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The truth about being a manager

sofiakodar.github.io

61–69 of 69 posts

Re: The truth about being a manager

#61
post #18

Looks like either you are missing the whole point of being a manager or you are selling it for sympathy. Either way it is not all that bad as you paint it. Otherwise why would lot of people dream of being promoted to a manager? You need to have the taste to enjoy your role. Managers have the power. They are "inside" people for the company while everyone below that level are just workers. Managers are in the loop for…

When the author said “bringing work home” they didn’t mean literally working at home. They meant that they spend a huge amount of time feeling stressed about work situations at home.

It's same. Thinking about work is same as working. A good manager knows how to manage their work load. That's the first trait of managing work.

Re: The truth about being a manager

#62
post #35

> You will encounter business decisions you think are terrible but you still have to sell to your team. This is incorrect. You don't have to. In fact, you shouldn't. There can be situation in which stuff will need to happen regardless, yes, but that does not require lying and probably works even better when one does not lie. The post then continues with more such falsehoods and incorrect learnings one could deconstru…

>> You will encounter business decisions you think are terrible but you still have to sell to your team.

> This is incorrect. You don't have to. In fact, you shouldn't.

> There can be situation in which stuff will need to happen regardless, yes, but that does not require lying and probably works even better when one does not lie.

Selling doesn't mean lying. It's usually possible to sell, or persuade, the team to move forward on terrible decisions, without resorting to lying, if you're a good manager.

Having said that, steering a team to execute on good or bad business decisions often do involve withholding information, and some argues -- though I disagree -- that's also lying. If you subscribe to that reasoning, then I suppose you would be right.

Re: The truth about being a manager

#63
"You’ll bring work home with you more often than not."

This happens regardless of managerial position. The only difference in management role is the lack of direct control, which when not yet internalized, keeps the mind in denial and torment (especially at home). Yet, demands from above that don't take into account the limits of control, happens a lot in business environments, unfortunately, for both managers and ICs. This (should be obvious that) is a source of stress, that gets spilled outside of work hours.

"You’re not «part of the team» anymore."

Most often, the managers are the ones choosing to distance themselves from the managed lot and seek the company of other managers or people in the power network. Otherwise, as an anecdote, I know a manager that used to organize free time events for his people all the time, like a true socialite (and getting in everyone's heads when given the chance). Therefore, from what I've seen, given the power (and resources that comes with it), being "part of the team" becomes an unchallengeable choice.

"You need to be careful with every word."

This has more to do with being an adult than being a manager. If nothing else, the power that the managerial position brings is not reflected only in the weight on the shoulders that responsible people feel, but also in the means to control the frame of interaction and with it -- the means to get away with a lot (even with abuse), and afford not to be that careful (with the managed).

"You’ll probably feel very lonely."

It's a choice, an empowered one even.

"You will carry knowledge you cannot share."

This is true. But, ICs have to sign NDAs too.

"You need to network and understand the business."

This is more of a choice that leads oneself to a successful career path, so it's a thing that makes sense for managers (with freed attention and time on their hands) to do. It's also the reason behind the above mentioned "not part of the (powerless) team" choice.

"You will miss being an engineer."

I wish this to have been true for a lot of managers out there, but it isn't. Most of the managers are ambitious people, with clear career plans, that haven't gotten in the industry for their passion of software engineering. Being surrounded by this type of people, "miss being an engineer" comes out just as the right thing to declare for others, or... childish and out of place if one truly believes it.

"You will not get the training you need."

This is just something I hear from managers that haven't yet made peace with the nature of having only an indirect control. Sure, the management game(s) require some learning, but the bar one has to reach is not about its technical aspects mentioned in the article. It's about acting as part of the core group of company (like part of command in an army). You aren't supposed to get training on this bit, you're supposed to "get it" on your own (and play ball once you do).

"You need to be the adult in the room."

Unfortunately, I've seen too many times when the managed ICs are treated like children, and "being the adult in the room" was a designed role to be assumed by the manager as a consequence. Yes, management position gives you a lot to play with, even these kind of unsavory social games. It also gives you the power to demand adult behavior from everyone in the managed team, if you choose to do so.

"You need to learn how to sell." "You must learn how to manage up."

Most of this part is just busy work. You were IC before (becoming a manager), you know how little need you had back then from your manager to get you excited to do your work. Now, the managers above you were once in your shoes too, you can bet they see right through whatever you serve them with, and more. The other departments have their own readings, independent of whatever biased information you insist to provide them. Yet, the show must go on, something you have to "get it" on your own. It's because, among other things, this is what makes true the last mentioned bit -- "being a manager can be fun and fulfilling".

Re: The truth about being a manager

#65

The reality is that there is no escaping management. A high level IC is pretty much just an unofficial manager. You are responsible for a large technical area - it's your job to meet with stakeholders, design the roadmap, build durable team processes to maintain velocity, mentor and identify the right work for the right people. You may not have back to back meetings but between 1:1s, stakeholders, projects, and ad-ho…

I went back to a senior IC role after managing for 5 years and I think there are big differences. Yeah, some aspects have to do with leadership (regardless of whether or not you manage) and there's overlap, but... there are also huge differences. I wrote about one I experienced: https://alejo.ch/3g9

Re: The truth about being a manager

#66
Two important things missing:

1) You will have technicians working for you that will earn more than you do. They will often act like prima donnas.

2) ( Advice given by a friend that was an IC, then a manager, then an IC again ): “They nip at you from the top, and they nip at you from the bottom.” Meaning that your manager will gripe at you, as well as the people under you griping at you.

Re: The truth about being a manager

#67

Mostly agree with this article. When I mentor people about managing, some other bits I also usually mention: 1. 'You’re not “part of the team” anymore.' - You're not part of the software dev team, but if you're doing things right, you're part of a team, just a new one. I encourage manager mentees of mine to read a book "Five Dysfunctions of a Team" which talks about figuring out who your "first team" is. Even in envi…

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Re: The truth about being a manager

#68
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Back in Soviet times there was a trend in Sci-Fi depicting the bright communist future when people changed professions every few years or so, often between manual and intellectual, to stay sharp.

Interesting parallel I was unaware of. On a personal level I have found it very useful to alternate between mental and physical work for the sake of endurance. If I was mentally tired I could usually still do physical work. This was helpful within the scope of a day or week and I imagine that such alternating also aids longterm endurance.

Check out this author for example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Yefremov

Re: The truth about being a manager

#69
post #53
post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those are definitely the down sides. As a manager who has had to let people go, no matter how deserved, it is a part of the job that I wish I didn't have to do, and it does disturb my sleep and peace. But there are some very meaningful upsides as well, and the one that rises above all the rest is that I genuinely love working with teams and helping them grow. Based on your list of things you don't want to do, I would…

I've seen people fired that produced 10x+ their salary in value. That certainly isn't desirable, nor is it necessary. In one case it was because a flailing upper manager was trying to find a scapegoat. I don't see ethical people get promoted to upper management. In fact, they seem to weed those people out on purpose.

I think any position of power attracts those with dark triad personality traits

The bigger the name of the company, the more attractive upper management is to these types of personalities.

If your idea of a satisfying career is navigating the various disorders associated with narcissists, egomaniacs, delusional, Machiavellian, for the status that it affords, upper management might be for you.

Mid to lower level management often just serves as the enforcement arm for this upper class. They make the “tough” decisions (which are not tough at all if you lack empathy), and force the managers under them to actually implement it (the real tough part)

The managers who have no trouble doing it (because they share the same traits) are obviously the best suited for promotion. And so it continues

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