Do You Really WANT to be in Management?

In the 1960s or 1970s, rejecting promotions to management might have caused others to believe you had a serious mental affliction. Active corporate growth, new technologies, and the influence of business becoming a global phenomenon meant that companies needed large numbers of  middle  management.

Many new “experts” developed radical theories and wrote thousands of words about revolutionary management techniques. Ascending to management positions became a synonym for being on the fast track to corporate success. This environment generated a sometimes mind-numbing dash to management by all prospective corporate ladder climbers. In many cases, it created unsatisfactory results, for both the new managers and their companies.

There were a few reasons for the  failure  of this policy.

• Lack of training. In the rush to promote over-achievers, many companies simply assumed that individual achievement automatically translated to good management skills.
• Lack of self-analysis. Many people, believing the only way to succeed in the corporate world was through management, accepted promotions for which they were not prepared nor did they like.
• Lack of understanding the real definition of the term “middle management.” These management jobs cover a wide range of authority, responsibility, duties, and professional futures. In some companies, underpaid and overworked middle managers can become frustrated and depressed, while others flourish.

Finally, many people realized that management was not  for everyone. Individuals could be superstars and have lucrative and interesting careers without choosing a pure management track. If people enjoyed working by themselves or as a team or department member, they began to make that choice. 
Refusing offers to join management became accepted without penalty. Those companies with the unwritten rule that your career was over if you refused a management promotion became the minority. If you worked for one of these dinosaurs, you could simply contact one of the top employment search firms, like Kelly Services, and find a better company and a more exciting position.

The key for you is to understand yourself, have a visualization of the future track of your career, and follow your head and your heart. Here are some items to consider as you formulate your career goals and objectives, including the level of your desire to pursue a management track.

Tips to Help You Decide If a Management Position Should Be Your Goal

• Learn what “middle management” means at YOUR company.  Don’t be shy. Ask other newer managers how they describe their real duties and responsibilities, not those listed in their job descriptions.
• Understand the psychological ramifications of that first manager job.  Some studies revealed that this promotion from worker bee to manager can be as stressful as a loud, nasty divorce, the loss of a loved one, or the unforgiving task of raising a trouble-prone teenager.
• Evaluate how prepared you FEEL about a promotion to management.  Research studies indicate that many employees (some results showed up to 40%) believed they received little training, support, education, and preparation for assuming a manager title.
• Visualize your first day, week, and month as a new manager.  Do you believe you’ll be comfortable with these new responsibilities or that you’ll ask yourself, “What have I gotten myself into with this manager job?” While this may be a difficult answer to project, it’s better to try before the event than sitting in your shiny new manager's office feeling totally lost.
• Research recent statistics to learn how others like yourself tend to react to a management promotion from a pure staff position.  In recent years, HR firms and consultants have studied this management issue. Some company data indicates that as many as two or three out of every ten employees promoted to management decide to return to their former job or other non-manager jobs rather quickly after they accept a promotion. Do your own research to learn how your company compares to others. This may show how well they support and train newer managers to help them succeed.

As you can see, deciding to follow a management track to success or achieving your career goals as a non-manager is more an intuitive than a scientific decision. Increasing your self-awareness and confidence in your ability should help you make this very personal decision correctly.

There is no mandated right or wrong answer or decision. Your decision to join management should depend on how you feel about this action plan. Do you believe you’ll quickly become comfortable and successful managing others instead of just yourself? Is it a personal goal to rise from your current position to earning a seat at the executive table? Are you happier working on projects, creating new ideas, achieving individual success, and leaving your work behind when you exit your office for the day?