Have you ever come across a non-management employee who was extremely content with their position in the company? Even though they would make an excellent manager, they decline promotions and skillfully dodge any related conversation While the idea of not wanting to become a manager may seem preposterous, they often have legitimate reasons for not traveling the management career route.

1 – Uncooperative peers. Difficult employees are easy to deal with when you’re not responsible for managing them. Overcoming their resistance to change is not for the faint of heart. The problem is that not only do you have your own work to do, but you must manage the workload of former peers who are not willing to change.

2 - Unrelenting office politics. Office politics are sometimes easier to handle at the front line employee level. Why? Because at the front line level, most of the decisions are already made. Front line employees seldom get to know the real reasons behind why decisions are made the way they are. Get to the management level, however, it’s a totally different ball game. Factors such as the budget, ulterior motives and even a particular manager’s likes and dislikes get factored into the game. If you're not into office politics, management is not a good choice.

3 – It’s decision making time. Life was a lot easier when you didn’t have to make decisions and take all of the responsibility – passing or failing rested squarely on your boss’s shoulders. When you're management, two facts are true – “the buck stops here” and “as a leader, everything is your fault.” You may need to make decisions that could cost the company thousands or millions of dollars. That type of pressure can be difficult to handle.

4 – Workload, overload. Not only will you be responsible for your job and work performance, but you will also be responsible for that of your staff. If they don’t get their work done, you are responsible. Employees call out sick, take vacations and quit – the work still needs to get done. If you’re an exempt employee, you have extra work without extra pay.

5 – Constant change. The final straw is getting the buy-in from your staff when you might not be in agreement with the change. Organizations are always changing. New policies, procedures, software and equipment are always being added or replaced. As a manager, you may not agree with the change, but it’s going to happen. You will need to be a cheerleader in helping your staff deal with and adjust to an ever changing work environment.

When you take all of these factors into consideration, it’s no wonder that some employees prefer the relative peacefulness that comes with not having to carry the burden of management.