Demonstrating Key Attributes for Advancement into Management
So, you want to be a Manager? Recognize that career influencers need to WANT to help you before they will actually use their scarce time to be of assistance. Here are some tips to help increase the likelihood that influencers will notice you and deem you worthy of their investment. Think of these four qualities as the prerequisites to becoming a manager - aspiration, coachability, demonstrating empathy, and resilience!
1. Aspiration
Management is difficult. You will face many seemingly ‘no-win’ scenarios and need to make decisions that will be deeply unpopular with some people who are impacted. Are you sure this is what you want? If so, demonstrate aspiration as follows;
Work ethic matters
Are you known as a hard worker who puts in solid effort? Are you always punctual? Do you volunteer to do more and take on informal leadership opportunities? Don’t interpret this as needing to put in 18 hour days and burn yourself out. Put in the appropriate amount of work to deliver the results you need. Be deliberate with your time at work so that it is productive and contributes to the goal. Find the needed time by removing wasted time.
Integrity matters
Do you follow through on your commitments - even when doing so is difficult? As a manager, this ability becomes critical. Demonstrating integrity will support the view that you aspire to lead.
Accepting Tough assignments matters
Challenging projects that are important to the business are opportunities to demonstrate your commitment and to be noticed for your abilities. Tough assignments are rewarding when they work out, and still a learning experience when they do not. Taking on tough jobs helps you develop much faster because you’re exposed to more challenges on a short timeline. Tough assignments force you to get creative, think critically, and do things differently.
If you’re taking tough assignments, it is a likely outcome that you won’t always hit all of your objectives. That’s okay. If I see someone with straight A+ ratings, I wonder if they’ve taken any risks? Have they stretched themselves? Have they sought any assignments that make them uncomfortable? This is how we grow. Growth is necessary for advancement.
A pattern of stretching by accepting tough assignments says ‘I aspire to more’ and gets you noticed!
2. Being Coachable
Transitioning from an individual contributor to a manager will require that you learn and hone new skills. By demonstrating to leadership that you can take in feedback and change your behavior, you are demonstrating that you can learn a whole new skill set required to be a successful manager
Performance Reviews are a great opportunity to demonstrate coach-ability
Most people don’t like seeing negative comments in their performance reviews, however these are golden nuggets of opportunity. Follow up with your boss 2 weeks after your review and tell him/her what you have done, or are doing, to strengthen performance in that area. This will tell leadership that you listened and are coachable! It also has the added benefit of checking in to ensure you interpreted the feedback correctly. If there are no negative comments in the review, press your manager during the feedback session for areas where you could improve. Doing so demonstrates maturity and self-confidence.
Mentors/coaches are great for getting added input
You don’t need to wait for a formal mentoring program at your company. Find people you trust and have conversations with them. Listen and act on the feedback.
Professional Coaches may help you reveal your blind spots more quickly!
Paying a leadership coach may seem like an extravagance, however research is clear that those who seek professional coaching assistance move faster. This is likely because they are opening themselves to a collaborative program of concentrated feedback and guidance.
3. Demonstrating Empathy
Showing that you can actively care about what others need, want, and feel will demonstrate a level of maturity and help convince others you can be a leader.
Listen carefully to understand
By ensuring your body language matches your intent to understand, you are demonstrating respect. By trying to imagine you are in their shoes and experiencing their same trials, you are demonstrating empathy. Do both by listening actively.
How you treat others matters
This means everyone – especially those in low, or no, power roles – like the janitorial staff! Believe me, it is noticed, and remembered for a VERY LONG TIME. Be kind! Everyone is important and deserves to be treated well.
That seemingly feeble-minded taxi driver taking you to your interview, may turn out to be Richard Branson in disguise! …and yes, he really did that as part of his hiring process for key executives, and sent home the candidates who did not demonstrate empathy! It is that important!
4. Being Resilient
Everyone fails from time to time. Can you learn from your failures, adjust course and persevere?
When you fail – pick yourself back up and keep moving!
You will fail periodically. There is no need to hide it. In fact, it is important for your growth. Figure out what to do differently and then move forward. When asked about it, acknowledge that things didn’t work out and say what you learned and are doing differently. Being able to do so will demonstrate to leaders that you will have the perseverance to succeed as a manager.
Attitude matters and it is contagious
Are you known as a ‘can-do’ type of person? In management, you will be faced with difficult circumstances on a daily basis. If you have a persistent negative outlook, or even just one bad day, you will have given your whole team license to have a bad day and a negative outlook – and made it even more difficult to accomplish the goal. Being positive (but not fake!) is important for the health of the team and the achievement of the objectives. No leader will be effective in the long run if they have a negative attitude. If you’re looking to advance into management, practice being positive. The more you do it, the more natural and easy it will become. Negativity is a toxin!
Many of these suggestions seem simple, but that doesn’t mean they are easy. Keep looking for ways to demonstrate these four key prerequisites for management – aspiration, coachability, empathy, and resilience!
As a final note, keep in mind that YOU own your career development. You need to create a plan to steer your trajectory and to acquire all of the skills needed. Read my article How to Create a Kick-Ass Career Development Plan. Others can help you, but really the ownership has to be on you. Embrace it. Drive your development. Create your career.
Do you want more tips or guidance to improve your leadership skills? Take our Executive presence course or get an experienced coach to assist you in fulfilling your career ambitions.
