Here's how you can smoothly transition from a technical role to a managerial position in late career.
Transitioning from a technical role to a managerial position later in your career can be a significant shift. It requires not only a change in responsibilities but also a new mindset. As you move away from hands-on coding or system design in application development, you'll need to focus on strategic planning, team leadership, and project management. This transition can be smooth if you approach it with the right strategies and an open mind. Embrace the change as an opportunity to grow and influence your organization on a broader scale. By leveraging your technical expertise and combining it with strong leadership skills, you can become an effective manager who guides teams to success.
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Debanjana DasguptaAssociate Partner & Executive IT Architect at IBM , Author : Intelligent Automation Simplified
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Kid JansenChief Salesforce Architect / Deputy Salesforce CTO Netherlands at Capgemini
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Saurav BakshiPrincipal Consultant | Solution Architect, Zafin Tech Practice @ DXC Technology | Banking Solutions, SaaS/FinTech…
Before making the leap into management, take stock of your current skills and identify any gaps. As a seasoned developer, you're adept at solving complex problems and understanding the intricacies of application development. However, management requires a different set of skills such as team leadership, conflict resolution, and strategic thinking. Consider enrolling in courses or workshops that focus on these areas. Understanding your strengths and weaknesses will help you transition effectively, ensuring you're not only a competent manager but also a leader who can inspire and guide your team.
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In my opinion a sr leader, whether technology or management , will possess significant leadership skills to reach that position. As role changes from tech leadership to managerial, it more a change of context and perspective. Apply your natural skills and be open to adapting to change.Look for coaching and mentorship.
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The challenges in managerial positions are very different to a technical role. A lot of which will come with experience of tackling those challenges during your role as a technical brain in the team. However, three skills that will set you up for progress in the managerial role is being able to ask pertinent questions, listen to every voice and opinion, and extract the information useful for decision process. You will have to be clear on the fact that now the task is to guide your team towards progress, removing obstacles and conflicts and promote a culture that will sustain growth as a team. As a leader, you will have to back the team, shield them from external adversities if required and take decisions and ownership of those decision.
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You are staring a new role. You have been successful that is why you are here. But it is new. Be humble. Acknowledge yourself and others that is new and set your expectations accordingly. Be ready to make mistakes. More mistakes than you are used to making. Avoid being too hard on yourself. Look for support from your peers, and as importantly from your team. Let them share how they want to be led, and at the same time share your leadership style and what you are looking for. And it does get easier. You will face fewer “first time challenges”. And you will figure out if this is the role for you.
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As you advanced in your technical role you should have started increasing the amount of time you spent thinking strategically. As you take on the new managerial role remember that those that hired/assigned you to this new role have faith in your abilities. Identify where you feel you need to strengthen your abilities and start a plan to address those and test what you learn. Take time to understand your team and their strengths. Communicate well, and don't be afraid to ask for help from a mentor.
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It is important to realize that doing something (a technical contribution) and managing that same thing is a radically different job and process. A person's ability to become a teacher (mentor/coach) rather than a doer is critical and difficult. A first step is to have a deeper conversation with those reporting to you and identify what level of skill they have and what their near-term and longer-term career goals are. Then craft an agreed to way of working together to support their goals and the organization's goals. A second step is understanding that one of the primary jobs as a manager is connecting your unit to other units so that interactions and hand-offs are seamless and maximally productive.
Finding a mentor who has successfully navigated the transition from a technical to a managerial role can be invaluable. They can provide insights into the challenges you may face and offer strategies to overcome them. A mentor can also help you understand the nuances of managing people and projects, which is quite different from the technical work you're used to. By learning from their experiences, you can avoid common pitfalls and adjust your management style to better suit your team and organizational culture.
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Indeed, every athlete needs a coach. The game you are going to play now is a different one. Someone saw you had the potential to play the new game. Having the right mentor is an investment in your future success. Someone with the experience, will provide you with invaluable insights that will help you get onboard the new challenge, and you have someone with the experience to act as a sparring partner. Take it as a risk reducing action, that will increase the likeliness of your success.
Building a strong professional network is crucial when transitioning to a managerial role. Connect with other managers and leaders within your organization and in the wider industry. These connections can offer support, advice, and opportunities for collaboration. Networking also helps you stay abreast of industry trends and best practices in management, which can be particularly useful if your previous role was deeply technical. Remember, your network can be a great resource for navigating the complexities of your new position.
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Definitely, you and your team won't be able to get all the things done that might be required in isolation. One of the key aspects of your work as a leader is to understand the organizational dynamics and build bridges with other leaders / teams so that at the end the work gets done, and everybody gets a share of the cake. BTW, one thing that I found very useful in this respect was the book "Influence without authority". This has been my guide on how to create win-win situations in the past.
As a manager, your success hinges on the performance of your team. Foster an environment of collaboration and open communication. Encourage your team members to share their ideas and provide feedback on projects. Your technical background allows you to understand their challenges, so use this to your advantage to build trust and rapport. By creating a supportive atmosphere, you'll empower your team to perform at their best, which in turn will reflect positively on your capabilities as a manager.
The transition to management is a learning experience. Be prepared to continuously learn and adapt to your new role. This might mean getting up to speed with the latest project management software or understanding financial reports. Don't hesitate to ask questions and seek clarity when needed. Embrace the unfamiliarity as a growth opportunity, and remember that every challenge is a chance to improve your managerial skills and expand your expertise beyond the technical realm.
A good manager leads by example. Demonstrate the qualities you wish to see in your team: diligence, integrity, and commitment. Your actions will set the tone for the work environment and can significantly impact team morale and productivity. Even though your day-to-day tasks have changed, your work ethic and dedication should remain consistent. Show your team that despite the shift in your role, you are still deeply committed to the success of each project and the well-being of your team members.
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Here the technical experience and knowledge really comes into play. You understand the work and challenges of the people you manage, so you can do more than just enable, facilitate and inspire, you can really coach and mentor them. And you can literally lead by example by stepping in yourself when needed, when facing the biggest challenges, being down in the trenches with your team. Something I like to call the frontline general leadership style, like Russell Crowe in the opening scene of Gladiator, leading not just the legion, but also the vanguard. That also shows your team you are just as committed as them in delivering a project successfully and that you really have their back, instead of just giving directives from the sideline.
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If you are asking this question, changes are you already have many years of technical development experience under your belt. You would have worked under several managers. When i had my first leadership position, all i tell myself everyday is - not to be like Sharon (not her real name). I have more than 25 years experience in tech and i have worked in many organisations as i used to be a consultant. The absolute worst manager i had ever seen first hand is her. She basically break every single rule in "manager for dummy".
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