NZ Muse

On the quest for health, wealth, and happiness. Not necessarily in that order.

26
May
2011

Five reasons why I have no management aspirations

(aka, Things I’ve Learned on the Job, or Why I’m Glad Ladder Climbing Is Less Of A Concern In This Industry Than Others)

Outside in management model

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1. The BS. The massaging of egos, the corporate speak, the endless talk talk talk.

2. Big picture thinking. I get that all that talk is vital when you’re thinking on the strategy level. Me,  I prefer to get on with the job…actually doing things rather than endlessly discussing them. I’m more of a detail-oriented person, and that lends itself more to the execution side of things.

3. Meetings. I used to like meetings. Get paid to sit around, watch presentations, listen to people talk? And sometimes even get fed while doing so? Yes please. Oh, how wrong I was. After a few, I realised just how damn interminable meetings actually are. (Much like I thought I liked lunch breaks, but given the choice between a slow day when I could basically take a whole afternoon for lunch and a day when I barely get to catch my breath, I’d take the latter.)

4. Any actual managing of people. I’m a control freak and delegating is something I still struggle with. But it does help to have capable, competent and *willing* people around you. (I am a showerer of praise but have no patience for timewasters.)

5. Personal time. The higher you go, the more work bleeds into your own time. I’d like that to be on my own terms, rather than by necessity.

8 Comments on Five reasons why I have no management aspirations

  1. AlottaLettuce
    May 26, 2011 at 16:11 (723 days ago)

    Funny, I’m so very much the opposite!

    I’m pure big picture visionary and hate to be bothered with details. I love a day chock full of meetings and time spent brainstorming big ideas, but don’t much care for being the one to implement them.

    However, I do absolutely loathe corporate speak and hate, hate, HATE having to manage big egos.

    Reply
  2. Revanche
    May 26, 2011 at 17:35 (723 days ago)

    Heaven help me, yes.

    It’s a right pain in the patoot. Not much of #1 but the meetings! And the people who say they love meetings! I just want to kick them in the shins because they then drag out those useless flicking meetings.

    I’m not sure if there’s much upside to management except that if you get it done right, at least you know someone isn’t effing it up and screwing over your people. IF you’re doing it right. And if you know it. Which I haven’t quite figured out the knowing of yet.

    Reply
  3. Paula @ AffordAnything.org
    May 26, 2011 at 19:34 (723 days ago)

    I’m just like AlottaLettuce — I love days spent in meetings doing big-picture things. The actual making it happen? I lose interest. I’d love to be in upper-management, but I don’t think I have the patience to stick it out with a lower-level job in order to get there.

    Reply
  5. gem
    May 27, 2011 at 09:26 (723 days ago)

    Oh my God the meetings. Nothing gets accomplished! Today we had one in which nothing was accomplished except some people sprouting stupid “big ideas” that would never work and will never be implemented. But we had to consider them for fifteen minutes nonetheless? No thank you.

    Reply
  6. Barb
    May 30, 2011 at 11:11 (720 days ago)

    This is me exactly! I am so uninterested in management it’s not funny.

    Reply

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