Asking for a Friend

 What have I done? Why am I doing this?

Over the past 7 years, I have been a manager of platforms, people, and knowledge. Prior to that, #management has always been part of the job, but not the entire job. When I became a manager I was told to "make a choice... you can't do both."

Now that I have been doing it, I understand why they said it. Being an effective manager means you aren't building it, fixing it, or maintaining it. You help your people gain the knowledge, resources, and communications necessary to succeed.

But what kind of impact has that had on me personally? Yeah... there is the rub. I don't like it. As an architect, developer, or engineer, you build things. You have a solid result. I would have built a new website and I could show someone I built that. I created a new software, I can show it. I built a new network operations center and could show how it was effective in preventing issues before they happened.

As a manager or director, your people is your result. You took the help desk person and taught them about system administration, software development, and project management so they can be promoted to a full-time project manager job they love. The thing is, they did all the work, I just guided them. I have nothing to show anyone. Then there are those complicated employee issues that keep you up at night because you want to help the person and provide them guidance, but they may not listen or want the guidance. Then there is the rough times when you have to lay people off, or let them go. Those are the times I hate.

So what do you do? Do you keep at it and try to make positive change in a job you get so little dopamine out of, or do you try to find your happiness outside of work and keep drudging through the day?

#askingforafriend