Slashdot Mirror
Moving From Tech Into Management?
Mirk asks: "After 10 years of a software career built on the rock-solid foundation of doing technical work only, I can feel the hot breath of encroaching middle age on the back of my neck, bringing with it the inevitable slide into management. I'm about to do something I used to think I'd never do, and move from a purely technical job into one with a management component. I'll be responsible for leading a team of about four techies, giving perhaps 20% of my time to the management side of things. The problem is, having strenuously resisted all moves in a management direction up until now, I'm going to have to plough straight in without the benefit of any accumulated experience." So what happens when the spectre of management rears its head and you are up to the challenge as opposed to resisting it?
"Obviously I want to do this without being assimilated into the suit-wearing world. I'd like to ask if anyone can recommend any resources for someone in my position? Books would be favourite, I guess, but also Web sites, training courses - anything that can help me convert painlessly from a pure techie into some sort of mutant tech/management hybrid."
I found myself having to switch from development into management about 15 years ago. It is without doubt the most unpleasant experience I recollect in my professional life - you go from being a good technician to lousy manager with the click of fingers. The mind sets needed to manage well are completely different - development calls for intense concentration over long periods, whilst management is all about dealing with hundreds of small issues, each with no clear priority. And don't forget your team: one of the principal jobs of a manager is to listen to unfocused staff whining - if they are having problems in their personal life, this will often come out as half-thought through complaints about the project, the environment or their responsibilities. You will have to watch for the emergence of petty politics and try to stamp on it, try to motivate the team .... the list is endless. Just because Dilbert pokes fun at bad management, doesn't meant that good management is impossible, but it doesn't come about by accident. Becoming a good technician takes aptitude and years of learning and practise. Ditto becoming a good manager.
A good technician reads widely and tries to learn from his or her peers. Ditto a good manager.
If it takes 5 years to make the grade as a competent technician, how long will it take to become a good manager? These are VERY difficult organisational issues to grapple with, because whilst you can usually find a good technician if you look hard enough, good managers are much rarer creatures.
And if you think it will take 20% of your time to manage four other staff, you fall at the first hurdle. General management textbooks will tell you that the limit for even the best managers is to handle about 6 or 7 direct reports (i.e. staff you are directly responsible for). Given that that occupies 100% of a good manager, how much time will four direct reports absorb from a beginner?
Still, if I knew all the answers, I wouldn't be sat here reading Slashdot on a Sunday, I'd be in the Caribbean by now, retired, drinking rum punches instead!
First, good luck and I hope this works out for you. Since you asked, here's some things to consider:
I don't think there's any such thing as a 'management' job that takes '20%' of your time. You're either a manager or not. The 20% will expand (as needed) to 100% and tech work will end up taking a back seat. I personally find this frustrating since I love the tech part of my job, but hate the management part.
If you're some sort of liason between the techie types and some other manager, then you're put in an untenable position; enforce the 'party line' while having little or no authority. Being held responsible for someone elses work, without any authority isn't much fun.
If you will _really_ have some control of things (i.e.: budget, hiring/firing, project timeline...), then you should find a mentor, or get your company to send you to some management development classes. You'll need 'real' contact with teachers and other students to pick up on techniques. Don't give in to the conceit that having _been_ managed your working life you can just dive in and _be_ an effective manager.
If you're in the position of managing former colleagues, that opens another can of worms. Former friends may feel like they are being manipulated or that you've "gone over" (depending on the degree dichotomy of management vs. staff at your company)
Finally, having made that career choice, suppose it doesn't work out and you want to go back to being a pure tech. You'll forever be a 'manager' on your resume (failed or successful) and will always have to explain why you'd want to be a pure tech rather than a manager. Sort of the "you're too qualified for this position" quandry.
On the other hand, management probably pays better and, ironically, most companies will pay a good techie a lot more as a mediocre manager.
I think the computer profession needs a reworking so that you can be just as successful (money-wise and respect-wise) as a pure technical wizard, even if you're not a V.P. or Director with your worth determined by number of direct reports.
Some books that I've found very helpful are:
The Seven Habits of Hightly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
How to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
"But actually trying to use m4 as a general-purpose langage would be deeply perverse" --ESR
Believe it or not, the book Corps Business: Management Principles of the U.S. Marines by David H. Freedman is excellent.
If you treat your people the way you want to be treated, you'll do fine. I've been in management nearly 20 years and I'm constantly amazed at the number of people who forget that as soon as they've been put in charge. Your #1 role as a new manager is to think ahead and make sure your people have what they need to do their job. You are also there to remove obstacles impeding the progress, as well as being a filter. You filter the BS coming down from management and the BS going up from your people. I really enjoy busting roadblocks but the filtering part wears me down at times.
Good luck! - Ken
I am too young to be in your shoes but I have one example on why you should do it ( and everybody else around has 1000 exaples of pointy-haired-bossization to discourage you from doing it ;-)
My technical supervisor is a rather youngish guy, totally tech-head, extremely accomplished in his field. The progression of his carreer forced him to go into management, i.e., being the project leader and manager in two of our projects. The face of our lab to the outside world, in other words. Although complaining all the time about not having time to do real reseach and relying on the young guys to write papers and getting things done, he shields us from the bullshit meetings and keeps us on track by making time to follow our research and telling us how to do things the right way - when we are cutting corners... If he were not around, I would have taken another job by now, but the fact there is a project leader with an untouchable technological background makes us proud to work for him. Also, the lessons he teaches and the advice he gives are priceless. The drawback is that you have to buy a tie, and move from xfig to powerpoint, but those are small trade-offs. It's time to pass your experience on to the younger techies, it's time to make all that wisdom benefit the others, to make the kids proud to work for you and especially with you.
All the best, adapt
Never ever put yourself on the critical path.
Why? Well, the '20%' of your time that you estimate would be devoted to management-type stuff is very subject to change, especially if the project is running late. For some reason, many managers think that the best way to handle a project that's behind schedule is to haul the team-leader into loads of meetings rather than leaving him/her to do his/her job.