I Don’t Want to Do What You Do

A friend of mine who is a coder for a software development firm recently had a “where do you go from here?” discussion with his manager. His boss said, “well, you could always go into management.” “No,” my friend replied, “I don’t want to do that.” “Oh,” said the guy who obviously chose to do management, “OK. Well, there’s software engineering, or software architecture…”

Not everyone is willing to tell the boss “I don’t want to do what you do.” They may be afraid of offending someone, or not looking ambitious enough, or not seeming like a team player. So it is up to you to create an environment where your employees can feel comfortable being honest with you about career goals that may not be the same as yours, and you should help them map their future careers while focusing on what’s best for them, rather than on what you think would be best for them based on your own objectives.

Not everybody wants to be in a leadership position (and this is especially true in creative fields, where people are often doing something they really enjoy and want to develop that talent rather than branching out into something else). The worst leaders are those who don’t really want to be leaders, so do not try to push people into positions where they will not do well because they don’t want to do it at all. If people want to stay on the “talent” track rather than the “management” track because that is where they will be happier, then you should encourage them to do so. Bear in mind that if you push them onto a path where they don’t want to go, there’s a good chance they will leave you for someone else, so now you have someone who you obviously thought was talented who has taken those talents to someone else. That’s not an ideal outcome.

One of the best things you can do is help your employees set realistic expectations for their careers, and you should let them know the limitations, as well as the benefits, of staying on the talent track. There definitely ARE benefits, if this is what they want to do. They can focus on what they love, they can develop their skills, they can build a strong reputation based on their abilities. There are also some limitations. For instance, when it comes to policies within their firms, they may still have a say, but they will not have decision-making power. There is a good chance they will not make as big a salary if they choose not to go into management; after all, while employees are responsible for their own work, leaders are responsible for everyone’s work, and with that greater responsibility usually comes greater compensation. They should also realize that, while a decision like this early in their career may not be permanent, as they get older it will be harder and harder to change paths if they change their minds. Don’t discuss this with them as a threat designed to get them to move into management, but do let them know the reality they will face so they can make an informed decision.

One of the best conversations I had in my military career was with my commander when I was deciding whether or not to pursue a PhD. I was a Captain at the time, and he told me “PhDs are not really valued in the Air Force. You will make it to Major, you might get promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, but that’s probably as far as you will go.” He was not trying to dissuade me — he had a PhD himself — but instead he was being realistic, and I appreciated that (as it turned out, I actually did go farther than he predicted and got promoted to Colonel, but that’s another story in itself).

Once your employees make the decision to stay on the “talent” track, help them navigate that path just like you would help an up-and-coming leader. If someone has chosen to focus on their technical skills because that’s their passion, then you want to make the most of that for your organization. Look at training opportunities and advanced education for skill development, rather than sending them off to Lean Six Sigma class. Try to put them on projects that make the best use of their talents rather than worrying about giving them face time with senior leaders. Encourage them to mentor junior employees without necessarily giving them formal assessment roles. In other words: use what you’ve got.

Leading employees is different from being an employee, and not everyone wants to do it. Do not push people onto a path just because it seems like the expected way to do things. Help people do what they really want to do, because in the end, that’s what they will probably do best.