The Four Hundred--Shaking IT Up: Who the Heck Signs Up for Management?

Why did you get into IT? Maybe you took a programming class in college and liked it so much that you changed your major. Or maybe you knew before you even went to college that you wanted to twiddle bits for a living. Whatever the case, I doubt any of you got into this IT racket so you could swim in red tape, go to infinite meetings, or become a glorified babysitter, but that's what happens to many of the best programmers.

As you may have surmised, I am talking about being promoted into management. One day you're happily sitting in your cube, coding magnificent solutions to meet your company's business needs, and the next day you're being congratulated for a job well done, shuffled into an office, and having the life sucked out of you. And I'm not talking about the Peter Principal here, which is being promoted to your level of incompetence. I'm talking about being promoted to your level of intolerance.

In the beginning, it may seem pretty cool. You're the boss, the big cheese, the head honcho. You get to move from a cubicle that would make sardines appreciative into a luxurious and spacious office. Then you might get paraded around the company as the new manager and have people shake your hand and smile at you. But don't be fooled. Those people aren't wishing you well; they are sizing you up for the kill. They are laughing at you as you walk into the world of IT management like a lamb happily walking to the slaughterhouse. These people were once your allies. They used to thank you for that special report or for enhancing an application just right. Now they will play you against other people, and they will blame you or curse you when things don't go their way. Once, in a meeting where I was being introduced as the manager, the director of one of the departments said, "Kevin's too nice. He won't last a month."

If walking around with a bull's eye on your back isn't enough, you then get to attend plenty of meetings and talk about things that will probably never get done. I say probably because the one thing you will get done is to successfully schedule another meeting.

You also get to enter the exciting game of corporate politics, where you'll find out that you can trust no one and that people care more about their images and auditioning for promotions than they do about performing tasks that help the business. You'll find out which user gets what he wants because he's the CEO's brother-in-law. You'll be amazed at how management further up the food chain has completely lost touch with reality, and will commit to unrealistic demands, then use you as the scapegoat when those demands aren't met.

Then there are the people with whom you manage the company. Most of the time, this part of your job is the least of your worries, but sometimes you just want to shut the door to your office, curl up in the fetal position, and ask for your mommy. (Or is that just me?) Yes, this is management, and by a show of hands, how many of you would have signed up for an IT career knowing this is where you might be headed?

Well, you might be wondering why I haven't jumped out of one of the conference room windows by now. There are a couple of reasons. First, because I have found a way to not only combat the horrors of management, but to actually feel like I am doing something productive. Second, because we have no windows in our building.

Since I can't do much about the latter, let's take a look at the former. There are actually some good things that come out of management, in addition to getting your vacation requests approved. You just have to remember that as an IT representative, your job is to serve the users and the company and not worry so much about the other--I'll be polite and say "stuff." That's easier said than done, I know, but if you concentrate on a few goals and learn to ignore those things not in line with those goals, you'll do fine. Or you won't, and you'll find a window and jump out of it.

There are two simple goals that I try to keep in mind: maintaining good customer relationships, and maintaining good programmer relationships.

These may seem very basic, but when I use them as guides, I can usually keep myself on track. Whenever I am performing some task or sitting in a meeting, I ask myself if I am satisfying one of the two goals. If not, I look for the window (or the door). And I'll admit, even if I am satisfying one of the two goals, I may still look for a window (or the door). There is no guarantee that keeping these goals in mind will make your job any easier, but at least you can feel good knowing that you are doing what is right for your company.

Notice that I didn't include anything about providing quality software, on time and under budget. That's because those goals, or subgoals, are a part of maintaining good customer relationships, and although they are a very important part of your job, if you try to focus on that lower level, you may lose sight of why you sometimes do what you do. Nor did I mention mentoring and coaching team members or appropriate communication, because they are primary parts of maintaining good relationships with your programmers. The list you use to satisfy each goal may vary, but you should come up with that list and think about it a lot. Think about how it helps the company, but also think about how it helps your sanity.

It probably sounds as if I have no need for management. Well, that's not true. I realize that leadership and organization is vital to maintaining a successful IT department. What is often common is for IT management to forget, or not know in the first place, what it is supposed to be doing. Another problem is that good programmers may not necessarily make good managers. It may not be possible in smaller shops, but in larger shops there should be separate tracks. If someone wants to remain more technical, he should be able to do so and still be promoted and recognized with pay increases. Those who want to manage projects and people should be groomed to do so, and not merely plucked from the ranks of the programmers as their only option for company advancement.

I have seen many good programmers go on to become good managers, but I've seen more who do not. For those of you out there who find yourselves getting more involved in management, whether it is your desired direction, a forced move to get more money, or you really, really like meetings, remember the relationships with your customers and with your staff; do what you have to do to strengthen those relationships, and the rest will fall into place.