It's a one dimensional role. I'm sure that many people do get a lot out of it and there is a job for everyone but for me I don't think I would feel rewarded. As a Driver, and yes its a very boring job at times, I find that I'm actually doing something. I'm not being insulting but I find it to be a bit of a paper shuffling role and box tickers more than anything. With a Driver Manager role you are more involved and can have a positive impact on your team etc and can make a contribution.
As a more anecdotal explanation. I started work as a Zero Hour Christmas temp. I gradually worked my way up the ladder and eventually became a Manager. The higher up I got, the more disconnected I felt. As a Manager I was very hands on and supported my team. As I started to climb the Management ladder I again, lost that connection and felt a little squished in the middle. You get pressure from above and pressure from below. The higher you go, the more corporate you have to be.
From the CDMs that I speak to, they are similar. You tend to be more company focussed rather than staff focussed. You tend to live in your office and you do, shuffle paper all day long. A lot of people suit a Management role and a lot f people enjoy being office based. There will be a certain sense of fulfilment when you have a team of Drivers and Managers who are hitting all those beautiful KPIs and you can get a strong sense of achievement when all your paper has been pushed, T's crossed and I's stamped firmly with a sharp point. I'm not knocking the job, just that its not for me.
I also don't feel that the role will exist in the long term. I like the security of being a Driver and I like knowing that I can transfer that to any location in the country. Not all TOCs have CDMs and the Driver/Management structure is certainly a shifting landscape. So again, I would swerve a CDM if I didn't get to keep my driving competency. One of our Drivers left to be a CDM at Southern and he has kept his competency and has to drive the standard 2hrs a month to keep it.
