I work in the computer department of a large property management company and have recently been appointed Software Development Manager. This is my first taste of management responsibility. Having been a programmer for several years I thought this was the next logical step in my career, however I have run into a small problem.
I do not know what a software development manager is responsible for. I have asked my boss what he expects from me and he said, “look after the programmers (there are 4) and make sure the software works.” I asked him to be more specific but that was all I could get.
My interpretation is: take care of this problem for me so I don’t have to.
I think this gives me a lot of freedom to define the position, however I am not sure what to define.
What do I need to do to be successful? How do I structure the staff? In generic terms what is a software development manager responsible for?
Is there such a thing as a blueprint for software development management?
Is there a “Software Development Management for Dummies” book?
Any feedback would be appreciated.
