Demonstrate Your Management Potential in 5 Steps

Summary: With 5 easy steps, you can set your career on a path for management in your company so that you can prepare to take on the role with more experience and training.

You feel like you are born to lead and love to take initiative to get things done. What you lack in years of experience you make up for in determination to learn. You want to make a difference at work and know you will be the right person to lead the way but how can you make your boss see that.

Well, the unfortunate truth is that it will take time to become a leader at work, but there are things you can do to help speed up the process and get training in beforehand. In order to get everyone else on board with you becoming management potential, there are steps that you need to take.

Volunteer for leadership opportunities. President and CEO of VLK Consulting Group Vickie Kozhushchenko said, “The best way to prove to your manager you’re ready for more responsibility is to step up during a challenge by volunteering to lead the effort.” Being a leader means you are team-oriented. Engaging with managers and peers are equally important in getting the job done.

Focus on the results. In order to get promoted to management positions, you have to be delivering results consistently. Owner of Thin Difference Jon Mertz said, “Nothing speaks louder than positive actions. The results need to advance the purpose of the business and bring others along in the process.”

Make sure people know who you are. Demonstrating results is great but you have to make sure it is to the right people. Understand the organization of the company and who the decision-makers are. Your direct supervisor may like you but they will have a hard time convincing their boss and the rest of management if no one knows who you are. However, do not resort to kissing up or by passing your manager to show off to the leadership of the company.

Vocalize your plans to move up. Open up to your manager about your desire to work towards management. Companies love to see when their employees have a desire to move up within the company. Your manager will likely have advice and be able to setup a plan to help you work towards your goal. Your manager reports to someone so you if look good, they will look good too.

Put your plan down in writing. Erin Daiber of Erin Daiber Coaching & Consulting suggests, “Any areas for growth should be documented formally, and there should be a plan of action to make improvements and a timeline for future check-in. This is also a great time to set expectations for a promotion date – what is reasonable and what needs to happen in order for a promotion to happen?”

To learn more about advancing your career, read these articles:

• How Networking Can Help Your Career
• Top Promotion Secrets for Career Advancement
• 5 Ways You Can Improve in Your Career

Photo: wikipedia.org