Your technical skills are being sidelined by managerial duties. How can you reclaim your IT expertise?

A 2022 survey by TechRepublic, showed 68% of IT managers reported feeling their technical skills were declining due to increased managerial responsibilities. This statistic is a wake-up call. Consider these two actions: 1. Learn with your team with a "Tech Talk Tuesday" where team members share cutting-edge developments. As facilitator, you'll stay informed and position yourself as the knowledge hub. 2. I discover a new technology each week with this workflow: 1. Listen to a YouTuber on a new technology. 2. Subscribe/test one of the suggested products. 3. If I like it, share it with the team, and if I love it, I reach out to the company and find out more. These routines keep me ahead of the curve with a small time investment.

To keep your technical skills in shape you need to be there, you need to be present. Show up on the technical meetings, technical interviews and write down something new what you haven't heard before. Than assign some time to read about it, and ask your team for help if needed.

This is something every manager needs to grapple with .. but it is not something that is impossible. I suggest you implement the following : ?? Rebalance Your Role: ?? Analyze time spent on management vs. technical tasks ??? Communicate desire to focus more on technical work ?? Delegate some managerial tasks ?? Skill Maintenance: ???♂? Set aside dedicated time for hands-on tech work ?? Take on small technical projects or tasks ?? Participate in code reviews ?? Continuous Learning: ??? Enroll in online courses or workshops ?? Subscribe to tech newsletters and blogs ?? Listen to tech podcasts during commute ??? Stay Hands-On: ?? Contribute to open-source projects ?? Set up a home lab for experimentation

To reclaim your IT expertise, carve out dedicated time for technical learning and hands-on practice. Allocate specific hours weekly for staying updated with the latest technologies, taking online courses, or working on personal tech projects. Delegate managerial tasks to trusted team members to free up time. Engage in tech forums, attend webinars, and join professional groups to stay connected with industry trends. Additionally, take on selective technical projects within your role to maintain and enhance your skills. Balancing managerial responsibilities with continuous learning and practical application will help you stay sharp in your technical expertise.

Staying updated on industry trends and advancements allows you to maintain and enhance your technical skills. By dedicating time to continuous learning and staying informed, you can reclaim your IT expertise while balancing managerial duties, ensuring you remain technically proficient

Get your fix at home. If you're too bugged down with management and housekeeping tasks, you have to find that time outside of business hours if you can. Also, speak with your CTO about signing up for certifications and trainings that will help keep your skills sharp. If you can dedicate an hour per day to professional development, those hours will add up in the long term. If your employer can pay for this, even better. It is to the company's benefit in the end, so its a win win situation. Sign up as a beta tester for new tools. Google labs for example, has the Trusted Tester program, where you can sign up to play with some of their latest models like ImageFX powered by Imagen 3. They also have the Cloud Innovators program and so much more!

Hands-on practice allows you to actively apply and refresh your technical skills. By engaging in real-world projects, experimenting with new technologies, and solving technical problems, you can reclaim your IT expertise while balancing your managerial responsibilities

Taking on a mentorship role allows you to guide and support your team while engaging with technical challenges. This involvement helps you stay connected to hands-on work, refresh your skills, and reclaim your IT expertise despite your managerial duties

Strategic delegation enables you to allocate managerial tasks to trusted team members, freeing up time for technical work. This approach allows you to actively engage in hands-on projects, refresh your skills, and reclaim your IT expertise while maintaining managerial responsibilities

Pursuing learning opportunities through courses, certifications, and workshops keeps you updated with the latest technologies and practices. This ongoing education helps you reclaim your IT expertise, ensuring your technical skills remain sharp despite the demands of your managerial duties