I was sure I wanted to be a manager until my project in Denver fell apart

I was leading a team of four on a client audit in Denver, and the whole thing went sideways when our main software, AuditPro, crashed and we lost two days of work. I spent the whole time putting out fires and doing damage control instead of the actual analysis I enjoy. It made me realize I get way more satisfaction from the detailed number work than from managing people and problems. Has anyone else stepped back from a management path after a bad experience?

3 comments

3 Comments

johnson.jason1mo ago

Ever feel like you got promoted just because you're the only one who knows where the coffee filters are?

lopez.simon1mo ago

It's like the whole "expertise paradox" thing, you know? You're great at your specific job so they pull you out of it to do something completely different (and often, way less rewarding). It happens with other stuff too, like being the only person in your friend group who can parallel park so you always get designated driver duty, or the one relative who can kinda fix a toilet so you're the go-to for every plumbing issue at family gatherings. It's this weird unwritten rule that if you're good at one small practical thing, you get stuck doing the big, vague, less fun version of it forever.

finleyh891mo ago

Makes you wonder if companies push people into management just to fill seats. Maybe they lose more good analysts than they gain decent managers.