Dear Bob, ... I've been reading your writings since the large-format days of infoWorld and I value your insight. Can you help me with a dilemma? I have an opportunity to transition from a largely hands-on technical role in IT to a largely business interfacing role with no hands-on technical work, but still in IT. My current position is in information security, and the new position will be as a liaison betwe Dear Bob, …I’ve been reading your writings since the large-format days of infoWorld and I value your insight. Can you help me with a dilemma?I have an opportunity to transition from a largely hands-on technical role in IT to a largely business interfacing role with no hands-on technical work, but still in IT. My current position is in information security, and the new position will be as a liaison between IT and the business unit. The problem is, I’m having trouble deciding. I enjoy doing technical work but I also enjoy coordinating technology to solve business problems. I do OK at the former, but don’t have enough experience in the latter to determine a long term success rate. The few instances I’ve dealt with were very successful, however. What kind of questions should I ask to help me decide which path is correct for my circumstances?– Caught between two roadsDear Caught … Where I’d start is by assessing your employer’s style.More and more, the best careers in IT in the best companies to work for are built on a series of assignments, not a steady progression. By defining careers this way, companies get employees with a broader perspective, wider internal network, and better understanding of how their work fits into the company whole.Not all assignments are “up” in this universe. Some are even “down” if viewed too narrowly. But if the company does its part, nobody views the down assignments as demotions – they’re only assignments that carry less risk, since the employees taking them are overqualified for them. If you work for a company like this, by all means take the assignment if you find it attractive. You can always move onto another technical assignment later on.If, on the other hand, you work for a regressive company, where each assignment is a pigeonhole and promotions go to employees whose experience is narrow and deep, right up until the moment the company no longer considers the skills involved to be important … well, if you want to continue working there, choose your pigeonhole wisely, based on what you’re good at, what you enjoy, and what you think has the longest future.And once you’ve done so, dig yourself in. In this specific case, it appears you have a good chance for success either way, and would enjoy doing either. Since you have both opportunities, in the short run your employer must value both. So none of these criteria will help anyway.There still is one more question worth considering: Which assignment would put you more in harms way? Whichever one it is … which ever one entails more stretch and risk of failure … is almost certainly the right choice. That’s because whenever you aren’t stretching and taking risks, you’re coasting. If you coast too long you get lazy. Once you become lazy you become fat, dumb, and happy.Then you’re out of work, wondering what the heck happened. – Bob ——– Technology Industry