Being a non-manager level IT employee can be quite frustrating at times. Especially when you realize that you are the one who is billable, does all the dirty work and slogs like a dog to get revenue to the project but in the end always end up watching the non billable managers walk away with the fat bonuses while all you get is a piece of paper in your hand with your name and with a 'Awesome Peformer', 'Shaktimaan of the quarter' etc as heading scribbled on top of it.
You might have also overheard this a lot of times during the promotion cycle - 'Oh, I don't think he is manager stuff, he always sticks to his own work' or 'I don't think he is manager material. Voice doesn't sound good on the phone' etc.
That then made me wonder, how does anyone know if you are 'Manager material' or not? That's when I realized that they might as well be having a questionnaire of sorts which they pass it on to the wannabe Managers and then decide whether to elevate a candidate to the elite level of IT Manager.
And perhaps the questionnaire might be similar to the one I present below. So if you are on of those non manager, unimportant and inconsequential IT employee, you would do well to answer the below questionnaire and find out if you will ever get to be a Manager before you have a grandchild. So here goes..
1. What time do you usually come to office?
a. 8 a.m.
b. 9a.m.
c. Anytime between 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
2. What time do you leave from office?
a. As soon as work is over
b. 6 p.m.
c. As soon as lunch is over
3. What time do you expect your subordinates to come to office?
a. 8 a.m.
b. 9 a.m.
c. I expect my team to be in office 24/7
4. If your project is doing very well currently what would you do?
a. Let it continue as is without intervening
b.Make a few minor changes here and there to ensure all is smooth
c. Ask the team to come up with crazy ideas and implement drastic changes across the board and screw the project
5. What according to you is the most important trait of a successful manager?
a. Leading by example
b. Being a team man
c. Good looks, hairstyle and knowing when to be a doormat for executive management
6. Do you like to work on client deliverables and get billing to the project?
a. Yes definitely
b. Sometimes
c. Err.. what is billing?
7. On what basis do you give the ratings to your subordinates during appraisal time?
a. Work done on client deliverables
b. Work done for account
c. Depends. Best rating for my cronies, 2nd best for people who decorated my cubicle on my Birthday and lowest ratings for the remainder
8. Do you believe in needless intervention?
a. Not at all
b. Sometimes
c. I am a staunch supporter of needless intervention
9. What will you do if one of your subordinates made a minor mistake which caused a test case to fail during User Acceptance Testing?
a. Let it be. We are all humans and make mistakes sometimes
b. Set up a meeting with the person and ask him/her to be careful in future
c. Raise hell and immediately ask the team to come up with a 500 point checklist to avoid such minor mistakes in future.
10. If one of your subordinates meets with an accident and is off work for a couple of weeks, what will you do?
a.Visit him/her and wish him/her to get well soon
b. Send a get well soon card with a note at the bottom to report as soon as possible to office
c. Immediately inform the HR on the lack of leaves of the subordinate and force them to deduct pay of the subordinate. Send people from project to find out if he/she actually met with accident. Screw his/her rating during appraisal time.
How to score:
Give yourself 0 points for every 'a', 1 point for every 'b' and 2 points for every 'c'.
What your score means:
0 to 5 - You might never get a chance to break through the glass ceiling and enter the hallowed portals of the IT Managers world because you take work seriously and perhaps too straightforward to handle such elite roles and responsibilities.
6 - 12 - There is a slim chance for you yet if you decide to mend your ways. Probably would make sense to appoint your manager as you career coach and start taking lessons.
13 - 20 - You are the one! You were born to be at the management level! Just continue on your path and wait as promotion after promotion lands on your lap.
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