Anybody have to deal with this? I'm in charge of a team of people at work dealing with medical insurance payments. I coordinate the team and make sure everything gets done timely and without errors. But I work with a department that as a whole is full of grouchy fools bitch and moan about every little thing, can't accept criticism and are never happy. I had the opportunity to leave the department and join another one, where I would be one of many, no longer in charge and no longer a point of contact with the rest of the company. So yes, I'll be Captain of the ship of fools and not join the better team.
We're currently working with a client. Very nice people in that group. Unfortunately they are morons when it comes to project management. They couldn't direct a 6 year old how to pick their nose. It's driving me nuts. If these people weren't so nice I would have at em like I have with other clients and walk away.
I have turned down every opportunity to be in charge of anything, ever. Perfectly happy being a minion with little or no responsibility.
Funny thing, when I was getting my BA, our final teacher was a doctoral candidate who was hoping to become a HS principle. She couldn't believe how many of us wanted nothing to do with IT management. We couldn't believe that someone would blow the money involved with getting a PhD and only be a HS principle.
It's like this. I'm 52 years old. I've been a line manager. Now I'm a GS-13 gubbermint employee and if I want to go to the next grade I pretty much have to move in to management. I have no, none, zero, zilch, zippo, nada, goose egg interest in doing so. Having done the management thing before has cured me of any desires in that direction. Besides, I like playing with the toys too much to be happy managing people instead.
Most places GS-13 is a manager. Unless you're one of those places with a lot of non-supervisory 13's. Out here, there are very few of those.