Ten signs you shouldn't become an IT manager

• Tags:
• Moment,
• Decisions,
• Career,
• Appearance

John McKee

Published: 07 Jan 2008 16:30 GMT

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If you're at the point in your career where you're considering moving into a management role, you'd be well advised to consider whether the role is right for you.

At some stage, many people will find themselves asking: what was I thinking? How did I even get here? Why did they leave that great little job to take a turn in the management ranks?

Let's consider how you can avoid becoming a member of this group.

Most of us will experience a moment in our careers when we need to determine our next step. As a business and success coach, I often hear from people who are wondering if it's the right time to make a change. Things may be going well, or not-so-well, but for whatever reason, they're thinking that it's time for change. They come to me for help figuring out what's next in their career.

Most people are not in jobs they planned and studied for. As a matter of fact, it's pretty clear that many people are in careers that just "happened". They started working at a job thinking it was going to be something they'd do until they decided what they really wanted to get involved in, and then they just stayed around until it became a kind of career.

In other cases, individuals are in jobs or professions based on the guidance or encouragement of other people in their lives. Perhaps their parents always wanted a doctor in the family. Maybe their partner kept telling them they were capable of "better" things and needed to get moving on their career.

So it seems that for most people, regardless of how they arrived at this point in their career, it wasn't the result of a well thought-out plan, skilfully executed.

In my coaching practice, I've learned that this situation often translates into people doing work that isn't right for them personally. They may be doing OK, but they don't bound out of bed looking forward to getting to work each day.

We are all more successful when we are doing things we enjoy. To help clients decide what that might be, I ask them a few questions designed to get them to take an honest look at who they are at their core.

For those of you who've been thinking, "Maybe I should make the move into management", I've put together this list of 10 warning signals. If any of these strike a chord with you, the chances are you may not be cut out for a managerial position.

1. You have a real desire to be liked
Many people feel better when most of the people they are in daily contact with like them.

Usually, the same individuals won't feel satisfied when they know that others don't like or respect them.

Management is not a popularity contest. The best managers take the right action to get the job done in the most effective manner, and they know that may mean asking or telling others to do things, some of which may not make them popular. It comes with the territory.

If you think you can always please everyone on your team and be effective, you are going to be disappointed.

2. You prefer to avoid the spotlight and just be a part of the gang
Management is all about taking the lead. This means making decisions and standing up to tell others what you've decided.

Management-by-consensus can work for some issues and opportunities, but it is rarely effective over the long term. At some stage, all groups will want their manager to stand up and act like one.

3. Every time you are called on to comment about the topic being discussed, you experience short-term memory loss
Strong managers have good verbal communication skills.

Even if you're in a company with offices spread across the world, knowing how to take your point of view forward to others is a key quality of effectiveness.

If you think making conversation or having meetings with people you don't know well is painful; you are going to flounder in management.

4. Having a tough conversation with an employee causes you a great deal of duress
At some point, every manager will have to deal with an "issue" created by an employee or by the company itself. Things like personal appearance or annual performance assessments are never easy for anyone. But they need to be done.

5. You don't like to make tough decisions
Managers are required to make decisions of all sizes every day. It may sound obvious, but it is surprising how difficult this can be for a lot of people.

The fact is, some people prefer to be told what to do, and will thrive doing the best job once they are given that kind of direction.

If you prefer being given the answer or being told how to proceed, rather than being the one who...

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