To me the hardest part of moving into management from engineering came with the realization that "accomplishment" is a much squishier thing. Almost every action

To me the hardest part of moving into management from engineering came with the realization that "accomplishment" is a much squishier thing. Almost every action as a manager ends up as a compromise across several different very soft-skills variables. Recognizing the core of what matters and not getting hung up on other distractions seems to be the difference between success and failure. I don't focus on my career at all and have found that it usually takes care of itself so long as I don't bypass any opportunities. Here's my checklist I use to see if I'm doing a good job (by my own measure), and these are not in order of priority but must be balanced simultaneously: - put your staff first, leadership is a service function - ship, on time, and within budget -- exceed expectations