Making the decision: Manager or independent contributor?

Oh hey, look at that calendar. It's the time of year when people are thinking about growth and change, and you might be considering moving to the management track as a 2022 goal. But if you've never managed before, how do you know if it's right for you?

If you work for an organization that has your career growth in mind, your manager will encourage a thoughtful decision. I had one of those managers; Julie Norvaisas patiently endured months of my soul-searching and waffling. Your manager should support this not only because they care about you as a person, but also because it’s a business decision. It takes time and effort to promote and train a manager, and once that manager starts managing other managers it gets even more complicated. Ever have someone at a higher level leave the company and experience the resulting upheaval? It’s like having someone flip a chessboard mid-game.?

So here are a few things to think about as you ponder the ubiquitous management vs. independent contributor ("IC") question.

Why are you being asked to move into leadership?

If the reason you're considering managing is because you’ve been asked to step into leadership, then "Why?" should be your first question. Ideally, the answer would incorporate your strengths and professional goals along with the business needs. Something like, “You've mentioned you'd be interested in moving into management. As we’re growing, we need to create a layer of leadership in [area]. You’ve shown leadership qualities such as [x, y, z] which would be great for this area. I think this is a good opportunity to make the move now.”?

If the response is, “We’re going through a reorg and we have to figure out what to do with you,” it may be a reactive decision that has little to do with you or your goals, and it's time to dig deeper. I’ve heard stories from colleagues in which they walked into work only to be told there’s been a reorg and now they’re managing people—and they'd never even expressed an interest in doing so before. Moving to management should never be a surprise.

Why do you want to move into management?

There is no one right answer to this question. But the way you answer it will help you set your expectations and understand where your work is cut out for you. For instance, “more money” is a perfectly valid answer. But if you don’t get satisfaction from elevating your team or building a discipline, your day-to-day professional life may become a slog that your newly inflated paycheck cannot compensate for.

My own reasons for moving into leadership were “professional growth” and “giving back to the content design community.” From there, I needed to be specific about what I thought “growth” looked like to me (learning new things, being uncomfortable, elevating my team and discipline) and I was clear with myself about what I’d need to do to fulfill those goals.?

Where do you get your energy?

I love leading meetings and having conversations with my team members, but as an introvert, these activities drain me. This doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be in leadership. It just means I need to ration my energy. I’ve blocked focus time on my calendar twice a week, and my company also has no-meeting Fridays once a month. I also try to group high-focus meetings so I’m expending energy all at once rather than dipping in and out of energy reserves.?

If you actively dislike having regular conversations and leading meetings, and would really prefer to be left alone to do your work, you’re going to have a bad time as a manager.

What will you be giving up?

Being a manager is a different job than being an IC, and you’ll probably be relinquishing most, if not all, of your IC work. How does that make you feel? I'll admit when I’m advising my team members on some big, juicy content problem, I’m a little envious. That’s the kind of stuff I relished working on before I moved into management. I still have problems to solve, but they’re more around organizational structures or processes or staffing. Still important, still rewarding, but not quite the same.?

You’ll also be giving up your existing peer structure. Once you start managing your colleagues, the power structure changes. Trying to keep it the way it was before will only lead to heartache and Michael Scott-level awkwardness. If you are truly friends, like, “outside-the-office” friends, you may need to have a conversation to acknowledge this shift. You'll be making decisions as a leader that you may not necessarily make as a friend.

Along those same lines, your influence shifts. What you do and, perhaps more importantly, how you do it matters. If you're sending work emails on a weekend or while you're on vacation, your team will perceive this as expected behavior (yes, even if you specify you don't expect a response immediately). You also become a more visible representative of your team to higher levels of leadership, and you'll have a deeper responsibility for how your discipline shows up in the product.

And think about how important recognition is to you. When you move into leadership, you’ll typically get less recognition in the way you’ve been used to, especially if you’re a high-achieving IC. It might be a bit of an adjustment to reshape the way you perceive work satisfaction and recognition.

What kind of support will you have?

Support comes in all different places and forms. Ask questions about what that looks like for your organization. If you’re changing managers, how will your new manager support you? What are their expectations? Are there resources for new leadership, such as classes, support groups, events?

I work for a large organization with a lot of resources in place. Many organizations don't have that. It’s just as important to know what’s not available as what is. There are many ways to get support outside of your organization, and you’ll want to research these before stepping into leadership so you have the support when you make the move.

What happens if you hate it?

I literally asked my manager this question. Her response was, “You can move back to an IC role,” which was the answer I was looking for. But it was recommended I stay in the role for a full year so I could experience all of the cycles of leadership, including the wins and the tough conversations. Anything less than a year means you’ll miss out on some important aspects of leadership, and you may not have the full picture to make an informed decision. And to be super-clear here: the “try it for a year” suggestion is for organizations that are supportive and have earned your trust.?If you find yourself in a toxic or dangerous environment, do not stay.

You may not have the option to move back to an IC at your organization. If that’s the case, that’s important information to have before you make your decision.

What do trusted managers have to say?

I promise you there are many people who have been in this same position who would be happy to share their point of view. Contact colleagues you admire and trust and get their take; I recommend talking to a mix of internal and external people. Articles like this one (and, ahem, this one and this one) are helpful, but having a candid conversation with someone who's been down this road—especially at your organization—is invaluable.

And finally, do you like people?

Because managing is about people. Nothing gets done without respecting and believing in your team. You'll need to up-level your listening and empathy skills, and be ready for what your team needs on any given day. You may have had a whole conversation planned for a one-on-one, then show up and find your team member has a completely different set of needs for that chat. You may need to run interference behind the scenes so your team can focus on the work. You may need to craft critical feedback in a way that's kind and constructive. And you do this because you care about your team as individuals. It's a constant learning process and you're going to make mistakes (ask me how I know), but if you're planning on skipping the people part, I would gently suggest rethinking the management track.

I'm a little more than two years into my management journey, and there have definitely been high highs and low lows. But I've learned more in these last two years than the previous five years as an IC, and I know this is where I want to be for now.