Do You Really Want to Be a Manager One Day?

Being a manager is a rewarding career move – for some people.

A lot of people graduate college with ambition and a desire to do the best they can to advance as quickly as they can to make it to a manager level. Climbing the corporate ladder offers amazing opportunities to receive great training and experience and have exposure to diverse workgroups. On the other hand, it can also involve things like working 50 to 70 hours per week and being saddled with a ton of projects and daily administrative activities.

You have to ask yourself if you really want to be a manager before you take the leap into those upper-level roles.

Do you want to work long hours?
Are you aware of the sacrifices you'll need to make to get there?
Do you like delegating tasks to others?
Can you handle doling out good news and bad news to your teammates?

Let's talk about the numerous ways you will be tested, trained, stretched, rewarded, and then some if you aspire to be a manager.

How do you know if you're fit to be a manager?

Just because everyone is telling you that the way to go in your career is to go as high as possible up the managerial ladder doesn't mean that's what you should actually do. Remember mom saying, “Just because your friends jump off a bridge doesn't mean you have to.”?

As rewarding as it can be, being a manager comes with challenges and sacrifices that some people have no desire to endure. You have to have enough self-awareness to realize whether you actually want to deal with everything that comes with being a manager. A lot of things can affect your decision to accept a manager role, including:

Timing: Where you are in your career, knowledge, and skill set.
Goals: Does a management role align with the goals you've set for your personal life?
Your professional reputation: Do the people you work for trust you? Will you be able to lead them, coach them, and motivate them to do the work you'll need them to do?
Challenges: How well do you handle conflict? If you shy away from problems, being a manager probably isn't in the cards for you.
Your ability to connect with others: You have to be able to build solid relationships with your team members because they need to trust you to deliver good news and bad news. Likewise, you need to be able to dole out the good with the bad, even if it means hurting someone's feelings.

Is it worth taking a management position?

For the right person, managing a team can bring about great rewards and benefits. As with any job, there will be good days and bad days. You'll have to make hard decisions, be the bearer of bad news, and wade through mundane meetings and boring paperwork. On the flipside, though, you'll also be a part of guiding your team to greatness and be on the frontline of making sure your staff work in the best environment imaginable.

You get to help your team evolve and grow

Becoming a manager allows you to be a part of and witness the members of your team evolve and grow. The feeling you get in knowing you were there to help them can be worth the added responsibility that comes with the title. The really great thing about this is that success and ambition can be contagious. When other members of your team see someone do well, you can seize that opportunity to inspire them to do better, too.

Increased income comes with the title

If your responsibilities are increasing, your salary should, too. An increase in salary often means a bump in your standard of living, increased savings for retirement, reduced debt, and many other perks that come with more money in your bank account.

It's an opportunity to hone in on your leadership skills

When you accept the role of manager, you aren't necessarily a leader – yet! Being a leader is different than being a manager. A leader inspires others, and a manager makes sure day-to-day tasks get completed. If you want to be a successful manager, you'll need to hone your leadership skills so you can properly motivate your team and watch them thrive. Hopefully, your company will invest in training to help you succeed in boosting your leadership skills.

It's a good resume booster

Of course, having the title of “Manager” on your resume can boost your credibility with other employers, as well as within your professional networks. It shows that you have a number of high-value skills that prospective employers look for.

Decision-making
Project management
Communication
Problem-solving
Interpersonal skills
Strategic thinking

What are the disadvantages of becoming a manager?

In addition to the pros of being a manager, as discussed above, there are definitely some perceived cons associated with the title.

More responsibility and exposure

As a manager, your level of responsibility increases. You're not only responsible for your work but also for the work of your entire team. For some, this could be a pro, for others, it can mean more stress.

You'll also have more exposure to higher levels of the organization, giving you insights into organizational goings on that you'll either be able to share with your team or have to keep secret. Also, you will have to be able to bridge the gap between senior leaders and team members, sometimes handing out information that no one wants to hear.

Longer hours come with the territory

Often, as a manager, you'll be working longer hours than you were previously working, which means earlier mornings, later evenings, and work on weekends if major projects or meetings require it. A lot of these extra hours come because you end up sitting in a ton of meetings and doing extra paperwork that take up part of your day and cause you to have to push other work back. So, ask yourself if you can handle a lot of meetings and whether you can deal with a bunch of administrative tasks that weren't part of your job before you were a manager.

You might become alienated from colleagues

As a manager, you'll now have employees reporting to you, and your relationships will take on a different form. You might feel alienated from your colleagues if you were previously close to them, and vice versa. There could also be some hard feelings if someone else was passed over for the manager role. You have to be able to rise above conflicts and any problems associated with them.

Lack of training and support can make it harder

Be sure to find out whether the company promoting you to management has the proper training or guidance to help you assimilate into your new role. Some companies throw new managers to the wolves in a sink or swim manner. Obviously, a lack of training can make the transition to manager much harder than it needs to be.

If you find out that your company lacks those resources, you'll have to be prepared to seek out training opportunities to improve your manager skills on your own, or ask your company if they will implement some new program to provide you with some support.

Communication is not optional

Lack of communication is one of the top complaints that employees have about executives and leaders of a company, as reported in the Harvard Business Review. Providing clear directions, taking an interest in the employee's life and work, and providing ongoing performance feedback are all important steps for managers to take to create and support a successful work environment.

Pros often outweigh cons

If you have aspirations to become a manager, don't let the possible challenges deter you, as the rewards can be great! Not to mention, if you accept a position and decide it's not for you, then at least you'll know you gave it a try. Be proactive and look for resources to help you hone your leadership and management skills before you land a management position. You might also consider reading 8 Traits of Highly Successful Leaders.

On a final note, if you are offered the position of manager, take some time to think about it. If you have a significant other or family member, consider having a heart-to-heart with them about the impact your new position will have on your life and lifestyle if you choose to accept it. It will help make the transition easier if those important to you in your life support it and are aware of any changes that might take place.

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This article was originally written by Ronda Suder. It's been updated by Marsha Hebert.