Moving from an IC to a Management Role
When you move from an IC role to a management role you have to figure out how to deliver through your team, rather than just doing it yourself.
This is a whole new skill set, and if your team isn't delivering and the pressure is on, it can be hard to resist the temptation to just reach in and do it for them.
We've all been there both at work and at home.
My parents (like many people of a certain vintage) struggle with technology, and when I get yet another call about email / phone / internet issues late at night, often the easiest path to solving the problem and getting my time back is to just fix it for them.
But of course this doesn't help their skill level or confidence, and it perpetuates their reliance on me.
Some (usually inexperienced) managers are ok working like this because it helps them to feel valuable, or even dare I say it, powerful.
These 'teams' rarely perform well though, and the manager is the limiting factor.
There are three key parts to managing a product team well;
Clear, outcome based, goal setting
Consistent communication across the org to give clarity, focus and confidence, and provide cover for the product team
Coaching your product team to help them meet the challenges you've set and build their skill levels
That said, there may well come an occasion when the stakes are high, something just needs to get done, and rolling up your sleeves and getting involved is inevitable. If that happens make sure your team understands why you've jumped in, and be sure to hold a retrospective once the storm has passed so you can all learn as much as possible from the experience.
