P-Canvas, an engineering technique for (opens in new tab)

The concept of "Managing Engineering" treats team leadership as a systematic process designed to reduce the "reproduction costs" of solving recurring human and organizational challenges. By implementing the P-Canvas framework, managers can move away from abstract, directionless 1-on-1 meetings and toward a data-driven approach that visualizes a member's growth and psychological state. This methodology concludes that management can be systemized just like software engineering, allowing leads to proactively identify and resolve team issues through trend analysis and visual indicators.

The Concept of Managing Engineering

• Engineering is defined as the act of lowering reproduction costs; if a solution to a problem can be reused by others to save time and effort, it is considered engineering.
• Applying this logic to management involves creating reusable frameworks for handling complex interpersonal relationships, professional growth, and team care.
• The goal is to move beyond "neglect disguised as autonomy" by building a system that ensures team members are truly supported rather than just left to work independently.

Structure and Design of P-Canvas

• P-Canvas is a visual management framework consolidated into a single page, updated monthly over a five-month cycle to track changes over time.
• The framework utilizes three 2D coordinate systems to map complex nuances: communication proactivity, the relationship between growth and performance, and the emotional state regarding stable versus challenging tasks.
• Scale-based indicators measure quantitative factors such as workload distribution, project participation, job satisfaction, motivation levels, and the degree of "radical candor" practiced by the member.
• A hexagonal skill chart tracks six dimensions of competency: communication, team-specific values (Platform 10 rules), job expertise, work completion, knowledge generalization, and cultural contribution.

Data-Driven 1-on-1s and Problem Identification

• The framework shifts 1-on-1 conversations from vague questions like "How are you?" to specific inquiries based on data patterns, such as a sudden dip in satisfaction paired with a rise in candor.
• It functions as an early warning system, allowing leads to detect signs of burnout or interpersonal conflict before they escalate into long-term performance issues.
• By visualizing data, the lead and the member can engage in "joint problem-solving," identifying whether a decline in motivation is due to unclear roles, cultural clashes, or inefficient processes.
• The system emphasizes the "trajectory of change" rather than absolute scores, focusing on how a member recovers and grows following specific management interventions or project shifts.

Benefits of Visualized Management

• Proactive Intervention: Leads can catch subtle signals of dissatisfaction early through shifting data points rather than waiting for a member to voice a complaint.
• Objective Communication: The presence of a visual chart provides a neutral ground for discussing sensitive topics, making it easier for members to express their feelings through data.
• Verification of Support: The framework allows leads to track the effectiveness of their own management actions by observing if a member’s indicators improve in subsequent months.

Implementing a tool like P-Canvas is highly recommended for leads who find traditional 1-on-1 meetings too abstract or difficult to facilitate. By treating management as an engineering discipline, leaders can create a more predictable and supportive environment where individual growth is measured not just by output, but by a holistic view of a member’s professional and emotional well-being.