| Interesting article... As a side note, I have noticed that sometimes people that move into management from a technical position seem to not be fully aware that management is not only about managing projects and keeping track of people timely executing a project, and/or giving some guidance when a project gets a bit blocked, but also about growing people to their fullest potential and trying to understand how to integrate these people's unique abilities into a more cohesive whole, instead of different parts who do exactly what you want them to do, not holistically at all. There's also a big empathic component to the job that I have noticed some people with technical backgrounds seem to lack. It's almost as if there's a tradeoff pattern of sorts: "Good Technically, Bad with People" vs "Good with People, Bad Technically." I would even dare say that I think the second version is better, since it's easier for people to grow technically than it is for them to grow emotionally... At least that's what I've perceived in the past... I've met people who are technically magnificent, were amazing individual contributors, and who can plan a project perfectly but who just seem to me to not be able to properly handle the more human side of the equation. They treat people more like tools than actual complex humans... This leads to just "good enough" workgroups that get the job done, but not fully fledged integrated teams that can innovate and actually grow in a more efficient manner. I urge everyone who is either a manager or is thinking about moving into a managerial position to check out: Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar. He is the perfect example of how a technical person can become a great manager in every single way, and the book gives really clear guidance on how to follow the same path. Last thing: A bit more technical, but the following article/paper is a bit connected:
https://necsi.edu/a-mathematical-theory-of-interpersonal-int... |