So you want to be a manager? Here’s what to expect
You’ve been on the tools for several years and want to take the next step in your career but… you’ve got some lingering doubts. What exactly do they do all day? How do you know if you’ll be any good? What if it’s not what you expect?
It’s easy to assume that management is easy and a natural progression from your technical specialty. The reality is, being a great engineer does not make you a good leader. In fact, some of the best engineers quickly fail as a manager if they try to do more of what they were previously good at and not focus on their new role.
You need to think of management as a completely new job, in a new field, with a completely new skill set. Your focus needs to shift from “doing” to “enabling” — getting work done through others. And it’s an art form that takes years to master.
So if you’re doing all the right things to signal you are ready to become a manager, you should watch this talk from a former colleague of mine, Kris Howard, about what to expect.
It’s an authentic insight and I’ve shared it many times with people who want to move into management. If that’s you and you’re considering taking the management leap, I highly recommend watching Kris’ insights into what it’s like to be a new manager.
