Being a manager (1 Viewer)

[AnonymousBob]

Ok i guess my question then to all you managers is... Does being a manager mean more work? Im kind of swamped as it is and thats why my boss pitched it to me. He knows how busy i am and he knows i get #### done. I know it comes with more responsibilities as I am responsible for another persons career.

Here is my philosophy when working with my direct reports: I am here to help build them as professionals (i have a range from seasoned people to newly hired college graduates), push them to be their best and kick them in the ### if needed. I am their biggest critic, cheerleader and champion. When it comes to developing talent, at times i have to push them which is where criticisms can come in. It is my job to ensure that they have interesting meaningful work to do and ensure that they are motivated to do it. And at the end of the day, it is my responsibility to get them promoted and paid. My team's work product flows through me so it is also a reflection of me. Obviously, i take managing a team very seriously.

Yep. As a manager you need to make their job as easy to do as possible by removing a lot of hurdles. Yes, being a manager can often be more difficult.

From your talk I'm skeptical you're a good fit for the job. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[shadyridr]

I doubt I am too which is why I started the thread. But like Rocky said if you can change, then I can change, and the whole world can change.

 

[17seconds]

Ok i guess my question then to all you managers is... Does being a manager mean more work? Im kind of swamped as it is and thats why my boss pitched it to me. He knows how busy i am and he knows i get #### done. I know it comes with more responsibilities as I am responsible for another persons career.

Depends obviously. At software companies it is waaay more stress and pressure. Not because of the people, but because of project schedules and issues. Performance reviews are also a horrible part of the job.

I just switched back to the technical side after being a manager/director for 15 years. Job is so much more fun and low stress now. But I would never be where I am now if I didn't do management. My salary would be almost half of what it is now if I had stayed technical. So.. you've gotta do it if you want more.

 

[metoo]

Ok i guess my question then to all you managers is... Does being a manager mean more work? Im kind of swamped as it is and thats why my boss pitched it to me. He knows how busy i am and he knows i get #### done. I know it comes with more responsibilities as I am responsible for another persons career.

Only if you are an idiot or given too many to manage.

 

[Drifter]

Typically being given people is more work because it means more responsibility and having people report to you doesn't absolve you of responsibility for the areas they operate in. In this case, it sounds like it's been given to you to help share your workload. Bad managers turn it down because they think they can do everything better and it's a waste of time to bring someone else up to speed. Good ones realize it's an opportunity to leverage talent and expand the things you are doing beyond the tactical. Taken at face value, you've been offered help. Reading between the lines, it's an opportunity. Don't be on of those, "I'll do more when they pay me more" people.

 

[Mr. Pickles]

One person? Whoa. Next stop: CEO.

 

[AnonymousBob]

Don't be on of those, "I'll do more when they pay me more" people.

Absolutely despise those folk and can't understand why they're confused when they constantly get passed over.

 

[FUBAR]

I'm not a fan of managing people I didn't pick. Sure, it can work out sometimes, but I've found it to be much better for me when I pick the person.

If you have the option, sure. It doesn't work like that for us and managing people you don't want can be difficult, but it's a challenge often worth taking.

Ok i guess my question then to all you managers is... Does being a manager mean more work? Im kind of swamped as it is and thats why my boss pitched it to me. He knows how busy i am and he knows i get #### done. I know it comes with more responsibilities as I am responsible for another persons career.

Only if you are an idiot or given too many to manage.

is one too many? Mostly being a manager is a different type of work, not necessarily more work. In this case it doesn't sound like shady is getting rid of other responsibilities but is this person taking on some of the tasks or is it completely an additional task?

 

[FUBAR]

oh, and managing people can be (has been for me) the most rewarding thing you can do in your career. Only pass it up if you're content where you are and have no desire to move up or on.

 

[RC94]

If you hire the right people (or inherit someone competent), develop their skills and put them in a position to succeed (leverage their strengths), having people report to you should make your job easier and give you more time to focus on bigger picture strategic issues.

 

[shadyridr]

One person? Whoa. Next stop: CEO.

started from the bottom now we here

 

[James Daulton]

One person? Whoa. Next stop: CEO.

started from the bottom now we here

Well done shady, well done.

 

[Johnny Rock]

If you hire the right people (or inherit someone competent), develop their skills and put them in a position to succeed (leverage their strengths), having people report to you should make your job easier and give you more time to focus on bigger picture strategic issues.

... and more time for FBG.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

So my manager just said they are hiring a new person and its completely up to me if he wants this person to report to me. He didn't mention anything about if this means I get a new title or a raise. He just said if I think having someone report to me will make my life easier then he will make it so. If I think having someone report to me would make things more difficult, especially with a new baby on the way in May (as I will be taking some time off) then I can wait until September or not take him on at all and he will report to him.

So first of all, I don't see the point of taking on additional responsibilities of being a manager without the additional pay. I've never been a manager before so I dont know what it entails but imagine it can be stressful.

It SUCKS. Unless you're overwhelmed with work and need someone to dump menial crap on who won't rebel or you think it's a trial run for a higher paying executive position, pass with extreme prejudice.

 

[Rogi]

It's rewarding when you have a motivated employee that works hard and gets along with others. On the other hand some people always seem to have drama or are lazy.

 

[Abraham]

Being a manager sucks. I took on 11 more direct reports two weeks ago and during my one on ones all of them said their career goal was to get into management. One even told me he thought he should have been hired into my role when I took the job 5 months go. He is 26 and terrible at what he does but seemed irked that I was hired.

Being a manager sucks because as much as you might think being in charge means you work less, you actually work more. This is because your own pay and the way your boss views you will be directly related in most cases to the performance of the people you manage, most of whom will resent you for trying to tell them what to do or for asking them to not spend so much time during the day on Facebook.

The only reasons to be a manager are because you believe in the long term vision of the company and feel you can drag your underlings up to help deliver that vision. Being paid better is nice but often not worth the headache.

 

[FUBAR]

Being a manager sucks. I took on 11 more direct reports two weeks ago and during my one on ones all of them said their career goal was to get into management. One even told me he thought he should have been hired into my role when I took the job 5 months go. He is 26 and terrible at what he does but seemed irked that I was hired.

Being a manager sucks because as much as you might think being in charge means you work less, you actually work more. This is because your own pay and the way your boss views you will be directly related in most cases to the performance of the people you manage, most of whom will resent you for trying to tell them what to do or for asking them to not spend so much time during the day on Facebook.

The only reasons to be a manager are because you believe in the long term vision of the company and feel you can drag your underlings up to help deliver that vision. Being paid better is nice but often not worth the headache.

That's probably key. But why work at a company you don't believe in anyway?

 

[Riversco]

Just stand behind them and look over their shoulder a lot while chomping a cigar.

 

[cstu]

Abraham, on 23 Jan 2016 - 08:26 AM, said:

One even told me he thought he should have been hired into my role when I took the job 5 months go. He is 26 and terrible at what he does but seemed irked that I was hired.

JFC.

ETA: I hope you make this guy's life hell.

 

[cstu]

So my manager just said they are hiring a new person and its completely up to me if he wants this person to report to me. He didn't mention anything about if this means I get a new title or a raise. He just said if I think having someone report to me will make my life easier then he will make it so. If I think having someone report to me would make things more difficult, especially with a new baby on the way in May (as I will be taking some time off) then I can wait until September or not take him on at all and he will report to him.

So first of all, I don't see the point of taking on additional responsibilities of being a manager without the additional pay. I've never been a manager before so I dont know what it entails but imagine it can be stressful.

It SUCKS. Unless you're overwhelmed with work and need someone to dump menial crap on who won't rebel or you think it's a trial run for a higher paying executive position, pass with extreme prejudice.

Who doesn't have menial crap they'd rather not do?

 

[Evilgrin 72]

So my manager just said they are hiring a new person and its completely up to me if he wants this person to report to me. He didn't mention anything about if this means I get a new title or a raise. He just said if I think having someone report to me will make my life easier then he will make it so. If I think having someone report to me would make things more difficult, especially with a new baby on the way in May (as I will be taking some time off) then I can wait until September or not take him on at all and he will report to him.

So first of all, I don't see the point of taking on additional responsibilities of being a manager without the additional pay. I've never been a manager before so I dont know what it entails but imagine it can be stressful.

It SUCKS. Unless you're overwhelmed with work and need someone to dump menial crap on who won't rebel or you think it's a trial run for a higher paying executive position, pass with extreme prejudice.

Who doesn't have menial crap they'd rather not do?

No one. But depending on how much of it there is, it may not be worth the trade off to get rid of it if you now have to deal with playing wet nurse for x number of employees. Dealing with petty personal BS can be far more annoying than performing mundane tasks.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

If you hire the right people (or inherit someone competent), develop their skills and put them in a position to succeed (leverage their strengths), having people report to you should make your job easier and give you more time to focus on bigger picture strategic issues.

... and more time for FBG.

 

[Das Boot]

Abraham, on 23 Jan 2016 - 08:26 AM, said:

One even told me he thought he should have been hired into my role when I took the job 5 months go. He is 26 and terrible at what he does but seemed irked that I was hired.

JFC.

ETA: I hope you make this guy's life hell.

Sounds like the dude is honest, so I'd at least appreciate that out of him.

Also sounds like he's not good at his current job and thus it's questionable he'd make a good manager - so along with honest he may be delusional as well.

 

[Abraham]

Abraham, on 23 Jan 2016 - 08:26 AM, said:One even told me he thought he should have been hired into my role when I took the job 5 months go. He is 26 and terrible at what he does but seemed irked that I was hired.

JFC.

ETA: I hope you make this guy's life hell.

Sounds like the dude is honest, so I'd at least appreciate that out of him.

Also sounds like he's not good at his current job and thus it's questionable he'd make a good manager - so along with honest he may be delusional as well.

He's young and thinks he knows everything. It's fine. I see managing people as a job about getting other people to do their best and find abilities they didn't realize they had. I did tell him "if you would like to move into sales management I can help you, but we have a lot of work to do first."