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Some, perhaps many, network engineers seek to be managers. The idea is that control over the technical situation would lead to a better network, and so if you want the network to be made in your image, then you should run the show.
Maybe that’s your story. Maybe you’re later in your career, and your reasons for wanting to be a manager are a little different. Whatever your situation, I can tell you from experience that taking on a management role is a complex decision, and the role is probably not what you think it is if you’ve never done it before.
Today on Packet Pushers we’re going to talk about what it means to move into management, the differences between technical lead roles and full-blown management roles, whether the management position actually gives you some control over the organization’s technical direction, management mistakes, people problems, and lots of other topics.
Joining us to share her experiences is Amy Arnold. Amy is a senior network engineer with a hybrid role of technical lead and formal manager in the public sector. You can follow her on Twitter or check out her blog here.
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Show Notes:
1. Our management backgrounds:
- Technical Services Manager for small VAR
- Network Operations Manager for state government
- Network Architecture Manager for financial services
- Technical Lead/Manager in the public sector
2. Management questions to reflect on:
- Does being a manager mean having control of the network’s technical direction?
- How hard is it for you to delegate, and why?
- How much of the job is managing humans, and how much is technical leadership?
- How much control over finances do you have?
- Compared to being an engineer, what did you like the most about management? Dislike?
- What social skills were lacking in the management role that you didn’t miss in a pure engineering role?
- Compare how a comprehension of business is important to engineers vs. managers
- Did you ever feel a loss of identity or credibility in a management role?
- Now that you’ve been a manager, do you better empathize with other managers?
- Tell us the story of your biggest screw-up as a manager
3. Advice to engineers:
- How can engineers perform better for their managers?
- Should an engineer seek to be a manager?
- How can an engineer prepare to be a manager?
- What can an engineer do to demonstrate they are ready for a management role?
Links:
Amyengineer: Amy’s blog
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Hello,
I would just like to make a comment about this particular show. more so just an acknowledgement that I found this show to be extremely helpful in providing me insight on exactly how I would feel if I were to take a managerial role. I was born and bred into into the more technical side of IT since the good old DOS days and would not even think about taking any managerial task even if it came with better pay! I’ve worked with colleagues that worked with me on the technical side just to move to a managerial position for more pay… let’s just say they were not very good dealing with people, even before becoming managers. I agree with Greg about keeping an eye out for bigger and better opportunities, even for slightly less pay and room for better job movement. I believe if you begin to stagnate in your job function, it’s time to move on.. comfortable does not always mean better.. I like to earn my pay cheque.. not have it handed to me on a silver platter.. I like challenges, being jack of all trades, and most importantly working with a team of people who like to work together, are not afraid to dig deep to find the best possible solution to a given task/problem… these people who are hungry to learn are sometimes difficult to come by. If one is just thinking once, or twice about leaving a job, I think it’s for a reason.. sometimes you gotta trust your gut instinct!
Ethan, I couldn’t agree more with your comment on hiring duds.. it happens.. you can have someone certified up to wazoo with certifications and whatnot.. sometimes it just takes to hire someone who is passionate about networking.. may not be certified, but has demonstrable knowledge of networking or whatnot to fit the role.. unfortunately, sometimes these candidates sometimes get shuffled off to the other pile 🙂
Thank-you guys, and Amy for the very insightful podcast! I always look forward for more!
Mario
Just to throw in my 2 cents about certification (and something I believe managers should be doing and often don’t).
While I agree with the premise that certifications can be misleading (as Ethan pointed out) they do provide at least some indication of the knowledge you can expect from a person.
If they then turn out not to know the things they should know, well time for a good “talk” (or a good beating with the fairy-stick if HR is not looking 🙂 )
But it also works the other way around, how do we gauge “the knowledge level” of internal staff if we are the “new guy” in the team?
As for the point on managers I believe they should encourage people in their teams to pursue certifications not just in the interest of the organization but also for the people themselves and their future prospects.
Thanks for the interesting podcast and good insightful points to consider.
Regards,
Alan
I had an interesting experience as a Network Manager and wanted to add another role. I was a Network Manager for a public government data center, and in addition to normal Network Manager duties also served as the contact person for network managers/teams at other agencies. This was a challenge at first (given the number of agencies), but I was able to harness this responsibility by creating a community among us and keeping the lines of communication open.
I also agree that it’s easier to manage when you “lead from the front”. I’ve seen shops where the manager had “no technical skill” and these typically fail without a strong, trusted architect to lead on technical issues. My strategy (as an engineer first) was to delegate and mentor (@Amy the “sliding scale” analogy is accurate) and work with each team member on their strengths and weaknesses.