Resist The Promotion

From Apprentice to Journeyman : Dave Hoover : Home

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Context: As a result of your Perpetual Learning, you have established a reputation as someone who can effectively deliver software. Within your organization, exceptional work is rewarded with promotions up the hierarchy.

Problem: You have been offered a promotion into a role that will have you spending less time programming.

Solution: To remain on the path to journeyman, work with your employer to find other mechanisms for rewarding you.

"Seduced by the siren song of a consumerist, quick-fix society, we sometimes choose a course of action that brings only the illusion of accomplishment, the shadow of satisfaction." George Leonard, Mastery

This offer will test whether you have Sustainable Motivations and are willing to walk The Long Road.

Most people equate promotion into management with success. They assume that taking a promotion into management is a no-brainer, a sign that you are on the right path. Aspiring craftsmen must not be fooled into believing that they will remain a "technical manager" for long, since, as Pete McBreen said, "As soon as a person stops practicing, her mastery fades." Every day that you are not programming is another step away from becoming a journeyman.

Instead, work with your employer to find other mechanisms for rewarding you. These may include more pay or non-traditional technical leadership roles such as internal consultancy. If your organization is inflexible then it is better to seek opportunities elsewhere (see Draw Your Own Map) than to permit yourself to be promoted away from the craft.

Related: Resisting The Promotion is a way to Nurture Your Passion.

When you receive a promotion that allows you to continue programming full-time, apply Ignore Your Title.

I have some comments on this pattern, which I put on my blog:

http://www.notarianni.org/index.php/2005/06/12/resist_for_promotion_until_you_can_accep

Thank you again for your nice work Dave!

;-)

Thanks Bernard! My response:

http://redsquirrel.com/cgi-bin/dave/2005/06/12

Ok dave, I'll try to give content in your comments, simultaneously to detail in the blog. :-)

I understand now that the pattern are from apprentice, and you are right: the temptation is very very big to accept promotion in those early years. I learned it in myself at the start of my career, and the lesson was hard.

The problem is that when you are apprentice, it is difficult to see the value of your situation. That's where a mentor is very helpfull, but unfortunatly, few of us have the chance to have one...

Actually, with experience, comes also the capacity to recognize mentors :-)

Bernard, you misunderstood. I think commenting in your blog is a *good* idea.

LOL

Sorry, my mistake ;-)

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