Opinion: So you want to be a network manager
How to deal with all the troublesome technical, leadership and political issues
July 31, 2008 12:00 PM ETComputerworld - Editor's note: This is part one of a two-part series. Read more strategies and tips in Part 2.
You've worked your way up the ladder, from cable jockey to network technician to network administrator.
You are the senior technical expert, the go-to person whenever something network-related goes wrong.
You know you're good, and you have the experience and certifications to prove it.
You always get great performance reviews, and everyone likes you.
You know your next career goal is to be in charge of a networking department.
It's the right choice for you. Maybe your boss is leaving, or you know of a vacant network manager position at another company that you're thinking of applying for. You meet the requirements stated in the job description, so you figure you should be the top candidate.
Hold on a minute.
I can still clearly visualize the look of disappointment on his face. I had effectively told him that I didn't think he was capable of performing the job. Although technical prowess got you this far, it's going to take more than knowing how to configure a router interface to make it to the next level. About 10 years ago, I was that techie guru, and I made the leap to network manager. What I found out, however, is that there's much more to being a network manager than excelling at technical skills.
Some networking pros don't want to move up to management, and that's fine; there are endless technical challenges to be met, and some thrive in that environment. But if you're one who is hearing the call of being a network manager, read on. Whether you work on a small LAN, a large campuswide network or a global WAN, the following tidbits culled from my experience and the experiences of other network managers can help get you into the driver's seat as a manager of network operations -- and excel.
Understand that networking is a part of IT
It may seem trivial and obvious to state, but the network group is a part of IT and supports IT as a whole. Understanding this and being intimately familiar with how networking supports core IT functions, such as ERP access, is critical. Often, however, different groups within the broader IT group tend to form boundaries.
As an example of these boundaries, think of the times you've heard that application latency was diagnosed immediately as a network problem when in actuality, the issue was server load (or vice versa; we're all guilty). IT professionals can be very territorial with a "quick draw" reflex to point the problem elsewhere. This only creates boundaries and prolongs solving the problem, so the less territorial an IT group is, the more productive it will be. As a manager, you are the conduit between networking and other IT departments.
network manager
Additional Resources



White Papers & Webcasts
Death to PST Files
Download Now
Business Process Framework Demo
Learn about Configurable Business Processes and Calculated Fields. Watch Now!
A Green Architectural Strategy That Puts IT in the Black
Levergage green computing across your data center. Read more now.
Manager Experience Demo
Go beyond self-service solutions to perform more effectively. Watch Now.
Quantifying the Business Value of VMware View
Learn why you should invest in a centralized virtual desktop.
WAN Optimization as a Managed Service: More than Network Cost Savings
View this Webcast Now!
Forrester Consulting Mobility Study: Taking Control of Enterprise Mobile Device Diversity
Download Now
Asia-Pacific Enterprise Network Solutions
Learn through this Webcast how your business can achieve reliability, performance and value in hard-to-reach locations within the Asia-Pacific region.
What IT Must Do to Support Employee-Owned BlackBerry, iPhone and Android Mobile Devices
Download Now
Mainsoft Webcast w/ Forrester Research: Drive SharePoint Adoption in Lotus Notes Shops
How can you drive mainstream user adoption of Microsoft SharePoint when your users rely on Lotus Notes?
Computerworld Reports
Disaster Recovery & Cost Savings Zone
Thousands of customers world-wide have turned to virtualization solutions from Riverbed as a way to reduce costs.

