Visual Mapping into People Management: Meet Curriculum Manager Jiwon Shin

“I approach my directs with a collaborative mindset, giving them the opportunity to be the expert and advise me on what they'd do in my shoes. Having a discussion and opening the space to let them share their opinions based on their expertise is really important.”

In this series of interviews with managers across Skillsoft, we aimed to uncover the power skills that play a pivotal role in managing technical teams. Throughout the series, you’ll hear from distinctive technical leaders across the Skillsoft team, ranging from curriculum developers to a director of software engineering, to shed light on the unique challenges technical managers face in people management roles. 

In the dynamic world of tech education and leadership, Jiwon Shin stands out. As the curriculum manager of Skillsoft’s Codecademy programming and software development courses, she leads a team of five instructional designers and has already distinguished herself as a collaborative and compassionate leader. During our conversation with Jiwon, she shed light on the journey that brought her to Skillsoft and the skills she has found invaluable throughout her time as a people manager.

From an early age, Jiwon found herself drawn to teaching and mentoring others. She grew up in a family of educators and always found that teaching and caring for others came naturally. After earning her undergraduate degree in Computer Science, Jiwon pursued a master's at NYU Tish School of the Arts in Interactive Telecommunications. Here, her studies in motion and depth tracking technology, particularly in alignment with dance movements, underscored her interdisciplinary approach to technology and creativity. Her interest in coding was catalyzed by an early graduate school experience at Google’s Summer of Code, where she first started as a software engineer before transitioning into a mentorship role.

“I've always been interested in mentoring and helping other grad students learn how to program. The coding program was unique because it brought together different people from different backgrounds, some who loved art but were new to programming and others who were new to art and loved programming. And because I'd been living between the spaces for a while, I was able to help both sides understand and marry them together.”

Jiwon's career trajectory took a pivotal turn when she joined Codecademy as a curriculum developer. This role not only allowed her to hone her technical skills as a coding professional but also to delve into crafting educational pathways that would empower aspiring programmers, especially women entering technical careers. Her natural inclination towards teaching and mentoring played a significant role in shaping her desire to make complex technical concepts accessible to learners of all backgrounds.

As her responsibilities grew, Jiwon transitioned into a management role, initially guided by a mentor who recognized her potential as a leader.

After spending about three years in various curriculum developer roles at Codecademy, Jiwon’s manager at the time pushed her to consider her career trajectory for the next one, two, and five years. He wanted to see Jiwon succeed and was committed, as a manager, to positioning her for success. 

“My first manager at Skillsoft was great. He cared about what I did on the day-to-day but also encouraged me to think about what I wanted to a year or three years down the road. He really poked me into thinking about it sooner rather than later. He asked if I would ever want to be a manager and if I'd be interested in having a direct report. I told him why not? He gave me some informal mentoring opportunities within the department and really helped me to see management in a more bite-sized way.”

She recalled a project where she was asked to create a skill map for everything that someone was trying to be a front-end developer needs to know. She fondly described this as one of her first projects where she could dip her toes into strategic planning for the department. Jiwon was able to take a step back from individual course creation and think about the fundamental skills front-end developers need to be successful. Everything from designing user interfaces to implementation to debugging, this project allowed her to view curriculum development from a broader perspective. It also contributed to her interest in pursuing a management role where these projects become a primary responsibility, enabling her to develop her strategic planning and critical thinking skills.

It was in early 2023 that Jiwon was officially promoted to curriculum manager where she began her new manager journey. The transition from individual contributor, where Jiwon could rely on her technical expertise, to manager where she needed invaluable power skills like communication and active listening was an adjustment. 

Jiwon’s first direct report ended up being someone she already knew and had a personal friendship with. For Jiwon, this meant having to quickly adjust to having a friend as a direct report, and as a manager making sure she was setting healthy work and personal boundaries. Jiwon and her new direct report had to establish a clear definition of their professional relationship from the get-go and make sure they both felt comfortable with the new dynamic. Jiwon found that communication and autonomy rose to the forefront of her management style, because she had the trust with this team member from the beginning. 

“My biggest challenge of making the transition to manager was that everyone is different. Everyone cares about different things and works differently. I know that's a fact, but acknowledging it from the manager's perspective, I feel like does need a bit more time to click. In the context of a classroom, a teacher knows every student learns differently. But then if you're not teaching, and you are people managing, it takes a moment to acknowledge that. You learn quickly that something might’ve worked well with my first report does not necessarily work with well with my second or other direct reports.”

Currently, Jiwon leads a team of instructional designers who specialize in developing programming and software developer curriculum. Her role blends technical expertise with a deep commitment to fostering a collaborative and supportive work environment. She believes in empowering her team members to innovate and grow, reflecting her belief that effective management is about enabling others to achieve their professional goals.

“Something that is important to recognize on a technical team is you're never going to be an expert in everything. I could tell everyone that I'm an expert in all things programming and software development, but really, that's just not possible. So, instead, I approach my directs with a collaborative mindset, giving them the opportunity to be the expert and advise me on what they'd do in my shoes. Having a discussion and opening the space to let them share their opinions based on their expertise is really important.” 

One of Jiwon's pivotal growth areas as a manager was mastering difficult conversations. She approaches these with empathy and constructive feedback, ensuring that negative feedback is framed in a way that promotes growth and invites input from her team members on improvement strategies. This approach has proven not only to help build trust but also to cultivate a culture of continuous learning and mutual respect amongst her team members.

Rather than being seen as just a boss, Jiwon prefers the term advisor, reflecting her desire for her team to take ownership of their work and accomplishments. She believes in celebrating successes openly, giving her team visibility and recognition for their contributions.

Jiwon's emphasis on collaboration as a cornerstone of effective leadership resonates deeply in today's fast-paced and interconnected work environments.

Managers like Jiwon recognize that technical expertise alone isn't enough to drive success; fostering collaboration, communication, empathy, and mentorship among team members is equally essential. 

As technology continues to evolve rapidly, the ability of managers to navigate and harness the diverse strengths of their teams becomes a strategic advantage. Jiwon's insights serve as a compelling reminder that investing in power skills isn't just beneficial—it's imperative for nurturing high-performing teams and achieving sustained success in the ever-changing landscape of technology and innovation.