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I didn't think I'd really like management, but I also didn't think I'd totally hate it. I liked helping to organize the team and put systems in place to make th

I didn't think I'd really like management, but I also didn't think I'd totally hate it. I liked helping to organize the team and put systems in place to make things run more smoothly. People also tended to look to me for direction. It was my team that pushed me to make the move to be their manager. I was absolutely miserable and it was all self-imposed. After a year I asked if we could re-org some things so I could go back to being an individual contributor. The team was pretty disappointed I was stepping down, which I guess means I did a good job, but mentally I just couldn't deal with trying to balance my own perfectionism with other people doing the work.

paulcole 2y ago
> The team was pretty disappointed I was stepping down, which I guess means I did a good job If you’re a boss and everyone likes you, then you’re probably doing too much yourself, not doing the right things, or being too easy on everyone. It’s a one-way path to a miserable life. Committing to the belief that a) Everyone won’t like me and b) Everyone shouldn’t like me made me much happier as a boss. > I just couldn't deal with trying to balance my own perfectionism with other people doing the work. Whenever I interview someone who’s a self-described perfectionist, I love asking them “Tell me about the last thing you did perfectly…” It often leads to, “So you’re a perfectionist and you’re having a hard time finding something you did perfectly…” I’ve had a few people have a visible A-Ha moment during the discussion. Those are the ones that I like to hire.