Job Stuff....Management??

[sfw2]

This is excellent, Booker! I commend you for taking the initiative and talking to your manager, when you got the chance. It sounds like you work for a good company - one that rewards excellent performance, and appreciates your talents. That's a rare thing - especially in this economy. It also sounds like your manager and TL are encouraging you to grow in your current position, and giving you the tools to do so. Awesome!

 

[hikerchick]

Is no one on this forum in management? The managers that I have worked for work hard. They have their own job to do, and then have to supervise the work of others. I haven't known any managers that sit back and watch others work, or that would be called adult day care workers. Not all managers are good ones, clearly, but for the good ones, managing people is an art. It's not as easy as it looks.

 

[FarmerJamie]

Quote:
We're too busy working!

You're absolutely right on it's not easy. When managing IT projects, you're often caught between those above and those below you. If you came up through the technical ranks, it's even harder, because you have to *fight* the urge to jump in in rough spots. Being an manager has opened some doors for me, but it has been a lot of work!

The poem my first management mentor shared with me:
It's not my place to run the train
The whistle I cannot blow
It's not my place to say how far
The train's allowed to go
It's not my place to shoot off steam
Nor even clang the bell
But let the darn thing
Jump the track
AND SEE WHO CATCHES H***!

 

[WriterofWords]

"I appreciate your confidence in my abilities very much, right now I feel I am a better asset where I am and I have more to offer there. I'd like to stay where I am for now, but in the future I would be very happy to discuss a higher position in this company. I am very flattered and I look forward to a long future with you!"

Always leave the door open and even if you have no intention of moving up, you've given them the impression you just need more time. Then if you change your mind later the opportunity is still there, if you don't change your mind then you let them know honestly that you have decided you are happier where you are in the position you are in, and that you feel you have more to offer the company in your present position.

 

[booker81]

I do have to say - I LOVE LOVE LOVE my manager and TL. Both are incredibly hard working, put in a lot of hours and take care of a LOT. They are also hands-off type managers (which I love), but if a bind comes along and one of their "people" get blamed incorrectly, they go right to bat for them. I'm no good at confrontation or putting my foot down - I depend on my manager and TL to help with that - and they do so, willingly. We've had a few instances where they've had to fire off at other departments to back off from employees - they say that since we work for them now, we no longer are at the beck and call of the old department. We're where we are for a reason, and if the old department wanted us back, they should have counter offered

They are fiercely protective of their employees - and in turn, they expect a lot out of us, which is dandy by me.

I think any manager type could take notes from my manager and TL - they are just plain excellent. I am loving that they are giving me more and more leeway and responsibility, but at the same time, they still don't make it feel like they are dumping work or anything of the sort. I also know that if I do well with this responsibility, I will be fairly compensated.

I just don't want to be a manager

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

I did not take offense at the adult day care comment. There have been times when it did not seem that far off.

Having managed large groups of people and worked my way up and down the chains of command, I do not disagree with the statements. It depends so very much on the level of management and the skill level of the manager as it does the person on the bottom rung of the hierarchy. The issue is one simply of how valuable the people on each rung find those who are on the rungs beneath them. I always have valued the people, but there have certainly been days when it was like herding cats!

I found my rung level where I was very happy. I discovered that I liked very much being number one of the flagship rather than captain of a smaller ship. (Riker?) And I loved managing people like Booker who knows where their skill level lies and is able to say so. They are a tremendous asset and I am thrilled for you that your manager agrees with me!!

 

[ChickenAlgebra]

I'm a TL in one area, otherwise I am under an upper manager. As a TL, I want people who want to work in the area, and those who hate it, please tell me! Glad your team is working with you.

 

[booker81]

Your comment about the ones lower on the ranks rings true as well, even for my position. A LOT of my work is working with "lower" level workers - entry level and data entry types who are having system problems or plain breaking things. I like working through things with them and helping them understand what is going on and why, and explaining how not to do what they were doing, and how to correctly make the system function. I like working on projects that streamline the system more, and make their jobs more efficient. I get a lot of good feedback from them. On the other hand, I know some folks in our department who look down on those same users, and consider them stupid or slow. Of course, those people also don't seem to happy where they are at or where they're going....

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
I'm a manager

I mostly manage the people that come in to our office though as we are pretty small. All our operations is contracted out so administration is the only "in-house" function and there are 8 of us. One guy I always have trouble with is our schedule filler. He is part time and about 197 year old......

 

[ChickenAlgebra]

Oh, I feel bad for one of the managers near me, he doesn't get to hire/fire, so he has to put up with the holier than thou types. The other manager is one of those and a total drama llama. Could not pay me to do that job.