Cognitive Reshaping After Moving into Management

🙋‍♀️ I’ve been managing a team for over 20 months now, and I finally feel comfortable handling the responsibilities of a junior management role.

Today, I want to summarize some of the key mindset shifts and insights I’ve gained in these 20 months as a manager.

If you’re considering transitioning from an individual contributor (IC) to a management role, I hope this post gives you some inspiration and things to consider! 💡

1️⃣ The Information Gap Exists and Has a Significant Impact

I was always aware that information gaps exist, but it wasn’t until I moved into management that I truly saw how deep and impactful they are between leadership and non-management employees.

As information flows downward, it is often filtered or simplified by different levels of management before reaching employees. The final message employees receive can differ significantly from the original information due to:

• Different interpretations by middle managers
• A deliberate effort to avoid unnecessary panic or confusion

Managers also receive broader performance evaluation criteria from HR, along with detailed insights into promotion pathways and expectations, which are often not fully transparent to ICs.

2️⃣ Individual Success VS Team Success

Before 2023, I worked entirely as an individual contributor, where my performance was assessed based on:

✅ The quantity and quality of my completed projects
✅ My technical expertise or problem-solving ability
✅ Feedback from colleagues and clients

🌟 However, after stepping into management, I realized that my success is now measured by my team’s success.‼️ My value as a leader lies in:

✔️ Understanding my team members' strengths and potential
✔️ Mentoring, motivating, and helping them find the right roles and career paths
✔️ Ensuring smooth collaboration to achieve collective goals

This shift has helped me grow as I focus on developing others while also developing myself.

3️⃣ From Deep Specialization to Holistic Optimization

As an IC for six years, I was used to making deep, specialized contributions within my field. My focus was on achieving significant results in a specific area to prove my value, for example:

🔹 As a Business Analyst, I bridged the gap between business needs and technical solutions, ensuring successful project implementation.

🔹 As a Product Manager, I guided product development, release, and optimization to ensure market success while delivering long-term business value.

🌟 But as a manager, my perspective has shifted from focusing on individual tasks or projects to optimizing across teams and the organization.

Now, I must balance resources, prioritize tasks, and ensure seamless cross-functional collaboration to optimize overall performance. Instead of perfecting a single area, I now consider interdependencies and trade-offs between different functions. This shift has made me focus more on systems thinking and holistic coordination.

4️⃣ From Problem-Solving to Opportunity Creation

As an IC, my main role was to solve problems within existing structures—fixing defects, troubleshooting technical issues, and addressing business needs. My focus was reactive—finding the fastest solution to restore operations.

🌟 But as a team leader, my role has expanded beyond solving immediate problems. I now focus on:

✔️ Identifying hidden opportunities within challenges
✔️ Turning problems into innovation and long-term growth
✔️ Proactively creating new possibilities for my team and the business

Especially in today's uncertain economy, where budget control and cost efficiency are top priorities, handling challenges is important, but creating opportunities is even more crucial—both for my team and my own career.

5️⃣ From Having a Safety Net to Taking Full Responsibility

As an IC, my impact was usually limited to my own tasks and projects. If something went wrong, there were other team members or even my manager to take the blame.

🌟 But after becoming a manager, I now own the team’s performance and outcomes. This means:

✅ Managing resources, execution, and strategy
✅ Solving problems that arise within the team
✅ Taking responsibility for the team's failures, even if the mistakes were made by individuals

As a manager, in public settings, I need to take accountability and shield my team from external pressure. Then, in private, I address the root causes and implement solutions internally.

Final Thoughts: Why This Mindset Shift Was Worth It

🙋‍♀️ These cognitive transformations have positively impacted my personal growth and career development.

💡 Being on the other side of the negotiation table has given me firsthand management experience, allowing me to better understand business decisions and improve my ability to advocate for my team.

💡 I’m grateful that in 2022, I seized the opportunity to transition into management. It was a leap worth taking.

Do you want to step into a management role? Share your thoughts in the comments! 🚀