Career implications of taking a managerial position
October 17, 2019 10:39 AM Subscribe
I have been encouraged to apply for a director role. I am not sure that I want this particular role but I said I would give it some thought. I wonder about the potential pitfalls of taking a director role then wanting to return to front line worker level. Am I correct in thinking that this would be difficult to do?
I am wondering how difficult it is to become an administrator then walk back down again if it did not suit you. I am also wondering what sorts of downsides exist to director roles (direct of operations with administrative responsibility) that might not be obvious. Thanks.
I am wondering how difficult it is to become an administrator then walk back down again if it did not suit you. I am also wondering what sorts of downsides exist to director roles (direct of operations with administrative responsibility) that might not be obvious. Thanks.
Charity Majors has a great article about this exact thing in the tech industry
posted by quacks like a duck at 11:21 AM on October 17, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by quacks like a duck at 11:21 AM on October 17, 2019 [2 favorites]
Make sure you even could return. There are a lot of organizations where demotion, even voluntary, just isn't a thing.
Downsides? You are always on call, to at least some extent. You are accountable for results that are never entirely in your control and often feel very little in your control. A first-rung boss can no longer hide from difficult personalities but lacks the power to make them behave. Having to discipline, deny requests of, and fire your reports.
posted by MattD at 11:22 AM on October 17, 2019 [5 favorites]
Downsides? You are always on call, to at least some extent. You are accountable for results that are never entirely in your control and often feel very little in your control. A first-rung boss can no longer hide from difficult personalities but lacks the power to make them behave. Having to discipline, deny requests of, and fire your reports.
posted by MattD at 11:22 AM on October 17, 2019 [5 favorites]
I did this in 2006, when I stepped into a subordinate role after being a reorganization made me a sales manager for a year and a half. I am not a salesperson. My direct report became the manager and it worked great for both of us.
But it all depends on your workplace. By then I had been there 7 years and the upper management knew me, knew that I had many talents, and saw that I really, really TRIED to be a good fit for that spot. My report and I pitched it to upper management and we both came away happy.
The only downside was that I then knew how the sausage was made and it was hard to not let that influence my attitude.
posted by kimberussell at 11:31 AM on October 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
But it all depends on your workplace. By then I had been there 7 years and the upper management knew me, knew that I had many talents, and saw that I really, really TRIED to be a good fit for that spot. My report and I pitched it to upper management and we both came away happy.
The only downside was that I then knew how the sausage was made and it was hard to not let that influence my attitude.
posted by kimberussell at 11:31 AM on October 17, 2019 [1 favorite]
Best answer: If and when you decide to step back from being a manager, you will need to present a thorough, compelling, and preferably at least mostly true explanation for why you are taking your career in (what is commonly considered) the wrong direction. There will be considerable suspicion about your motives that you will need to allay. As Miko said, having had a managerial perspective could make you a valuable asset to your new manager, provided he/she is confident and secure. Less confident managers will likely view you as a threat, as someone who is wanting (or is seen as able) to take their job should they make a misstep.
posted by DrGail at 11:56 AM on October 17, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by DrGail at 11:56 AM on October 17, 2019 [3 favorites]
There are fields and organizations where management is a different career path compared to "individual contributors". I think your question depends strongly on if your particular organization has this view.
Accepting or seeking a demotion is something that harms your career. It should be non-negotiable.
Therefore, if this organization considers management exclusively above individuals, that would be a demotion. On the other hand, if this organization recognizes highly skilled individual contributors with appropriate salary and title, then it can be fine.
The job title is important, btw. You still deserve recognition for your performance. You still want to advance your career, develop your skills, and signal other managers and outsiders of your status. If you aren't performing the exact same role, then you should have a title that reflects that. However, if do go back to a front line worker role and it's exactly like it was before, that's a reliable sign that your organization doesn't really have 2 career paths.
posted by cotterpin at 11:58 PM on October 17, 2019
Accepting or seeking a demotion is something that harms your career. It should be non-negotiable.
Therefore, if this organization considers management exclusively above individuals, that would be a demotion. On the other hand, if this organization recognizes highly skilled individual contributors with appropriate salary and title, then it can be fine.
The job title is important, btw. You still deserve recognition for your performance. You still want to advance your career, develop your skills, and signal other managers and outsiders of your status. If you aren't performing the exact same role, then you should have a title that reflects that. However, if do go back to a front line worker role and it's exactly like it was before, that's a reliable sign that your organization doesn't really have 2 career paths.
posted by cotterpin at 11:58 PM on October 17, 2019
Hey there, I spent a last dozen or so years in management, the last half of that in a senior management and leadership role. I just moved back to an IC role at my request. I think you need to ask yourself where this is taking you. That will depend pretty heavily on the field you're in and the size of the organization. I think management and leadership roles at small organizations can be really rewarding and fun. In many ways they are more challenging because often the support infrastructure isn't there.
Management, at least at the front line, in larger organization is generally not a destination. I would only recommend doing it if you want the experience or/and if it's getting you to a more senior leadership role and that's something you are specifically after. The thing I would encourage you to do when evaluating whether this is what you want to do is think about how long you'd be willing to stay in the management role if you didn't like it or if it proved difficult in ways you didn't anticipate. I would say you should give management a couple of years because it's a practice in and of itself, and generally speaking, not very well taught by organizations and leaders.
As far as whether it hurts your career or if you can change back, that's a bit dependent on what you want to do and if you liked it. It's also sort of dependent on whether you'd want to work at the place longer. Generally speaking in my field it's pretty easy to move to a different organization at the IC level and intermediate management level. So from my perspective, not a big deal.
posted by iamabot at 8:26 AM on October 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
Management, at least at the front line, in larger organization is generally not a destination. I would only recommend doing it if you want the experience or/and if it's getting you to a more senior leadership role and that's something you are specifically after. The thing I would encourage you to do when evaluating whether this is what you want to do is think about how long you'd be willing to stay in the management role if you didn't like it or if it proved difficult in ways you didn't anticipate. I would say you should give management a couple of years because it's a practice in and of itself, and generally speaking, not very well taught by organizations and leaders.
As far as whether it hurts your career or if you can change back, that's a bit dependent on what you want to do and if you liked it. It's also sort of dependent on whether you'd want to work at the place longer. Generally speaking in my field it's pretty easy to move to a different organization at the IC level and intermediate management level. So from my perspective, not a big deal.
posted by iamabot at 8:26 AM on October 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
I did something like this in my IT career. In the long run it did not hurt me. I was working for a state government and for various reasons I asked to be demoted from management. My bosses were happy to do it since we obviously had different ideas and I wasn't following their lead so to speak. I ended up leaving that job about 6 months later for another job.
I was worried about how to explain a step down from management. In my subsequent job search I was applying for both managerial and non-managerial positions. In a couple of non-managerial interviews I was asked why I was interested in a non-manager position. I gave as truthful answer as I could while still trying to make it sound as positive as possible. In the end I did not get those jobs. Ultimately I basically removed the job titles from my resume. I just accurately listed my job duties and capabilities honestly. As in many jobs I was performing manager duties long before I was officially promoted. And even after I was demoted I was still kind of the manager anyways. AAARRGGH! Of course if they checked references or verified with my past employer they may have discovered I was officially a manger at some point.
Ultimately I did find a new position in a non-manager position and the subject of me being a manger never came up. I don't know if they ever verified what my positions were in my last job. They were looking for someone with a specific set of technical skills and I was able to show those skills pretty effectively in the interview processes. I have been in this position a couple of years now and like my last job I am now performing more and more duties of a manger and they are pushing for me to move in that direction. Now I have a decision to make and the cycle starts again.
posted by Justin Case at 8:35 AM on October 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
I was worried about how to explain a step down from management. In my subsequent job search I was applying for both managerial and non-managerial positions. In a couple of non-managerial interviews I was asked why I was interested in a non-manager position. I gave as truthful answer as I could while still trying to make it sound as positive as possible. In the end I did not get those jobs. Ultimately I basically removed the job titles from my resume. I just accurately listed my job duties and capabilities honestly. As in many jobs I was performing manager duties long before I was officially promoted. And even after I was demoted I was still kind of the manager anyways. AAARRGGH! Of course if they checked references or verified with my past employer they may have discovered I was officially a manger at some point.
Ultimately I did find a new position in a non-manager position and the subject of me being a manger never came up. I don't know if they ever verified what my positions were in my last job. They were looking for someone with a specific set of technical skills and I was able to show those skills pretty effectively in the interview processes. I have been in this position a couple of years now and like my last job I am now performing more and more duties of a manger and they are pushing for me to move in that direction. Now I have a decision to make and the cycle starts again.
posted by Justin Case at 8:35 AM on October 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
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That could make you a more skilled front-facing worker and/or a leader among that group. It could make you frustrated once you step back. Hard to say. I know a lot of people that had heavy administrative jobs for a long time who really enjoy being a "worker be" in semi-retirement. Being relieved of people management and decisionmaking can feel good after you dealt with its struggles for a long time.
Downsides to senior management roles? More time in meetings and answering emails than interacting directly with work or customers. Having more of your work challenges be around people, and their issues and performance and personalities, as opposed to production. Having more compliance to think about. Needing to worry about and be accountable to a budget and other division goals. Just to name a few things.
Upsides include actually having the scope and authority to make positive changes you've always wanted to make, seeing the big picture, being closer to decision-making and more often part of decisions, being able to advocate for and represent your colleagues at higher levels. As well as more money, benefits, and independence, typically.
posted by Miko at 10:54 AM on October 17, 2019 [6 favorites]