Well my life just got more complicated.

I can't think of any other way to describe what just happened other than to say I've been "promoted." I'm moving for being one department's "Production Manager" to another's "Product Management Executive." The responsibilities have increased dramatically but so have the risks and while the benefits are numerous they are all mostly intangibles. I don't personally care about titles but the three partners in on this decision felt it was important that I had one that would cleanly mark me as someone those outside our organization would immediately understand to be someone with authority to act. Personally, I think they missed their mark but...

The first title they through out was "VP of Operations" but pulled back because of our company's cultural resistance to the tag "President" (we use the term "Managing Partner"). So now I'm in what they call a "C" level management position. You know...CEO, CIO, COO, etc. but with training wheels. The Managing Partner has the final say on all matters related to the company and is responsible for closing the big money deals. I'm in charge of managing: budget, tasks, schedules, product releases, going on sales calls, developing business process, helping create marketing materials, determining gaps between business plan and current support systems, developing communications channels between current team and future employees, interviewing and hiring new employees, attending alliance partner meetings (Fortune 50 participants), prioritizing the company's needs, and finally...travel a lot. Sound like fun? Right. Before I get into risks let me first say...NO PAY RAISE!

Hey, I can be cool with that. I'm young and can make the best of a great opportunity. Problem is that I've been here before, assumed I'd be rewarded and got left out in the cold. As a result I'm a little gun-shy when someone uses the term "great learning opportunity" as it generally means I do all the work, take all the risks (blame), and you get all the credit. Well, let's look at the risks: they don't know if they are selling at a product or service, I'll spend much more time away from family (travel and longer hours), I have no control over sales efforts, I have no written compensation plan based on success of company (just promises), I'm expanding into a new industries (manufacturing), there are no current business processes and defining them is likely to be tricky (SME's can't agree), the likelihood of business's failure is good, I may be coming in too late to help, my new position is the "fall guy" position, I don't have any grey hair (credibility), current resources are difficult to work with, budget is pretty thin at this point, and we only have a short timetable for success. Like those risks? Oh I love them. While they scare the hell out of me they are all management. I love taking risks. You can't win big unless you bet big, right?

Besides, look at the benefits: learn new skills (training), exposure to "C" level type management, exposure to decision makers within and outside the organization (Fortune 50), Class B Unit Holder shares in the company, possible compensation increase in the future, instrumental in make the company financial success, and it will look damn good on a resume. Problem is, those risks...

Before you pipe in with a "go for it" response, please note that I have a wife that is isolated from easily accessible support, a two year old son who is a bundle of energy that needs his dad, and a second child due in July.

So, what do you think?

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