From developer to manager - the transition

Well folks, I have news.  I have now been a manager for a little over three months.  Prior to that, for about 10 months, I was doing project lead work, dealing with both developers, project managers, and business units.  You may be wondering why.  I am a developer at heart and will always be a developer.  I love technology and learning new ways of doing things.  I am at a point in my life where I need to make a change.  I know that I am not the strongest developer.  There are two career path that I can take.  Architect or manager.  I chose management.

My manager was supportive enough to let me "test" out management.  He created a project lead position in his team and put me on it.  I have about 5 people. I manage their daily tasks as well as other managerial duties.  During the ten months, I had the opportunity to work more closely with other managers, both on my managers level and higher.

One day, about three months ago, I was presented with an opportunity to be the manager of the Application Support team.  The team consists of eight FTEs and two contractors.  Most of these folks are folks that I have been working with the past several years.  These folks support a little over 200 applications ranging from in house built application using Microsoft and Java technologies to vendor applications.  I accepted the opportunity and challenge.  I was enthusiastic about the opportunity and its challenges while at the same time scared.  However, I am one who hardly ever backs down from a challenge.  I may fail but I go down fighting hard.

Being a manager is definitely much different than being a project lead.  There are so many other things that a manager has to do.  Being responsible for ten people and managing their expecatations as well as expectations of others is something I don't believe that I can prepare for, regardless of what books I read and what I do.  There are no training other than on the job.  What has helped me is the support that I get from my family (especially my wife, taking care of my son while I am either at work working or at home working the long hours), and from a lot of folks at work. 

I find myself reading a lot more nowadays.  Not books about MVC, MVVM, or WCF.  No technologies book for me.  It's books like 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, One Minute Manager, and High Five.  I have always considered myself being able to handle all sorts of different people.  And I find myself being challenged everyday.

The first three months has definitely been challenging.  I know that there are many more challenges to come.  I welcome them.  I know there will be days where I want to go back to being a developer.  I hope days like those are few and far between. 

With my new challenges in my professional life, I will be changing what my blogs are about.  It will now include management.  I will keep you all posted.