February 19, 2008 at 10:06 am
rhat (2/19/2008)
a.)c.) Those that can....DO. Those that can't. Manage.
Yes, it's that simple. Pointy Haired Bosses are all around and aBound in the software world.
One of these days, the ones that really "do" in the software world are going to get recognized for that regardless of what anyone, articles, books, magazines, or executives say, want, or even think.
The doers, creators, and the real problem solvers will eventually get what they deserve and so will the PHB's. Maybe not now, or even in my lifetime, but one day.
It happens in the music industry, the film industry, and any industry the requires some amount of creativity to survive.
As someone who has been on both sides of the fence, I can say with confidence it is certainly not that simple. As a worker, having a good manager makes your job much more pleasant and much more productive, especially from the stand point of getting what actually needs to be done done, instead of following whatever whim strikes the worker at the moment. Having been in supervisory and low-level management positions, I can say that it is a very challenging role to have. I have always put in more hours than my workers and done what I could as a facilitator. It is impossible to overstate how important it is to have a good facilitator with the authority to accomplish the facilitation.
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Timothy A Wiseman
SQL Blog: http://timothyawiseman.wordpress.com/
February 19, 2008 at 2:30 pm
I had to laugh at jminette's post because it reminded me exactly of me. I also decided to apply for a management position, and after 3 years of stress, stepped down back into the DBA developer world. It was NOT for me! Don't think that just because you might want the power of finally being able to make some decisions, that life will be great as a manager. I have been back developing for about 4 years now and love it soooo much more. I am responsible for one thing... MY performance. The extra pay was not worth the added responsibility for people who could not always be controlled. My manager at the time said I was a great manager, and in fact still tries to hire me back, but no dice. I'm just not cut out for it. Give me functional specs, SSMS, and a little less pay, and I'm happy.
February 19, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Loner -- Andy's article stated
"Take any management training they do offer. Some of it will be useful, some won't, but it will help you to see what things are important to a manager and help you confirm (or regret) your decision to try to move to management"
My point about MBA programs and reading management books is simply expanding on the management training statement in the article to illustrate that even if your company does not provide management trainig you should seek to learn or improve your knowledge of management through individual study or pursuing a degree. I do agree reading a book or having a degree does not automatically qualify you for a management position any more than reading a a book on on set theory or having an Computer Science degree means you're qualifed to be a DBA, but its a lot eaiser building upon a trained person knowledge than being thrown into a management position with "good people skills" and no knowledge of management science.
February 19, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Vic, Im glad you made a decision that suits you, but maybe someday you'll go back to the dark side:-) Do you feel that your time as a manager made you a better employee, or just appreciate the perks of being one more?
February 20, 2008 at 11:14 am
Thanks for the great article Andy. It definitely clarifies some of the nagging feelings I've had about how I'm "supposed to logically want to manage" now that I've been a DBA for 10 years and am approaching 40. I'll definitely take a major reality check and see if it's really what I want to do, and if it's right for me.
It's also made me rethink some of the managers I've had through the years, most of whom were bad, and a couple (my current ones, yay!) are good.
This might be worth filling out a bit and presenting at PASS. Maybe they already do things like this, and I don't pay any attention because I"m always in a fully-technical track.
Cheers,
Rick
Rick Todd
February 20, 2008 at 11:21 am
PASS is a good idea. I did one for a couple years on managing, but it was focused more on existing managers. This would have a bigger draw I think.
February 20, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Andy,
Great Article, and very timely.
I just completed my MBA last night (literally) and then saw this article today....
I agree with what many have said. If you really want to move into management you should at least consider an MBA. I learned a ton.
One of the important things I've learned is the distinct difference between management and leadership. I'll let this discussion stew a bit but I'll leave you with a quote by speaker and author "John Maxwell" that really hit home with me.....
"If you think you are leading but no one is following you, then you are just having a nice walk."
cheers,
Greg Jackson
Gregory A Jackson MBA, CSM
February 21, 2008 at 9:41 am
Andy, being a manager definitely made me appreciate the managers I've had before and the one I have now. Now that I know what they were putting up with, I have a lot more respect for them! One day I might go back to the dark side, but in reality, probably not. I want to retire a developer... nice and happy and stress-free.
-Vic
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