Some sample topics that I'll discuss

To get a better idea of some of the subjects that I’ll discuss, here are some things that are top of mind or that I wish I had considered as I worked my way up the ladder:

• How do I stay technical as a manager?

• How technical do I need to be as a manager?

• My team doesn’t see value in me since I’m not as technical anymore.

• Should I consider being a sales engineer/presales engineer/technical sales engineer?

• I’m earning more than I did before, should I reward myself?

• I’m earning more than I did before, how much should I save?

• I’m earning more than I did before, when should I make some lifestyle changes?

• I just inherited a new team - where do I start?

• I need to promote someone to team lead/team manager - how do I identify the right candidate? Internal? External?

• I don’t want to micromanage them, but my team won’t do what I tell them.

• What actions, as a leader, do I need to watch out for? I don’t want to set bad examples.

• How much “rope” do I give my team? I don’t want them to fail, but I don’t want to micromanage either.

• How do I know when I’m ready to advance to manager/director/owner?

• I’ve learned a lot as a manager, but my superior needs help in certain areas. How do I “manage up”?

• I manage my best friend and now our relationship changed and/or others see possible favoritism. How do I deal with this?

I hope you’ll stick with me as I dig into these topics and use my experiences to present you with some viewpoints that can help you succeed.