Is a managing position good for me?
When you’re an engineer, sometimes you might get an offer to take over management duties. It might be for example leading smaller projects, being a scrum master or leading a whole team of developers. When to consider such options and how to get prepared for new challenges?
I assisted my team leader for two years in his management duties. Then I became a leader myself and rised employment to 8 developers. I learned a lot about working with people. After a year I decided to change my job and have some rest. Having some perspective now, I decided to share my experience.
Do I have to be a manager to get a raise?
It depends on the company policy. Management is not for everyone – you have to feel it and like it. Some companies know it and value both talented engineers and managers the same. Other companies give more value to employees who are eager to step out of line, take the wheel, lead projects, watch the budget and the deadlines. It’s good to make this clear during recruitment talk.
What do I get?
It’s nice to have a fancy job title in our e-mail footer, but it should not be a main reason to take a management role. I can see some other pros:
- real influence on the way the team works and the projects are managed
- soft skills development: working with people, knowing their personalities, d1eveloping non-verbal communication, resolving conflicts, keeping good atmosphere
- satisfaction from mentoring and supporting others; you have a big influence on their careers
- you will get credit for your team’s successes from the stakeholders
Do I fit into this role?
Think about what kind of boss would you like to have. And then become such a boss.
Programming is a team work and it requires trusting people, being a team player and taking responsibility. This is why giving commands does not work well here. We assume that a development team consists of intelligent, mature and open people – and we have to treat them like this.
As an employee, I’d like to have a boss who:
- has a sense of humor 🙂
- is open to discussion, does not force his will – but can have a deciding vote when needed,
- respects other opinions, fosters having a dialog,
- eases conflicts instead of making them worse,
- has a positive approach, but also keeps both feet on the ground,
- evaluates my work in an honest way,
- clearly communicates his intentions and concerns,
- shares experience and motivates others to move forward,
- delegates tasks, does not leave the best for himself (herself),
- doesn’t force anybody to work overtime,
- is not a control freak.
Start with small steps! You can always take the initiative in your team even if you don’t have an official manager’s title. Help people in their everyday struggles and propose solutions. Actively participate in retrospectives and other meetings. If you see that your coworkers really appreciate your support, invite to discussions, share ideas and respect your opinion – it’s a sign you’re a good material for a leader.
How can I keep my development work while being a manager?
If you take a managing job, you’re going to lose some time spent previously on developing things and spend it on managing different relations with a lot of people. Your workday still has 8 hours (please resist the urge to work overtime!) and you have to allocate your effort wisely.
It might get hard for you to find time to peacefully finish your code, write good tests and refactor. You’ll find yourself delegating your favorite coding tasks to others (and that’s a valuable management skill!). You’ll notice that your teammates learn new technologies faster. After a couple of years you might feel staying behind the competition because management duties take most of your time. If you decide to change your job and switch back to coding full-time, you might have trouble following the latest trends.
Me and my fellow managers always had a favorite part of the day, like early morning or late afternoon, when we could do some coding in silence, completely undisturbed. However, turning the lights on (or off) every day in the office is not a good solution. It’s crucial to give the team a clear message when you’re available for them and when you should have some peace. You can always say “I’m sorry, I’m busy right now, give me a minute and I’ll get back to you”. Also, try to educate people, so they can find a solution for themselves – don’t do their work.
Having more duties requires refining your self-organization. Take care of your desk, mailbox, Slack conversations – keep these places clean. Eliminate distracting factors, configure notifications from different apps to avoid notification fatigue. Know your daily rhythm – your best and worst working hours.
Warning signs
Sometimes even though you’re doing your best, things aren’t working the way you expect. Maybe there is something you cannot influence? Sometimes it’s better to turn down a bad offer than waste your time and stress. Be careful if:
- many people quit their jobs and you received an offer only because no one else wants to take it,
- the company is trying to put too much tasks and responsibility on your plate,
- the atmosphere in your team and in the company is bad and no one can see any solution,
- the company always cuts the corners when you see an urgent need of investments, hiring more people or giving them raises,
- you feel like you won’t get any support from other, more experienced managers and you’ll have to figure everything out yourself.
Some companies are just bad. Don’t let them overload you with work that’s not yours! If you see your employer cutting corners all the time, you’ll soon find yourself in charge of managing projects, meeting deadlines, talking to clients, recruiting people, mentoring, reviewing code, coding itself… You can’t do all these things simultaneously.
Keep your head up!
Managing an 8-person team was not easy for me. It required a lot of energy, creativity, perseverance and optimism. I made a lot of mistakes. I was tired and I decided to go back to coding full-time and make up my technical abilities. However, leading a team was a very valuable experience from me and maybe some day I will consider a similar offer again – if I get one.
If you’re not a complete outcast and a loner, maybe it’s worth trying to have some management duties. Even without being a formal superior, you can influence your team by being proactive. You should learn how to deal with people, manage your time and take responsibility for the business that hires you. Don’t avoid new challenges!