The Unfortunate Four

Inhabiting the earth are four unfortunate souls whose only requirement for inclusion in this set is having the distinct displeasure of working for me. Each did nothing more than accept a job at one of my former employers to be assigned to my team.

They are "The Unfortunate Four."

I embarked on my foray into management with open eyes. Eight upper-division classes in school was all that separated me from a Management degree. I did reasonably well in the required Principles course and had grown up listening to my dad and grandfather talk about aspects of managing people. To say I knew nothing of management was not true. To say I was ill-prepared to try was also untrue. To say I was any good at it was equally false.

Sure, I fulfilled all the objectives--turned in necessary paperwork, conducted performance reviews, approved vacation requests, met with team members, divided up work, etc.--but that was about all I did. There was no drive to assist team members along their chosen career paths. There was no fostering of team cohesion or unity. There was no management.

Why not? Instead of answering the age-old question of "what makes a good/bad/indifferent manager?", I will simply respond with what I believe got in my way.

In every fiber of my being, I am an individual contributor.

My contribution may be directly applicable to the task at hand or it may be assisting others to their own successes. Either way, managing people isn't where I can make my biggest contribution.

Fortunately, the prevailing corporate approach requiring employees to transition from contributor to manager as a required part of career progression seems to be waning. More experienced contributors who desire to remain contributors can be a huge benefit to a team, division, company. The experience levels contribute directly to the company's bottom line--reduced errors, faster recovery from issues, greater agility in responding to customer requirements. Losing that experience with requiring "up-or-out" and transitioning to management costs companies every day.

Did "The Unfortunate Four" and, as a result, the company benefit from my experience as a contributor with the title of manager? Probably. Am I thankful I found out something about myself through my trip to management? Definitely.