Free Article By Paul Glen of C2
Consulting
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The Technical Siren's Call Isn't Easy to Ignore
(Originally published in Computerworld USA,
Computerworld Australia, and CIO Germany.)
I recently had the privilege of giving a speech
at my alma mater, Cornell University, and wandering the campus brought back
memories.
Other than a building boom, the nearly 20 years
had brought few changes to the campus. It was still clean and beautiful, and the
only thing missing was the group of Hacky Sack players on the quad, who had been
replaced by the decidedly more violent Society for Creative Anachronism kids,
wearing armor and shields and whacking each other (rather hard) with wooden
swords.
I'm now at an age when I'm supposed to get
nostalgic for my college days, and I was. What if I could go back and be a
student again? The learning (and drinking, I suppose) called to me, and it got
me thinking about a lot of managers I know.
At one time or another, most technical managers
long to do technical work. For most of us, hands-on production dominated our
early careers, and just as a yearning for youth reached out to me, technical
work sends out a siren's call to managers.
But, as opposed to my consequence-free
indulgent fantasy, heeding the call of technical work endangers the careers of
managers and the health of their projects.
Why is this desire so common? I've got a few
theories:
A yearning to relive your glory days.
Management generally doesn't offer the same thrill of many early career
successes. It's hard to get the sense of accomplishment that comes with making
some bit of technology jump through particularly challenging hoops.
A longing for simpler times and work.
Managerial work is often subtle and ambiguous. It's hard to know if things are
going well or not. Politics can be messy, and emotions baffling. Technology,
while complex, offers a much clearer landscape.
A desire for immediate results. Management
successes typically take months or even years to realize. Technology offers
quick feedback. There's nothing like seeing that new window pop up for the first
time and do exactly what you want it to do.
So, what's the big deal if a manager indulges
in a little geeking out? There are a number of dysfunctional behaviors that I
associate with this:
Micromanagement. The urge to stay hands-on
often results in managers trying to micromanage their technical staffs. This is
a bad idea, in part because it's impossible to be up to date on all the minutiae
of everyone's work. But, more important, micromanagement conveys a lack of trust
of the technical professionals a manager is supposed to be overseeing and
nurturing.
Unqualified decision-making. In most cases,
managers who engage in technical work are not really as knowledgeable as they
think they are. They may have been in the past, but current competency is often
an illusion. Wresting technical decision-making away from technical staff often
works out badly.
Wasted time. Technical work takes lots of time
and concentration. It's easy for managers to lose enormous amounts of time doing
things that could be better and more productively done by others.
Abandoned responsibilities. Perhaps worst of
all, managers frequently neglect the responsibilities of leadership when they
pick up technical work. When they revisit their old comfort zones, no one is
fulfilling important management functions.
Since getting their hands back on technology is
such a natural wish, how should managers deal with these longings? It seems
pointless to suggest that they should just "get over it." Relying solely on
willpower is rarely a feasible option. So I'll suggest a couple of other
strategies:
Forgive yourself for having these feelings.
It's perfectly normal and healthy to reflect on the past and long for the good
times. Some days, it's all the joy we're going to get. Management can be a tough
job, and one that gets you dang little sympathy. Realize that this does not mean
that you shouldn't have gone into managerial work.
Allow yourself a small indulgence. Whether at
work or at home, give yourself permission to do one small technical thing. If
your team is working on a project, get someone to assign you a little task,
preferably one that's off the critical path. Then be a team player and enjoy a
small -- and I repeat small -- amount of tech time. Or, if that's not feasible
or politically wise, go home and set up a server. Buy yourself a few toys and go
into the geek cave for a while. It's much better to play around a little in a
contained space than to invade other people's work.
So when you hear the siren's song, lash
yourself to a keyboard and hold on tight. You can get through it without leading
all your people onto the rocks.
© Copyright 2006 by Computerworld Inc., One Speen Street, Framingham, MA, 01701. Reprinted by permission of
Computerworld. All Rights Reserved.
