If you're not touching code you're not an engineering manager. You're a manager that happens to oversee engineers.
I might be a bit jaded, but I don't feel like I've seen an implementation of EMs I actually feel work well, at least from an IC perspective. The EM often ends up being a mix of both tech lead and all HR stuff, being overworked and unavailable, or neglecting one of the tasks.
I've actually preferred when my "EM" is on a different team than me. Can then speak freely to the person about issues in my team etc.
Your first statement certainly attracted some downvotes, but I can't disagree.
Engineering Management is supposed to be a support role, working from the sidelines on enabling engineers to deliver, manage career progression, and sometimes help untangle actual technical problems - but not act as a tech lead. My experience echoes yours: EMs serving multiple teams can do that most effectively without the role getting muddled.
It was meant to replace non-technical project management, and gives space for product to become a non-management role. If the EMs stop being technical, what's the point?
I deserved the votes jo-jo-ing up and down, as I didn't manage to put my thoughts down as eloquently as you and it came out a bit harsh.
Probably because of my recent bad experience before summer. I was tech lead at a small 3 dev team (including me). Then we got an EM assigned working full time in the team. Somehow nothing changed, I still did all the technical leadership, contributed code and talked with the stakeholders. While he was just always "busy" going to some meeting, and never could contribute. But those meetings didn't exist before he joined, and no one really knew where his time went or what he did, even had PMs asking me. And upper management expected more output now that we were one engineer more, and I had to explain I hadn't seen him work in weeks.
Of course, this is a singular bad EM, but made me question the role even more. Not the first time I've seen EMs slowly fading, getting away with doing very little except busy work.
I might be a bit jaded, but I don't feel like I've seen an implementation of EMs I actually feel work well, at least from an IC perspective. The EM often ends up being a mix of both tech lead and all HR stuff, being overworked and unavailable, or neglecting one of the tasks.
I've actually preferred when my "EM" is on a different team than me. Can then speak freely to the person about issues in my team etc.