Is Management Right For You?

You have paid your dues as a technician. You are considered to be among the best in your field. So what’s next - a management position? That is generally the path that most of us take. We are good at what we do, so we are promoted. Companies expect that if you are good as a technician you will be good as a manager of other technicians. Sometimes that is true – sadly sometimes it is not. What many companies and individuals fail to recognize is that being a manager requires vastly different skills and competencies than being a technical expert.

Being a good manager requires independence, self confidence and self awareness. They must be consistent, fair, flexible, and able to “think outside the box”. A manager must not only understand the technical side of the business, but he or she is expected to know the legal aspects of the business, and how to deal effectively with both employees and customers. A manager is often called on to make decisions quickly without all of the information, so he or she must be comfortable dealing with ambiguity. He or she must be able to see the big picture as well as how it affects the day-to-day business, so perspective and strategic agility are important competencies. Interpersonal skills are paramount in knowing how to handle all those sensitive people issues that come with managing others.

Making the transition from being an employee to a manager can be difficult too. It doesn’t take long to see the downside of management. You will soon realize that “the buck stops here”. As a manager, you will be called on to make difficult decisions about policies and people – decisions that others might not be happy with. Even if you are expected by your company to be an empowering manager pushing decisions down to your employees, the final responsibility for all decisions rests with you. When something goes wrong in your work group, you are the one held accountable.

You will also see that it can get “lonely at the top.” Co-workers, whom you once considered friends, may now view you with more caution as their manager. They may be less likely to include you in their lunches and water cooler talks. Because you may have to have difficult performance talks with them, most managers find it easier to be a little removed from former co-workers to maintain objectivity. Much of the time you are working independently with little feedback on how well you are doing.

You will now also have new legal liabilities. It is now your responsibility to keep employees safe and free of harassment. A manager is legally liable when accidents and harassing or violent behavior occurs on his or her watch.

The management career path is not right for everybody.If you think you possess the characteristics required of a manager and are willing to put up with the downside of management, then management might be a good fit for you. If, on the other hand, you decide that you prefer the technical side of the job, you options for advancing financially can be limited in some companies. That’s when many of us decide to begin exploring ways to make money on our own. I have found an opportunity to build wealth while getting great training on how to be successful in my own internet marketing company through the Wealth Creation Network

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