Taking on a management role can be exciting, rewarding and enable you to evolve your career. But how do you go about making it happen?
1. Learn when to say yes and when to say no
A good manager is a strategic thinker. They will know when to say yes to an opportunity and when to say no. Being proactive and willing are great qualities but knowing when something is not a good idea (perhaps due to cost, resources, misalignment with the business goals and so on) is equally as important. This will often come through experience and really weighing up decisions against the goals of your department and the business.
2. Put a career plan together
Take the time to work out what your dream career path is. Would you like to be a manager of your current department? A manager of a team? List the gaps in your skills and experience. Seek out opportunities to complete courses, take on different projects or even sit in on more meetings that will help expand your understanding of the business.
3. Take on a company mindset
Managers need to understand the company they work for and how the different departments work together. Start thinking more intentionally about how your department can achieve the goals of the business. It can be easy for us to get stuck in our own jobs, tasks and day to day to-do list. But a manager needs to understand how employees can work together. Where possible, join in on broader company events, meetings, and updates. Get to know others in the business, learn about their roles and what challenges they face.
Ultimately, a good manager is someone who knows the business, can connect with others, and problem solve. If it sounds like a lot, know that these skills can take time to learn. If you don’t feel you’re quite ready to take the step into a management role, set up a plan of how long you would like to take to get there and approach step by step.
