From employee to manager: how to get noticed for management

Want to become a manager? As you probably know, management opportunities don’t tend to just fall in your lap. It’s not one of those things where you just sit and hope it’ll happen. You need to go out and get it.

Becoming a manager can be a great step for your career. But it’s a popular end goal for a lot of people. So you’ll need to earn your spot.

So let’s explore the different ways you can get promoted into management.

• Overachieve in your role
• Use your initiative
• Bring new ideas to the table
• Find solutions, not problems
• Show leadership ability
• Go above and beyond to do your job well
• Talk to your boss about your career progression

How to go from GOOD to GREAT and become a manager

Overachieve in your role

To get noticed for management, the most basic thing you can do is overachieve in your role. If you can’t even do your role well, how will you lead an entire team of people to do it well? You need to be able to walk before you can run. So stay in your lane and become a master of your role first.

Use your initiative

Every manager needs a good dose of initiative. They need to be able to think for themselves. If you rely on your manager for every little problem, your boss won’t think you have what it takes to become a manager. So start displaying your initiative early. 

Bring new ideas to the table

Show your value by bringing new ideas to the table. Don’t remain static. Businesses need to evolve to stay relevant. So they need creative leaders in place who can keep driving the business forward.

Find solutions, not problems

Managers are constantly having to fix problems. So if you can show you’re a problem-solver, your boss will grow confident that you can handle management.But if you’re always asking your boss how to fix issues, they won’t have any faith in you as a manager.

Show leadership ability

Managers need to be able to lead and influence their team. They need to have the right people skills to get their team rowing in the same direction and deal with conflict. But you shouldn’t wait until you’re a manager before you showcase these skills. Start building strong relationships with your colleagues straight away. And use team meetings and group projects to show leadership ability.

Go above and beyond to do your job well

There are two types of employees. Those that are committed to their role and the company’s aims. And those that do the bare minimum. You’ll never make it into management if your boss thinks you’re clock-watching the whole time. So be sure to go above and beyond to produce exceptional work.

Talk to your boss about your career progression

Once you’ve built a solid foundation in your role, it may be time to take the next step. This means having a conversation with your manager about your career aims. You should ask what you need to do to become a manager. Be open to their feedback and expect some action points.

Time to excel

Anyone can become a manager. You just need to display the right skills to earn your spot. And bagging your first role as a manager is often the hardest. But once you’ve done it once, it’s much easier to enter into other managerial positions even in different industries.

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