Also, your manager might not know:
1. How to manage people.
Maybe this is kinda snarky, but I've meet a few that didn't know basic management principles.
1. How to manage people.
Maybe this is kinda snarky, but I've meet a few that didn't know basic management principles.
Most large multinationals have very rigidly defined jobs, job descriptions, point levels and compensation bands.
The terminology may not be the same but the overall effects of the system are the same.
Lets say you have a great tech, they are a "tech level 3", position level 100 and salary range "G".
If they want to make more money they need to move to salary range "H" and need a JD that matches that salary range.
So they are promoted to a manager role to keep them, and to pay them what it takes to keep them. Did they want to be managers? Are they suitable for the job?
I've dealt with this scenario many times in my career. Sometimes it would be far better off for everyone of the system wasn't so rigid, and that good people could be paid to do their jobs and not be artificially promoted to management positions.
It is an interesting "cobra" unintended consequences effect.
The goal of the system was fairness and to manage costs. The unintended consequence is having many unqualified managers as people game the system to their advantage.
I think the biggest problem is that engineering management is not thought of as a craft to be learned and improved. Most managers don't put anything like the amount of time and effort into getting better compared to technical ICs.
Neither of these means they have even the basic skills to be a manager at all, let alone a good one.
Unfortunately since these types of managers don't recognize good manager skills, they'll go on to promote more unqualified ICs below them into manager positions.. and the cycle repeats.
The bad ones are managers who were never good IC nor tech people. The ones who simultaneously have very little social skill.
For all complaints about social skills of programmers ... have you ever tried to cooperate with manager? All the social work will be on you cause they just can't do it.
Managers might be a good idea for a factory line; might. Managers job is again not to direct and guide people but keep the boat floating and the milking going. The mentoring etc is kindness and an extra -- if it was their job they would be called leads or mentors. When was the last time the average manager was fired/reprimanded for not mentoring and improving and leading people? They are there to make sure the river keeps flowing.
Software industry is weird because you are trying to apply factory line management to computer scientists, engineers, mathematicians, ... Let's see how long this keeps going.
Manager here. This one hits close to home.
How many managers got a 4 year degree in actual management? Answer: none.
Is it any wonder so many managers suck?