[masklinn]

> One problem is high-contributing ICs who think they should get promotions to manager. For whatever reason

Because traditionally that's the only way to get better comp' once you reach a certain point. In most companies, regardless of your IC and management skills if you don't step on the management track you're going to cap out pretty fast.

[taneq]

Exactly. This is the problem: That most company hierarchies are broken, in that they stratify themselves into managers at the top and "do-ers" at the bottom. If you do things (like directly create value or personally solve problems), you're a "do-er", and you are automatically subordinate to anyone who can't do things, anyone not doing things must be a manager.

I was once literally told that I wouldn't be considered for career advancement because I was "a do-er" and too useful doing the things that the incapable-of-doing-things managers told me to do. It never even crossed their minds that they should give the do-er a say in what things should be done. I don't work there any more.