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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
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Jeremy Falcon wrote: are there any words of advice or have resources for the new guy transitioning into the managerial role?
Run?
All kidding side, RUN!
ok, no really. The #1 rule is that you, as a manager, do not dictate, you facilitate.
That means:
- ask questions
- ask questions
- ask questions
Make decisions based on what your peons underlings team suggests. If you don't agree, say concretely why and discuss so that even better solutions can present themselves.
The idea is, when you facilitate them getting their job done, they will start caring about how they can facilitate you getting your job done.
[edit] And if you succeed at that, you will be demoted because you're successful, threaten other teams, and/or are threat to your boss or the entire corporate en-cultured politics. You have been warned.  RUN! [/edit]
[edit2] Oh, and rule #2 - never take credit for anything. Always give credit to your team [/edit2]
Marc
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Marc Clifton wrote: ok, no really. The #1 rule is that you, as a manager, do not dictate, you facilitate.
I've always read that a good manager is more of a servant, and I suppose that can be true. I'll keep this in mind.
Marc Clifton wrote: The idea is, when you facilitate them getting their job done, they will start caring about how they can facilitate you getting your job done.
Makes total sense. I reckon it'll be like a relationship. The more you put into the other person they more they'll want to put into you.
Marc Clifton wrote: Oh, and rule #2 - never take credit for anything. Always give credit to your team
Makes sense.
Oh, and btw Marc... JavaScript.
I'm so evil.
Jeremy Falcon
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Jeremy Falcon wrote: The more you put into the other person they more they'll want to put into you.
I didn't read that 
Rules for the FOSW ![ ^]
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Jeremy Falcon wrote: a good manager is more of a servant
Choose to be a good Servant Leader[^] might suit you I believe, as pure management is new to you!
Diplomacy and politics will get you to eventually...
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I agree with this. In fact I have a book on it. Good time to dust it off.
Jeremy Falcon
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Jeremy Falcon wrote: JavaScript.
You ARE evil. Javascript is not actually that bad (did I just say that?) I had someone tell me recently that Javascript is a prototype-based language. That really helped to shift my paradigm in thinking.
My main problem with Javascript is not the language, but the programming style that I often see. I find that Javascript programmers throw out everything they've learned about good programming when writing in JS. I was doing the same, which made me look at what I was doing. Functions hundreds of lines long, everything is strings, no type checking so it becomes a mess trying to figure out what the data types are. I learned to force myself to write small functions, create a reusable js file of useful stuff, use really meaningful variables (back to Hungarian notation in some cases so I know the type), take a lot of notes on all the bizarre one off stuff, and as for the lack of strong typing, well, I haven't played with Typescript, but it's on my to do list.
Marc
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Oh, I know exactly what you mean. It's hard to define PHP at times for those reasons, but darn it I try. I suppose anything that gets popular will also bring out the average joes from the woodworks and well, you get the idea. Mix that in with some substandard dev tools and voila! At least it's starting to get some real love now regarding dev tools so hopefully this will change... hopefully...
Jeremy Falcon
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You are probably asking the wrong group here, there may be a few PMs but no many that haunt the Lounge. I, like Marc, am an old developer and my advice would be the same RUN! Caveat, this advice comes from a FAILED manager.
Your statement that you consider yourself and artist who enjoys creating puts you firmly in the developer bucket, as a manger your creativity will be stifled and that can lead to mental constipation.
Having said that at 37 you have to explore the opportunity and I wish you all the luck with the adventure. A good manager is invaluable, pity they are so few and far between.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity
RAH
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I totally agree that CP isn't manager-centric, but this is kinda my online crew. My virtual peeps. It's just my go-to for tech questions, including this one. And while I do agree with stifling creativity in this role, I know the guys here will want me to code some. So I hope I don't lose that side, but I gotta give this a go man ya know.
And thanks for your wishes. I'll try not to suck. 
Jeremy Falcon
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Jeremy Falcon wrote: but I gotta give this a go man ya know
Absolutely! And if you can keep a modicum of coding your sanity may not suffer too much. One reason it may work is you already know your team and presumably have their respect.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity
RAH
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Thanks man. And I hope I do.
Jeremy Falcon
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Jeremy Falcon wrote: managerial
You wrote so much just to tell me you are our boss now.
That's a good fist step in your new role. 
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Well boss indicates dictator, I'd rather be more of the non-dictating type. But thanks man.
Jeremy Falcon
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Jeremy Falcon wrote: project manager
Remember when you used to think of them as idiots and used to rant while having beer with mates? You are out of that group now. Good luck finding new beer mates.
"You'd have to be a floating database guru clad in a white toga and ghandi level of sereneness to fix this goddamn clusterfuck.", BruceN[ ^]
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Nah, never really had that problem... that I'll admit. 
Jeremy Falcon
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Not so much advice but just to recant my own experiences. I too was once a Development Manager. I didn't directly apply for the role, it was gradually assigned to me as I was the most senior developer in my team at the time (this was around 5 years ago).
So I gradually evolved from a Senior Software Developer into a Software Manager. And I didn't like it one bit. My passion is developing software. It's what gets me excited and puts a bounce in my step in the mornings.
Slowly over time the mind crushing tedium of the role got to me. I spent less and less time doing what I loved and more and more time spent in meetings, putting together the annual budget plans, drafting the development strategy and roadmap, representing and defending the team to people who's sole objective was to blame my team for why their own team had failed.
I learnt a lot about the management side of software, but that's about it. I didn't particularly enjoy my tenure as a manager, and I left after a couple of years to get back into developing software.
Life is short. Spend it doing something you love.
"There are two ways of constructing a software design: One way is to make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies, and the other way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies. The first method is far more difficult." - C.A.R. Hoare
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I know for me my idea of what's fun has changed in the recent years, and I don't code as much at home as I used to. So as I change, I suppose the career should change with me ya know. Thanks for this, and I agree do what you love.
Jeremy Falcon
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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).
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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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Whatever Marc said is very true.. Never try to hog the limelight and never dictate !
And if I may add:
Never try to micro-manage - give them space to maneuver.
don't give solution immediately (specially to technical problem) even if you have one unless extremely critical time-crunch. Give pointer and let them fail and learn, That gives them great pleasure and satisfaction when they solve the problem 
Thanks,
Milind
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Oh yeah man, I totally know you're speaking the truth. Years of coding myself has taught me one thing... micromanagement sucks.
Jeremy Falcon
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Get and read the book "Managing Humans"[^] - it is a good read and has lots of tips on being a people manager.
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Thanks for the link. I do have a book recommended by one of my old managers I'll finish first, but I shall bookmark this one.
Jeremy Falcon
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