I often hear of engineers who are encouraged — maybe even pressured — to move into management. A growing company realizes it’s time to unflatten their organization to better serve the increasing number of engineers. They invite their high-potential lead engineers to become managers.
Some of those engineers are eager to move into management for any of a number of reasons. Others are reluctant, finding comfort and stability in their ability to directly produce technical work.
People on both sides of that spectrum can eventually face what I call “promotion remorse.” Becoming an effective manager is harder than they thought. They’re used to excelling in performance reviews, and now they’re barely “meeting expectations” with some of their initiatives ending up, well, less than successful. Shouldering the responsibility for people has become a greater burden than they anticipated and the stress of the job often comes home with them at night.
Some take years to develop competence, holding their new role out of duty. Others step back and return to engineering work, leaving a management hole for senior leadership to fill. Still others strategically alternate between engineering and management positions to bring variety to their career.
But some commit to success in a new career of management. They’re ready to adopt a journey of personal growth. When these engineers receive the invitation to a management role, they identify the resources they will need to support their success, and they make them a condition of accepting the new position. For some, that includes requesting an external coach, like me, to help them make the internal changes that will help them grow past the barriers they didn’t even know they had.
If someone you know is being encouraged to consider a management position, I’d love to help them discover the resources that will chart a path for success, even if that doesn’t include hiring a coach like me. Have them visit stevedwire.com/talk for a complimentary conversation.
Leave a Reply