Cach and Cachet

The highest paid people in most companies are in management. The rewards for managers arrive slowly, but they pile on for years. The work is very hard, complicated, and frustrating! The stakes are high: you will be rewarded not only by those above you, who appreciate your achievements and feel comfortable giving you bigger tasks, but also by your team, who feel they owe you much of their success because of the opportunities you created for them.

Even if your cash compensation is sufficient, you may feel unappreciated at work when your pay raises are lower than you believe they should be. For technical people, compensation clearly is linked to ability but also to market rates for the ability in question—when more people are available to do the work, companies can afford to pay less. The converse, of course, is also true. For management functions, the environment is more dynamic. Great managers are highly valued and paid with “retention” packages that are intended to keep their focus away from any new job opportunities. But the path from being a developer to a member of senior management is a long and uncertain one.

A second important factor related to cash is not only your ambition but that of your family and other dependents. Cash is the dominant term in the perceived rewards that you take home. You will feel disrespected and unappreciated if your role is unable to provide sufficient cash to meet their needs, which will ultimately challenge you to consider your role and even your choice of employers. If you are honest with yourself about these needs, then your career ambitions will align properly with the roles you seek and the kind of company where you are engaged.

Thanks for reading this Management Use Case. I'm the co-author of a new book on software development leadership entitled You.next() that features dozzens of other use cases for leadership. Please see more at www.youdotnext.com.