The Boss Trap
Karen is caught in the Boss Trap. Her company promoted her to Team Leader because she was a top performer in her marketing analyst position. But she hates the job and wants to get out.
It could be too late. Too many companies promote people to management based on their performance as something else. Then they don’t allow the promoted person to return to the ranks if they find they don’t like their new job.
That’s the Boss Trap. You can’t do a thing about the way your employer promotes people. But you can figure out in advance if it’s a good thing for you.
The best way to find out if you like being a boss is to be one for a little while. Temporary assignments as the head of a task force are great for this. So is filling in for a boss who’s on vacation or medical leave.
Analyze the particular work that bosses do. Here are some specific things that people responsible for group performance do that others don’t do.
Bosses are responsible for group performance. Your evaluation depends on their work. If you’re not comfortable with that, being a boss may not be right for you.
Bosses are responsible for team members. If you don’t like helping other people succeed, being a boss may not be the right job for you.
Bosses have to confront team members about behavior or performance. If that makes you uncomfortable, being a boss may not be right for you.
Bosses have to make decisions and then live with the results. If you have trouble coming to decisions and then being accountable for them, being a boss may not be right for you.
If being a boss is not the right career choice for you, don’t despair. There are other career paths that you can take. But it’s way easier to seek them out before you’re offered a “promotion” that may not be good for you and catches you in the Boss Trap.