Should you become a manager?

Photo by Microsoft 365 on Unsplash

Recently I was in training at work, where one of the topics that was being brought up was upward mobility and who wanted it. As a staff person there is only so far you can go, before the next step up is becoming a manager. For many people it can be baffling why some choose not to take the next step due to more pay and sometimes better benefits. And this is a question that comes to bear for staff who are gradually moving up, do you want to be a manager?

The answer is it depends. Much of whether you would want to become a manager depends on a variety of factors such as professional, personal, and financial goals.

From a professional standpoint there are a combination of factors ranging from status to the work you do. The reputation that comes from being a manager gives many people perks such as the corner office or a more private work space. But if you are working remotely many of these perks don’t exist aside from a higher salary. It can be very satisfying to know that you lead your own team, but for many people this tends to be their greatest stress. Your responsibility as a staff extended only as far as your own work, it is much harder when you are on the hook for other people’s work. Of course, as you move forward in your career being a manager tends to either be a final step or an early step towards greater mobility. More career driven people make the jump to becoming a manager despite the greater workload because they want to reach higher level positions that have higher salaries and benefits.

From a personal standpoint being a manager is a shift in job responsibilities that may affect your satisfaction with your job. Typically a staff person is more responsible for the “boots on the ground work” that is associated with work. Managers shift some of this work away, and spend more time on administrative work. As you move upward on the management chain, this becomes more prevalent. If your job satisfaction is about being in and doing the work you feel passionate about then moving upwards doesn’t always help you feel more satisfied personally. A good example is in the healthcare and social services positions. Someone who wants to interact and help a given population more directly will be able to have a greater direct effect when you are out in the field or in interactions. As a manager you would have the power to shape more…