i love being a manager, except for the managing part.
Oh, joy of joys. Off to Germany tomorrow to see the team and to do some cosplay at being their manager.
I love my job, in that it pays me money, which is nice. I work from home, and as long as the production servers don't go down I've a pretty easy life. We have two meetings with the team in the day, and I don't even go to the second one because it's all techie and I'll just ask stupid questions and look stupid. And if there's one thing I've learned over the years of being a manager is not to look stupid in front of the staff. They smell weakness, and as soon as they sense blood in the water, you're done for.
I prefer a policy of casual detachment.
In other words, I don't want to hear from you unless it's really urgent. So my days are long, my weeks longer but retirement inches closer every day. One day at a time, sweet Jesus. We just had a long weekend and I realised I quite like not having to go to work, so retirement can't come too soon for me. Only another 12 years, although the retirement age gets changed every year. It was 62 when first started working, then 65, and now there's talk of making it 70.
Anyway, so I like my job, apart from having to manage people. I never know what to do with them. Goalsetting, targets, KPIs, performance reviews, and personal development plans, pffft. I truly have no idea how I became a manager, or why I've allowed myself to become a manager when really I work best on my own, or part of a team but with someone else in charge. I know there are people who love being a manager, but I sure as hell don't.
So, I've set the alarm for ohsixhundred to be on the road no later than ohsixtwentythree (according to Waze) to make it there for quarter to ten, just in time to miss the first meeting of the day. Then a few hours of cosplay, and back in the car for 1700 (the Germans all leave at 1630) and up the road back to Netherlandshire via the McDonalds. It's a little treat to myself after a hard day not managing. On the way I'll be listening to The Rest Is History and a series on 70s Britain.
While I don't really enjoy the pressure of being their manager, the team are genuinely really nice and very good at what they do (they really don't need me) and I do enjoy the drive to Germany and the six hours of peace and quiet (as well as the lack of speed limits on the Autobahn) it affords me.
At least there's that.