Making the Switch from “Doer” to Manager

Back in November, I received a long sought after promotion from a senior business analyst position to a manager of business analysts. This isn’t my first rodeo as a manager, I’ve managed groups of people and projects since my late 20s. This is my first time managing for my current employer.  It’s the first time I’ve ever worked for a company that felt like they should spend time training you on what your new role is and what the company expects from you in that role. This is nice. I am having some personal challenges, though. I thought I would share them since I am relatively certain I’m not the only person in this situation.

Even though I have been a manager before, I have also always been one of those people who needed to create work that was somewhat tangible as well. During my management tenure at previous employers, I always had my hands on some of the work that was actually being done. I’m sure many folks are familiar with the “manager and doer” model. Many employers use this model because they don’t believe that taking care of your people should be a full-time job for anyone. Even in department of 15 or more people, managers are often asked to perform tasks related to the production of product or services. I have been there and it’s not pretty. The situations I have seen have invariably placed product over people, customer above employee. What a mistake.

Don’t get me wrong. I love being a doer. My biggest struggle in moving into the manager role in this company has been telling myself that it’s OK not to be producing a product. It’s OK to spend my time taking care of my people. People are my product now. However intangible, my product is a group of happy, engaged business analysts who are doing their best to help their teams succeed. For me, the intangibility of it all can sometimes be a real drag on my morale. Twisted, isn’t it? 

To help me get through these changes in how I perceive my work, I intend to start writing about being a manager in the business analysis and IT arena. I’m going to share the funny stories, the odd occurrences, and the tribulations that happen in management and especially in the realm of IT. The switching between doer and manager is an interesting journey.