Managers vs. Technicians

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This is something that has been bothering me for a few years now. At the last job/internship I had all of the interns had a chance to meet the CTO of the company and listen to him give a talk. This was at a fairly large (3000+) employee company.

Basically the major 'theme' of his talk was about the difference between a technician (i.e. computer programmer) and a manager. He suggested that in a business setting managers were much more useful and had much more opportunity for career advancement than any technician ever would. Though he admitted that some of the most highly skilled technical people could advance their careers without going into management they would never really get as far as their manager counterparts.

Looking at the way companies seem to be structured I can kind of see how this is true... its the managers who really seem to get the most influence, respect, etc in a company. In terms of climbing the 'corporate ladder' management seems to be the way up.

Too me I find this really offensive and frustrating! To me, basically what he said was that the skills I have been working on (computer programming) since I was a child really don't have much value in the eye's of a manager. I don't think of myself as being the greatest or anything but I do feel like I have some talent, knowledge and passion over what I do. Basically this CTO is saying that all of that is for nothing? I understand the need for both managers and technicians in a business but should I really have to become a manager (and give up my passion as a technical person) to 'advance' my career? I don't even feel like I would really be a good manager to be honest.

What do others think about this? In the real world (outside internships, etc) is this really the truth?

It one that winds me up too.

Scientists,Technicians and Engineers are highly undervalued.

That was a topic in a business class I took way back in the late 80's. According to the class it was an American problem. Managers making several times what engineers did resulting in poor quality products. It was cited as the reason the Ford Pinto went into production when they knew it would blow up if rear ended. Corporate America is all about making money at the expense of everything else. According to the class, the Japanese and Germans respected their engineers, and paid them better, and produced higher quality cars.

The director of our department is British and constantly fights this issue trying to make sure that people know technical folk can make as much as or more than the managers depending on their value. It was an alien concept to both the workers and the HR people. Sadly he is the exception.

At a previous company the only way to get past a certain level was by being a manager so they were losing technical people left and right. Their solution was to promote programmers and other technical types up the management chain so you would have a programming group of five Senior Vice Presidents reporting to a Senior Vice President... who also reported to a Senior Vice President.

Ah, social skills (management) are more important than intelligence and ability. Heard this one before

It's the number one reason most companies go bust, is some loser with great social skills doesn't have the slightest bit of business sense - and takes the perspective that he doesn't pay those he manages to think.

A technician can go freelance and charge enormous consultation fees per hour while being his own boss. A manager is a puppet on the company's strings.

A technician can also start his own company, starting out as its president and employing his own salespeople and technicians. A manager with no technical skills can only hope not to lose his job in this economy because no one would rehire him at even half his previous salary these days.

Management-bloated companies are changing rapidly in these economic times and I wouldn't want to be a (non-technically skilled) manager these days and be dependent on a corporate hierarchy.