Ask Deb: What if I Don’t Want a Promotion to Management?

Hi Deb:

I need some advice. My wife and I are both professionals in our 40s. We have no children and have an active lifestyle in which we enjoy kayaking (we live on a lake), biking, hiking, and traveling. We have been all over the world, which has only whetted our appetites for more travel.

I have a technical role within a major company. I am well-liked and respected and enjoy a reputation for being easy to work with and for getting things done. However, every time I have a performance discussion with my manager, he seems fixated on moving me up. He says he sees potential in me and wants me to move into management.  

Here’s the problem. I don’t want to be a manager or director. I enjoy being an individual contributor. I like my work, I’m good at it, and I’m not interested in the additional responsibilities that come with taking on a management role. My wife and I make enough money to live comfortably and do the things that we want to do. I don’t want my job to interfere with that. I feel that I have a good work/life balance and that if I were to advance to management, that would be at risk. 

How do I let my manager know that I don’t want to be promoted or lead people? I just want to continue doing my job and then go home.

Thanks, 

Mike

Hi Mike:

Although management roles typically include an increase in compensation and elevated title, they also mean more responsibility, longer hours, and stress. Additionally, moving into a management role usually means less time doing what you’re good at and more time being accountable for your team and their performance. 

Success looks different for everyone. You clearly do not equate career status with success. You are not alone. Most people want a job in which they can do things they like, afford the life they want, and leave it at the office at the end of the day. 

I suggest you have a candid conversation with your manager about your career trajectory. You don’t want to be in management, but how do you want to develop yourself in your career? Do you want to learn new skills? Deepen your existing knowledge? Work on different projects? Most importantly, ask your manager if he can see how this might work. The last thing anyone wants is an employee who stagnates, so even though you don’t want the added responsibility of management, you want to be sure that you continue to grow, learn, and improve. 

All my best,

Deb