I sat facing the set of managers as we discussed the next step in my career.
"What do you want next?"
"More serious technical stuff," I replied.
"Do you see yourself in management position?"
"No. But what does it entail?" I wondered.
"Managing the people, the business, making client contacts..."
"I won't do management. I'm cool with the technical part. I can handle processes. 'Don't want fight..." I was saying.
"Your boss says you have potentials to be a good leader..."
Was she looking for something to complete the 3 strengths of mine in the evaluation?
I could not call my boss a liar, not when she was on speaker phone somewhere.
"We'll give you an opportunity to prove or disprove what she said. Congratulations! You are now a manager!"
"What do you want next?"
"More serious technical stuff," I replied.
"Do you see yourself in management position?"
"No. But what does it entail?" I wondered.
"Managing the people, the business, making client contacts..."
"I won't do management. I'm cool with the technical part. I can handle processes. 'Don't want fight..." I was saying.
"Your boss says you have potentials to be a good leader..."
Was she looking for something to complete the 3 strengths of mine in the evaluation?
I could not call my boss a liar, not when she was on speaker phone somewhere.
"We'll give you an opportunity to prove or disprove what she said. Congratulations! You are now a manager!"
(Of 2 people, LOL)
*************************************
My People, the role was hectic and stressful. It was not easy. Everyday was one complaint or the other. Emails, phone calls, followed by meetings on my head. At nights I would come home and cry, wondering what I was doing wrong. My manager once asked me, "Why is everyone complaining about your team? Do you want me to micro-manage your team for you?"
I look back now and I give God all the glory. It was a challenge but a learning curve for me. Soon I will be moving on to something different, probably higher responsibility (I prophesy for my life). So I'd like to share with you on this blog some of my mistakes and some of the things I had to learn the hard way about management and leadership. The posts will come in no particular order.
*************************************
My People, the role was hectic and stressful. It was not easy. Everyday was one complaint or the other. Emails, phone calls, followed by meetings on my head. At nights I would come home and cry, wondering what I was doing wrong. My manager once asked me, "Why is everyone complaining about your team? Do you want me to micro-manage your team for you?"
I look back now and I give God all the glory. It was a challenge but a learning curve for me. Soon I will be moving on to something different, probably higher responsibility (I prophesy for my life). So I'd like to share with you on this blog some of my mistakes and some of the things I had to learn the hard way about management and leadership. The posts will come in no particular order.
If you find yourself in such a position, know that someone out there survived, and you too can do it.
4 comments:
infact this post is meant for me...
i found myself suddenly a manager, unlike u it was a role i craved...but the actual work was so much I just crawled home each night not to cry but to worry about targets and how to meet them..
My dreams about being a manager had been blog all day and allocate work...rather I am neck deep in meetings asking me to propose new methods....constantly researching and doing write ups to the management plus everything that could go wrong going wrong..
in fact that is my new post....for next week...lol..i kind of feal relieved after writing that but i dread 2morro..
@Afrobabe: Blog all day and allocate work? ROTFL...
The position looks green from outside, but when you get in, it's not green at all...For me, it was like fire. I dreaded Mondays. And you know the worst part? I was dreaming work. I would wake up talking about emails and the next stress I could receive.
Not to worry, you'd soon adjust and you'll be back to blogging all day.
@Rita...I love management. I don't mind managing people. It would look lovely to tell this to do that, that to do what. lol
@Yankeenaijababe: You are so funny... I wish management is all about delegating (which you will see later in one of the posts). But some people have natural managerial skills, like a gift. Since you like it, it's likely there is a great manager in you.
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