Technical Project Manager
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A few years back I wrote The Zigzag Career[^] in respoonse to Udi's article[^]. In rereading both I think the bottom-line advise still holds true: make this type of decision with your eyes open and treat it like a real career change. Personally, I've been back and forth between manager and IC roles but have always gravitated back to the technical side. That's just me though. I didn't even find the "architecture" role that appealing. I like to build things. Try it. You may (or may not) like it. Either way you'll end up better off (IMO).
Thanks man. I'll take a poke around it. I do have a book to finish one of my old managers recommended to me first though.
Jeremy Falcon
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Congratulations ! Advice ? The only thing I can say is that if you are going to become the manager of your current peers, that is always going to have some sticky aspects, always likely to precipitate some psychodramas. cheers, Bill
«There is a spectrum, from "clearly desirable behaviour," to "possibly dodgy behavior that still makes some sense," to "clearly undesirable behavior." We try to make the latter into warnings or, better, errors. But stuff that is in the middle category you don’t want to restrict unless there is a clear way to work around it.» Eric Lippert, May 14, 2008
You have been around the block my friend. And fortunately, we're hiring new people for this. And thanks for the congrats.
Jeremy Falcon
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Besides what Marc already wrote, read the article in my sig. It's really spot on.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
I'll give it a go. Thanks man.
Jeremy Falcon
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Marc said to run a few times, and I have to agree with him there. I would never take a management position, and have turned down many offers over the years. You seem to be excited about it, so listen to everyone's advice and make your own decision, obviously. I hope all goes well for you. :sigh:
Thanks man. And I am. It's something different. I got jaded with coding for a while. Every now and again I get inspired to crank up the keyboard, but this I can help make sure other programmers don't have to deal with some of the same management crap I did. Or that's the dream at least. I'm sure I'll still code on the side for fun every now and again.
Jeremy Falcon
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you still can do development but purely just help speed up production :laugh:
Thanks
Jeremy Falcon
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Good luck! :thumbsup: I have no advice but hope you are good at telling people what to do. The few times in the past that I've had to manage a junior dev or intern, I've always despised the role...trying to keep them busy by finding tasks suited to their meager abilities, then spending more time showing them how to do it than it would have taken me to do it myself! :sigh:
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
Yeah I been there done that too man. But I think I'll be alright. I'll keep them busy. I'm more worried about having too much work. And thanks for the good wishes man.
Jeremy Falcon
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I am now 37 as well, some years ago I changed from being a one-man team to have 11 people below me in a big project for my main customer. I was the main plc programer, the only robot programer, had 2 newbies to be trained and 6 guys of other department working there. It was endless stress, but I would like to think I managed it to good terms. Project was done with customers' satisfaction and economical benefit for us. The newbies learnt a lot and there was good mood between us, the guys of the e-department... well... I had to send one home, other one was sent home by the customer andI had a couple of "encounters" with their team leader (in the project he was below me as well). :sigh: :sigh: I learnt a lot of things, some of them through painful experience... I would make again, but definitively only in sporadic basis and not as my main job. Things I was told / discovered by myself... - Be as much honest as you can, but without being it too much I mean... if you are not sure about something, say it and maybe ask for an opinion... but don't show fear on taking a decission or ask for advice. (Note the opinion vs advice) - Try to turn the decissions so that the other member think as it would be his decission. Not the same to say "We do it this way" than to say "If we can not go that way... would you go this way?" - Be consequent and strict but fair... If extra hours are needed, you stay always with them. If not needed anymore, you let them go home earlier. If you tell someone "No" for something, the "no" is for all... favouritism can be very dangerous in a group - The first time someoone makes a mistake is his error, the second one is your error... - Get responsability in a big mistake of other person once - Try to have a good mood environment, but don't forget you are not their "colleague" anymore and don't let them to get offlimits during worktime and try to separate as much as you can private / work. If you all go afterwork to drink a beer, then you are one more. If someone is critical with you during dinner, just try to learn about it but don't let it interfere on the next day. - If you have to criticize someone, try to do it with a story in "I" form "from your past" (if he doesn't know you that much) I did XXX once and the result was so bad... that... - If someone's energy/motivation is dropping, don't shout him, ask him if everything is fine out of the company. I hope it helps you :) Good Luck in your new adventure. Only one thing more... always be h
Very wise words man. Thank you for sharing this with me. I'd vote it a 10, but I'm only limited to +5.
Jeremy Falcon
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After over 20 years of development it turns out my company is transitioning me into more of a project manager role. Yay! But, this is bit of a new venture for me since I've only done development work pretty much my entire life (since the age of 14, I'm 37 now). I see myself as an artist that enjoys creating - hands on type thing. That will never go away, but this change is needed in my career and in life as I grow my career. So, I know some CPians here have taken this road as well. And um, not to sound like a newbie posting programming questions in the Lounge, but... are there any words of advice or have resources for the new guy transitioning into the managerial role?
Jeremy Falcon
Pick up the phone at every opportunity. Seriously. The best PMs are the ones who keep informed and keep everyone informed constantly. All the little problems seem to float away, when everyone knows what's going on.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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Jeremy Falcon wrote:
project manager
Project Manager or Development manager? Many responses, including your own, would indicate that you will be managing people, but that is not what a Project Manager does. At least I've never known a single Project Manager that manages people, they manage projects. Project Manager would be a huge demotion, in my opinion.
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
RyanDev wrote:
I've never known a single Project Manager that manages people
So you've known what, like none? You've gone way beyond ridiculous, with this "contribution", to the extent that it could be harmful. Desist.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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Pick up the phone at every opportunity. Seriously. The best PMs are the ones who keep informed and keep everyone informed constantly. All the little problems seem to float away, when everyone knows what's going on.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
Totally agree.
Jeremy Falcon