My Biggest Mistake Moving from IC to Manager
This mistake cost me my team
No one prepares you for the IC to Manager transition.
The shift is painful, but one mistake makes it worse.
It infects new managers, aspiring managers, and even managers that aren't new to management.
The mistake?
Operating like an individual contributor.
The Shadow Manager
A Shadow Manager is someone who has the manager title but operates like an individual contributor.
It's exactly what I was.
I hoarded my own projects, was only concerned with my personal success, and didn't attempt to integrate with all the team's stakeholders. I did great individual work, but I didn't do much to improve the team as a whole. I enjoyed the manager title and the raise, but didn't change how I operated on a daily basis.
This dark shadow eventually caught up with me.
The result of my mistake
After about a year of shadow management, my team got decentralized.
I kept my job but I went from having 6 direct reports to zero. It was clear to leadership that the individual team members would provide more value on new teams instead of my team. I tried to cope, but I left the company a few months later to pursue an individual contributor role.
The decentralization proves that being a Shadow Manager is a recipe for pain.
The right way to transition from IC to Manager
Step 1 is to change your mindset.
It's no longer about you, it's about the team. You're core goal as a manager is to ensure your team accomplishes it's goals and provides value to the business. You don't do that with your own individual projects. Instead, you find ways to scale your impact, improve team processes, and set high standards.
Step 2 is to change your skill set.
As in IC, your technical skill is how you get ahead. As a manager, the skills are different and harder measure. You need to find friction and eliminate it, give constructive feedback, create alignment with stakeholders, prioritize the team's work, and make decisions visible.
With the right mindset and skill set, the transition into leadership can be less painful and more rewarding.
Instead of pain, you'll experience the pleasure of being an effective leader.