It Managers Threatening Tech Careers

Warning The materials and views expressed here will need significant refactoring. However, we also need to give time to think about how to refactor in a constructive manner.

[Is any of this unique to IT? One finds bad managers in all fields of endeavor. Bad workers, too, I might add... see SturgeonsLaw.]

The majority of IT Managers contribute to IT industry problems. There are still lots around that do not fit this category, but they are not the majority.

Also I am asserting that even amongst problem managers there can be good examples we should give proper credit, yet on balance these managers are better off not working for the organizations they serve.

The purpose of this page is to raise awareness on how self interests (we all have them) and behavioral traits increases problems in this profession. And hopefully there can be good ideas to reducing the negative effects on IT workers who are not managers.

Context

IT industry has had phenomenal growth over past three decades. Despite many economy ups and downs, until recently it had not suffered extended depressive periods.

The industry also attracted talented individuals from many non-IT disciplines who had difficulty in progress careers in their field of study. It has provided superb careers for people who were from Marketing, Arts and of course Science and Engineering.

The Y2K situation finally bursted the unsustainable bubble. IT has always been the "industry of hope", but everyone helped in the wasteful activities that drained company resources at a time when the developed world was affected by the economic shifts Globalization had brought on us.

What "Y2K situation" are you talking about? You mean the speculative economic bubble that popped in 2001, or the fact that planes didn't fall out of the sky and ATMs didn't lock up due to Y2K bugs on January 1st, 2000 (or 2001)? Tech careers are threatened by the bubble pop. They aren't threatened by the effort to fix Y2K bugs.

Some feel that IT managers are responsible. See ItManagersAndYtwok

Problem Areas:

How can we improve the situation

Discussion Sections:

Discussions about the page name

Discussions about format and structure

Discussions about anything else that is related

Managers survive mostly by supporting the existing organization culture. Y2K would not have been the bubble it was without senior user management championing the cause and wanting this opportunity to build personal empires. I have seen many dubious characters promoted quickly to various IT management positions in my workplace, particularly in the past 10 years.

For comparison, I have also read about how the banking industry grew quickly (in response to shareholder demands) by throwing away established practices (e.g. building on reputation and client trust).

The materials and views expressed here will need significant refactoring

... some arguments and evidence would be good, too. It's just a bunch of assertions at present.

EditText of this page (last edited July 20, 2006) or FindPage with title or text search