sharing requires both systems and incentives.
Systematic Knowledge Sharing:
Documentation Standards:
Network diagrams and topology documentation
Configuration standards and templates
Troubleshooting runbooks and procedures
Decision rationale for architectural choices
Regular Knowledge Transfer:
Weekly technical discussions or "lunch and learns"
Peer code/configuration reviews
Cross-training sessions
New technology evaluation and sharing
Making Documentation Valuable:
Keep it current and accurate
Make it searchable and accessible
Reward good documentation habits
Use it as onboarding and training material
Knowledge Sharing Incentives:
Recognition Programs:
Highlight excellent documentation in team meetings
Include knowledge sharing in performance evaluations
Create "technical expert" recognition for subject matter expertise
Celebrate automation and process improvements
Career Development:
Mentoring opportunities for senior team members
Conference presentation opportunities
Internal technical leadership roles
Cross-functional project leadership
5. Communication and Collaboration Systems
Network teams often work across different shifts, handle urgent issues, and coordinate with multiple other departments. Effective communication systems are critical.
Internal Team Communication:
Daily Operations:
Morning standup meetings (brief, focused)
Shared documentation and runbooks
Clear escalation procedures
Consistent status update formats
Project Coordination:
Regular project status meetings
Clear role and responsibility definitions
Milestone tracking and reporting
Risk identification and mitigation planning
Cross-Functional Communication:
Business Stakeholder Engagement:
Regular relationship building with key departments
Clear SLA definitions and reporting
Proactive communication about planned changes
Business-friendly language in status updates
Vendor and Partner Management:
Coordinated vendor relationship management
Clear contact protocols and escalation paths
Regular vendor performance reviews
Strategic partnership development
Team Structure and Role Definition
Traditional Network Team Roles
Senior Network Engineers:
Complex design and implementation
Mentor junior team members
Vendor relationship management
Strategic technology evaluation
Network Engineers:
Day-to-day configuration and maintenance
Standard implementation and troubleshooting
Documentation and process compliance
Skill development and certification pursuit
Network Analysts/Administrators:
Monitoring and basic troubleshooting
Report generation and data analysis
User access management
Inventory and asset management
High-Performing Team Adaptations
Cross-Functional Roles:
Automation Champion: Drives scripting and automation initiatives
Security Liaison: Coordinates with the security team and maintains security-focused networking
Business Relationship Manager: Primary interface with business stakeholders
Vendor Relationship Coordinator: Manages vendor relationships and evaluates new technologies
Flexible Specializations: Rather than rigid role boundaries, create expertise areas that team members can grow into:
SD-WAN and cloud connectivity specialist
Security and compliance expert
Automation and scripting leader
Wireless and access layer expert
Voice and UC networking specialist
Measuring Team Performance
Traditional IT metrics often miss what makes teams truly high-performing. Here are metrics that matter for network engineering teams:
Technical Performance Metrics
Proactive vs. Reactive Work:
Percentage of work that's planned vs. emergency response
Time spent on automation and process improvement
Proactive problem identification and resolution
Quality Metrics:
Incident frequency and severity trends
Change success rate and rollback frequency
Documentation completeness and accuracy
Configuration standard compliance
Efficiency Metrics:
Mean time to resolution for different issue types
Project delivery timeline accuracy
Cross-training and knowledge transfer effectiveness
Automation adoption and impact measurement
Team Dynamics Metrics
Collaboration Indicators:
Knowledge sharing frequency and participation
Cross-training completion rates
Peer review participation and quality
Collective problem-solving success
Development and Growth:
Certification completion rates
Internal promotion and advancement
Skills assessment improvements
Conference and training participation
Culture and Satisfaction:
Team satisfaction surveys
Retention rates and voluntary turnover
Internal mobility and career progression
360-degree feedback results
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Pitfall 1: Hiring Only for Technical Skills
The Problem: Focusing exclusively on technical competency without considering team dynamics and soft skills.
The Result: Teams of skilled individuals who don't collaborate effectively, poor communication with business stakeholders, and knowledge silos.
The Solution: Weight team fit and communication skills equally with technical competency in hiring decisions.
Pitfall 2: Accepting Knowledge Silos
The Problem: Allowing team members to become the exclusive expert in specific areas without documentation or cross-training.
The Result: Single points of failure, inability to handle multiple complex issues simultaneously, and career limitations for team members.
The Solution: Implement mandatory cross-training, documentation standards, and knowledge-sharing expectations.
Pitfall 3: Avoiding Difficult Performance Conversations
The Problem: Technical managers often avoid addressing performance issues, hoping technical skills will compensate for behavior problems.
The Result: Team dysfunction, decreased overall performance, and frustration from high-performing team members.
The Solution: Address performance issues early and directly, with specific examples and clear improvement expectations.
Pitfall 4: Over-Reliance on Individual Heroes
The Problem: Celebrating and depending on individuals who consistently work excessive hours or single-handedly solve complex problems.
The Result: Burnout of top performers, lack of team development, and unsustainable operational model.
The Solution: Recognize team achievements, implement sustainable on-call rotations, and build team capabilities rather than depending on heroes.
Building Team Culture: The Intangibles That Matter
Continuous Learning Mindset
Creating Learning Opportunities:
Regular "failure analysis" sessions that focus on system improvements
Technology exploration time (Google's "20% time" concept)
Industry conference attendance and knowledge sharing
Internal technical presentations and discussions
Learning from Industry and Peers:
Participation in network engineering communities
Vendor beta programs and early access opportunities
Collaboration with other network teams in the industry
Active engagement with vendor technical resources
Professional Growth and Career Pathing
Individual Development Planning:
Annual career goal discussions
Skill gap analysis and development planning
Stretch assignment opportunities
Internal project leadership roles
Career Path Options:
Technical specialist track (architect, principal engineer)
Management track (team lead, department manager)
Cross-functional roles (DevOps, cloud architecture, security)
Vendor or consulting opportunities
Recognition and Reward Systems
Technical Achievement Recognition:
Peer nomination systems for technical excellence
Internal technical conferences and presentations
Industry conference speaking opportunities
Published articles and thought leadership
Team Achievement Celebration:
Project completion celebrations
Successful major implementation recognition
Problem-solving success stories
Process improvement achievements
Practical Implementation: Your 90-Day Team Building Plan
Days 1-30: Assessment and Foundation
Team Assessment:
Individual skill and interest assessments
Team dynamics and communication evaluation
Current process and documentation review
Stakeholder relationship mapping
Foundation Setting:
Establish team meeting cadences
Implement basic documentation standards
Begin regular one-on-one meetings
Create team communication channels
Days 31-60: Development and Process Implementation
Skill Development Launch:
Individual development plan creation
Cross-training schedule establishment
Knowledge sharing process implementation
Technical standard documentation
Process Improvement:
Incident response procedure review and improvement
Change management process optimization
Vendor relationship structure establishment
Performance metric definition and tracking
Days 61-90: Culture and Advanced Development
Culture Building:
Team retrospective processes
Recognition system implementation
Professional development opportunity identification
Long-term team goal setting
Advanced Development:
Specialization area identification
Leadership development opportunities
Industry engagement planning
Innovation project initiation
Measuring Success: What to Look For
Short-Term Indicators (30-90 days)
Improved communication during incidents
Increased participation in team meetings and discussions
Better documentation completion rates
Reduced escalation of routine issues
Medium-Term Results (3-6 months)
Faster incident resolution times
Increased cross-training completion
More proactive problem identification
Improved stakeholder satisfaction feedback
Long-Term Outcomes (6-12 months)
Reduced operational firefighting
Team members taking initiative on improvements
Successful major project deliveries
Industry recognition and career advancement for team members
Conclusion: Teams That Build Themselves
The ultimate goal of building a high-performing network engineering team is to create a group that continuously improves itself. When you've succeeded, team members will:
Proactively identify and solve problems
Share knowledge and mentor each other
Take ownership of team success and failures
Continuously learn and adapt to new technologies
Communicate effectively with technical and business stakeholders
Drive process improvements and innovation
Building this kind of team requires intentional effort, consistent leadership, and patience. It's not about hiring the smartest people and hoping they work well together – it's about creating the conditions where technical professionals can do their best work while continuously growing their capabilities.
The investment in building a high-performing team pays dividends in reduced operational stress, faster problem resolution, successful project delivery, and career satisfaction for everyone involved.
Key Takeaways:
Hire for team fit AND technical skills – both are essential
Create psychological safety for calculated risk-taking – innovation requires safe failure
Invest in systematic knowledge sharing – eliminate silos and single points of failure
Measure team dynamics alongside technical metrics – culture drives performance
Focus on sustainable practices over heroic individual efforts – build systems, not dependencies
The best network engineering teams aren't just groups of skilled individuals – they're collaborative systems that amplify everyone's capabilities and continuously evolve to meet new challenges.