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In a matrix organization, there is a line manager who is responsible for hiring and firing, promoting, wage increases, and being a buffer between the workers and upper management.
There is also a technical manager who is responsible for the development of systems and applications.
Early in my career, I was "invited" to attend a meting with the president, vice-president, and many other upper managers of the company. I had been technical manager on a large system for over a year, and thought they just had some questions about the project. Instead, the general manager described a person they were looking for to be the site manager for the system. When he finished, the vice president turned to me and asked if I wanted the position.
My answer caused silence to fall upon the room, for it was as if I had slapped every face in the room. I have since learned to be a bit more gentle when responding to opportunities like that. My response was "But, I am still technically competent".
Although my response was honest, it was also naive as I found out Years later.
When the line manager left in the middle of a project, the Software Director asked me if I would fill in as line manager until a suitable replacement was found. It was not exactly a request, so I agreed to do it. I was still technical manager for a large project, but I had already completed the high level architecture, and the project was proceeding smoothly, so I though I could handle both positions without too much difficulty (or so I thought).
After several months passed, I evaluated myself, and found I was not being a good line manager, and my technical skills were waning. I found the cause to be that I was working over 16 hours a day trying to fill both positions, and I was getting worn down.
With my discovery, I went to the director and told him I needed a line manager to take that load off me, and explained what I had discovered.
The director is a rare individual. He is a good manager, but he still maintains his technical skills. He did understand my dilemma and brought in a line manager so I could continue with my technical responsibilities. I will always admire this director for his ability to be a good manager, and still not lose his technical excellence.