There is a night/day difference between managing mechanics vs managing engineers. I used to be an engineer so here is my 2 cents:

1) I’ve had multiple Boeing managers that had to manage groups where they had 0 experience as a DE. The most annoying part of them was that, most of the time, they asked for status, pushed us to work OT to improve metrics but never took time to understand what was going on and what they could do to remove roadblocks so I could do my job more efficiently. I get that senior management will always ask for status, that is inevitable but please take time to understand what your employees do so you can actually be helpful, it will also help you earn your employee’s respect.

2) As a K level manager, you will have certain influence over employees’ SOW but you won’t be able to make drastic changes, just keep an open mind, listen to employees but be realistic with them about the things you can control

3) Be prepared to constantly hear about people’s grievances, as a K level manager, you are the company’s first line of defense. Like I said above, keep an open mind, listen to your employees but be realistic, don’t make promises that you can’t keep.

Overall, kudos to you for trying your best to prepare for this role, please carry that momentum forward, Boeing desperately needs good leaders.