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Marc said to run a few times, and I have to agree with him there. I would never take a management position, and have turned down many offers over the years.
You seem to be excited about it, so listen to everyone's advice and make your own decision, obviously. I hope all goes well for you. 
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Thanks man. And I am. It's something different. I got jaded with coding for a while. Every now and again I get inspired to crank up the keyboard, but this I can help make sure other programmers don't have to deal with some of the same management crap I did. Or that's the dream at least. I'm sure I'll still code on the side for fun every now and again.
Jeremy Falcon
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Jeremy Falcon wrote: project manager
Project Manager or Development manager? Many responses, including your own, would indicate that you will be managing people, but that is not what a Project Manager does. At least I've never known a single Project Manager that manages people, they manage projects.
Project Manager would be a huge demotion, in my opinion.
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
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Oh it's a bit of a hybrid role for the interim. I'd still play dev lead and all that for the time being, but also being the front man for dealing with projects and getting them done. Rather than having someone else do it.
It's not a demotion, it's just handling the business side myself. Of course I won't spend as much time coding or making every decision tech-wise, that's the whole idea. But I have to able to talk tech well enough to bridge the gap.
Basically, I'm a liaison. And needed since not every business person talks or really understands tech. It's more hands off than coding every day, but that's the idea so the tech people can do what they love while I make sure the business side knows what's going on and vice versa.
Jeremy Falcon
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RyanDev wrote: I've never known a single Project Manager that manages people
So you've known what, like none?
You've gone way beyond ridiculous, with this "contribution", to the extent that it could be harmful.
Desist.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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I was the main plc programer, the only robot programer, had 2 newbies to be trained and 6 guys of other department working there. It was endless stress, but I would like to think I managed it to good terms. Project was done with customers' satisfaction and economical benefit for us.
The newbies learnt a lot and there was good mood between us, the guys of the e-department... well... I had to send one home, other one was sent home by the customer andI had a couple of "encounters" with their team leader (in the project he was below me as well).
I learnt a lot of things, some of them through painful experience... I would make again, but definitively only in sporadic basis and not as my main job.
Things I was told / discovered by myself...
- Be as much honest as you can, but without being it too much
I mean... if you are not sure about something, say it and maybe ask for an opinion... but don't show fear on taking a decission or ask for advice. (Note the opinion vs advice) - Try to turn the decissions so that the other member think as it would be his decission.
Not the same to say "We do it this way" than to say "If we can not go that way... would you go this way?" - Be consequent and strict but fair...
If extra hours are needed, you stay always with them. If not needed anymore, you let them go home earlier. If you tell someone "No" for something, the "no" is for all... favouritism can be very dangerous in a group - The first time someoone makes a mistake is his error, the second one is your error...
- Get responsability in a big mistake of other person once
- Try to have a good mood environment, but don't forget you are not their "colleague" anymore and don't let them to get offlimits during worktime and try to separate as much as you can private / work.
If you all go afterwork to drink a beer, then you are one more. If someone is critical with you during dinner, just try to learn about it but don't let it interfere on the next day. - If you have to criticize someone, try to do it with a story in "I" form "from your past" (if he doesn't know you that much)
I did XXX once and the result was so bad... that... - If someone's energy/motivation is dropping, don't shout him, ask him if everything is fine out of the company.
I hope it helps you  Good Luck in your new adventure.
Only one thing more... always be honest with you. If after some time you like it... don't stay. Better to earn a bit less and be happy with what you do, at the end it is almost one third of your lifetime.
M.D.V. 
If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you
Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.
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Very wise words man. Thank you for sharing this with me. I'd vote it a 10, but I'm only limited to +5.
Jeremy Falcon
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Good luck!  I have no advice but hope you are good at telling people what to do. The few times in the past that I've had to manage a junior dev or intern, I've always despised the role...trying to keep them busy by finding tasks suited to their meager abilities, then spending more time showing them how to do it than it would have taken me to do it myself!
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
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Yeah I been there done that too man. But I think I'll be alright. I'll keep them busy. I'm more worried about having too much work. And thanks for the good wishes man.
Jeremy Falcon
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Pick up the phone at every opportunity.
Seriously.
The best PMs are the ones who keep informed and keep everyone informed constantly. All the little problems seem to float away, when everyone knows what's going on.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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Totally agree.
Jeremy Falcon
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I'm sitting here, in a mediocre hotel, working after hours on a more invigorating project than the one I spend my days on, trying out the (superb!) bluetooth/FM radio/SD-card headphones that I stuck an old SD card in, and on comes Benny Goodman's Sing, Sing Sing with a swing!
Hot Bloody Damn!
I've clicked the "Down" button on the earpiece five times, already!
Music just don't get better than this!
I remember the first time I heard it. It's the only single piece of music that ever made me think "Oh, please! Its not over yet, is it?"
Damn!
I'll be clicking "Down" for a while!
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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Mark_Wallace wrote: bluetooth/FM radio/SD-card headphones that I stuck an old SD card in
Mark_Wallace wrote: I'll be clicking "Down" for a while!
Your headphone come with mouse?
"You'd have to be a floating database guru clad in a white toga and ghandi level of sereneness to fix this goddamn clusterfuck.", BruceN[ ^]
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The controls are on the right earpiece. Damned cool[^]
You just stick a card in, or bluetooth to your watch/phone/whatever, and you're set.
But of course, it's the quality of the music that counts...
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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Mark_Wallace wrote: song
I tried to sing along but I didn't know the words.
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Jes' make 'em up as ye go along, Son.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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Does anyone know of a genuinely qualified consulting company in the US which can come into a company and offer an unbiased, valid opinion on code, processes and employees? I'm not talking about a company intent on taking over the code, they would clearly be biased, but rather a company that can give a no-BS assessment.
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Yes, me. 
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Actually, I'd probably go with that.
A CP regular who has proven abilities and knowledge in the hand is worth more than two morons up to their eyeballs in marketing bull.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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Joe Woodbury wrote: unbiased
Good luck finding anyone in tech like that.
Jeremy Falcon
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Yes, but they don't come cheap. Accenture, McKinsey, Deloitte and IBM are well respected. I don't know how unbiased IBM will be, but that's just an uneducated guess.
/ravi
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All the ones you mentioned will take your money and tell you what you want to hear!
The predecessor of Accenture, Arthur Andersen & Company, had a good trick.
They would tell the client that they need a new IT Manager, put in one of their IT Consulting managers whom they know they will never promote to partner in that slot, and would milk the client for all he is worth.
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Vivic wrote: All the ones you mentioned will take your money and tell you what you want to hear already know!
FTFY.
You have just been Sharapova'd.
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Ravi Bhavnani wrote: Accenture, Deloitte and IBM are well respected.
Not in my opinion. 
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
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