For over three years at my last job, I managed at times up to five direct reports, and it was both rewarding and absolutely exhausting. Being responsible to hire and fully train employees who know nothing about your industry and your work is more than a full time job, but that was what I did. And for the first over 2.5 years at this current job, I was relieved of this responsibility as an individual contributor to my team. Once I got promoted, the management responsibilities began again.

The best part of being a manager is being a mentor to direct reports who welcome your help and want to learn from your expertise. They want to get better, and they take it on themselves to become better employees, better people. The worst part about being a manager? Managing people who don’t want you as a manager, don’t want a manager period, and want to do whatever they want, whenever they want, even if that means coming into the office only 40 percent of the time and feeling like she doesn’t need to justify it to you “or anyone else.”

Boy, is this fun.