Been there, done that (Score 1)

kdawson, 3 years ago I recently faced the same decision you now have. I chose management and, for the first 2 years, I really enjoyed it due to the high quality of people working for me who, with my guidance, were able to accomplish quite a lot. The last year, however, I have found a lot of poor decisions from above have adversely impacted my group to the point I had to let go of 4 people. Not pleasant. If they had been substandard or the company had been in real financial trouble, it would have been one thing, but not in this case. I felt like a worm. I also suffer, occasionally, from self-worth questions of whether I am actually doing anything useful (I don't do real work), I just coordinate and set up meetings --- "MetaMan!!!" I have been tempted to leave, but then I would leave the people working for me without a home and I couldn't do that. So my job is now to help ensure they keep their jobs by making sure they focus on the "right" projects. Its a big game. I guess I am saying that there will be ups and downs either way you go, but if you are patient, there is a wider scope of opportunities available to you once you move into management. Plus, the view from my office is nice :) Cheers and good luck with your decision!