From coding to managing a company and employees

Derived from coding is for grown ups perhaps...

[explorador]

Hi fellow webmasters, been coding, designing and building websites for years. Mid 30s now but just reached that time and experience where I've been there, done this done that, etc. Not an expert or guru but just able to build diff kinds of stuff with what I know. Many things are not my area but I know how to get around, so, many times the "situations" end up with people asking me how to do it or what direction to take.

Suddenly I see my everyday filled with an angle I didn't choose: administrative tasks, direction and a boss-like position that I didn't ask but somehow it became expected. It's not as pleasant as it might seem.

So, when you love to code and build stuff
but you have been around for quite a while
what's your experience or how do you deal...
with this change, or even another extreme: your own company

Many good coders are terrible bosses, admins or managers, but sometimes the transition is not optional and nobody is asking if you want to, you just have to, specially when it's about a collaborating group and suddenly you are faced with the challenge or need of "must take control" I hate how that sound, what I mean "it's expected from you to put things in order". I'm facing this myself, doesn't feel good and remembering some words of somebody: "whatever the expectations are, and what people say they are sure about you, it just doesn't sound that way inside, one is not convinced"

shoot

[Nutterum]

I know several small dev companies (under 50 people) whose founders hired CEOs and project managers to do the administration and boss work, while the founders themselves stayed close to the dev teams, working from the nearby cubicle. These companies are doing bang-on job of employee retention, and have above average project success rates because the employees are empowered that their bosses are working alongside them in the trenches, while going off a meeting or two.

If you don`t want to jump from one meeting to another but wish to get back in to the trenches with your colleagues, by all means, please do. Just don`t forget that in the end you are the boss and will have to take the tough decisions, no matter what.

[explorador]

Thanks Nutterum. It's difficult, I take difficult decisions all the time regarding work, but adding the administrative task and price evaluations etc it's something I find terribly-terrible. It's a very difficult road ahead, very tempting to come back to just coding.

I was working on a company where due to "my abilities" they pushed me up and up, it was a nightmare to me despite how good that might sound. I guess, as the founder of that company said about himself "I'm not made for admin work man!" but times are hard now. Will keep reading and researching to cope and adapt with this.

[Nutterum]

I know exactly what you mean. I have been in such position and witnessed the effect of others being in this position. Be warned though there is a very true concept called "promotion to fail" or the so cold Peter Principle : [en.wikipedia.org...]
I have seen companies ruined because of hard working people being promoted to management positions they such badly at. Yet I myself gave been placed at a C-Suite position when I was not ready for it. I did OK, but my health, both physical and mental suffered and I had to back down after 2.5 years on the job. So heed my warning, if you are feeling that this is not for you - then it probably isn't, not because you can`t but because it`s not worth it.

[explorador]

Thanks Nutterum, is exactly what you posted. I have been promoted until the last company pushed me to a higher position and they were happy with the results (everybody but me). I did fine but the amount of energy was not good just like every word you explain about what happened to you.

Now I'm not on that company (or any) anymore, I'm going full solo, been there, done all of that before, but added to what I do: managing everything, administrative tasks and what I hate the most: constant calls, constant conversations and constant useless meetings.

From Wikipedia Peter-Principle: He noted that their incompetence may be because the required skills are different, but not more difficult. For example, an excellent engineer may be a poor manager because they do not have the interpersonal skills necessary to lead a team.

I can relate to that. Some of the work now involves a dear friend, she says I'm doing amazing and I agree we both do ok and results are good, but that doesn't mean energy is being wasted, that bit of "interpersonal skills", I got it but I burn it fast. This fits the typical case of CODERS expecting (by nature) clients to know what they really want, and clients to stick to the plans they made, it's so... so difficult. Besides venting a bit yes I know the panorama sounds more like hiring someone to do that job, but I would also like to hear about coders who walked that road and went ahead, sounds to me that if it's about "what one wants" most of us step back.

[Nutterum]

Explorador, I have one motto, since I was 15. "Things have the tendency to arrange themselves in the best possible way. They just need a little push." Without going into too much details, I went to a Foreign Languages School, the most prestigious in the city and in top 5 list in the country. Turned out I could not learn a foreign language to save my life. Not that I don`t know any, it was the way they were taught that was incomprehensible for me. So I was next to expelled due to poor grades. Then I created this motto and never looked back. I switched schools, went to the national mathematics school and did stellar.

Long story short, every negative thing that happened from that point on in my life, was overshadowed by this one single sentence I kept in my head. This not only allowed me to move forward, but enabled me to find something I feel passionate working on - digital marketing and SEO, with a sprinkle of project management.

IF you or anyone else is reading this topic and has this thought at the back of his or her head that something is not right at the job or daily life. Stop doing it and move on. With a little nudge you will find what you are passionate about and trust me, you will do great!

The inefficiency of any economy is proportional to the percentage of jobs occupied by people who hate them or are not meant for them.

[explorador]

Thanks nutterum, I'm exactly on the line, on following what I sure enjoy and I'm good at, and moving on to the next level and still loving what I do, my approach rather than complaining (sure I vent at times) is looking at this as something that it's in fact an opportunity, just as you posted.

[Nutterum]

Then I have no doubt you will do great. Interesting to see other opinions, so if anyone is lurking in this thread, I urge you to post your thoughts.

[LifeinAsia]

I had a contracting position last year with one of the major U.S. banks. My manager there was truly the worst boss I have ever had. Never in my life had I considered breaking a work contract early, but I definitely came close...

It wasn't just me- from what I heard (from other employees and the agency that got me the contract), she had a long history of berating and even screaming at employees (and contractors) in public, had numerous complaints against her with HR and employment agencies, and has had several counseling sessions with HR. And she is an AVP! Everyone agreed that she was brilliant on the data side, but horrendous on the people side. Unfortunately, that's what happens with a rigid corporate culture in big companies- people get moved up into management positions when they have no skills or business managing people.

[Nutterum]

What I dislike the most is when you promote someone to a Manager position just because he settled for the least amount of yearly salary/bonuses. Seen this with couple of clients I worked for as a freelance digital consultant. There was this one particular case where I had to work with the VP of Sales for an international translation company. Boy was that guy a complete joke. Perfect telesales man and good at verbal presentations, but he sucked so bad at digital I can`t even begin to describe the mess I was hired to clean up. On top he knew he did bad on the digital end of things and the Paranoia associated with the knowledge made him question everything his team or peers were doing, thinking they are plotting against him. The more I type out this story the more it seems like something coming up from a novel, but that guy is still the VP of sales for the company and still uses all digital resources on autopilot.