So here's the scenario. You've accepted a new role, and you're moving up in the world - either to a bigger company or to a role with greater importance and responsibility. Suddenly the self-doubt sets in - how do I know I'll be the right fit for the role? How do I handle these new responsibilities? Well, we're here to help with tips and tricks to navigate stepping up in your career like a true pro!
When you get started in management, you have a greater deal of responsibility; whether you're managing people, or just a business process. Start out by determining what difference you want to make, and what you want to be recognised for. Do you want to blow targets out of the water, coach your employees and develop strong bonds with them or perhaps a generous blend of both? A good excel sheet with your goals, milestones and how you're going to achieve them, including the various parties involved and the timelines to achieve it, is sure to set you up in good stead.
An example of how this might look is as follows:
Connections are everything in business, and in the modern world it's often a case of who you know. They say anyone can be a manager, but being a great manager or leader takes work, especially when it comes to team members, and to quality control. Finding the time to get to know your team, ascertain how you work best together and to celebrate the wins and failures is essential in order to step up as a boss. However, it's also important to recognise that you're there to coach and guide them to fulfil a role, and knowing when you draw the line is important. The best leaders are those who can inspire great action, whilst also taking into consideration the motives and abilities of their team members.
A great way to feel like you're stepping up correctly in your career, and to feel like you're in control of your role is to find someone on a similar level as you who you admire, and see what makes them tick. Is there a particular manager or executive at your old job who you didn't work with but admired from afar? Emulate their attitudes, identify what their drive and goals were and even find out what inspires them. You may find inspiration somewhere you least expected.
Gone are the days of exclusive and effective content being locked behind university or institute paywalls - nowadays there are a plethora of ways to grow and develop, even from the comfort of your own living room. Depending on what area you're aspiring to develop in, you'll find videos on YouTube cover off pretty much every topic under the sun, or a quick search on Google can rapidly lead you to the likes of udemy or coursera, where you can access thousands of hours of amazing tuition and certifications. Usually presented in easy to consume, follow-along formats, they give you the freedom to stop+start as you please, so that if something urgent crops up, you can revisit it at your leisure.
Additionally, night classes can be found in most locations, offering varying skills. Night classes can be a great way to get some additional development in if you're more of a night owl, or if your days are just too busy to get to a course. Most workplaces are accommodating with time off also, for courses that directly benefit your role, and would be open to you doing so!
These rare opportunities crop up from time to time and allow a chance for you to step into your bosses shoes for a day, or see a piece of work though to fruition which truly highlights your skills and prowess. If your leader, or a fellow leader, is heading away on vacation or has an urgent deadline, offer to support them and give yourself a chance to showcase your own skills. Obviously your own work and team must take priority, but in showcasing your ability to handle more, you can confidently position yourself as an expert leader.
All too often when we step up into a new role, we can be overburdened with a fear of missing the mark, or with a concern that our bosses may think less of us for asking questions when something isn't sinking in. However, 9 times out of 10, it's better to ask those questions and get the answer than to fret about messing it up and not giving adequate attention to other important things. Often the best way to communicate these things will depend on your particular leaders schedule and mannerisms, however a good way to navigate this is to compile your questions and ask them all at once. Get a 10-minute meeting into your bosses calendar, preface it with what you want to chat to them about and then you've set the scene for the meeting, and will have them in a position where you have their attention and they feel ready to answer the questions.
We can often overload ourselves with the pressure of who we want to be, what we want to achieve, and how we imagine things to be in our roles. However, these expectations are often unreasonable. On average, it can take between 3 and 6 months for new employees to feel like they have a grasp on what they're doing, and like they can properly function in their role without too much guidance - and this is something most proficient employers are aware of. Give yourself a break, and remember that you're learning the ropes of a brand new role - all things will fall into place with time!
Check out our other blogs for other career tips and tricks, or get in contact with our team to schedule a meeting and let's find you something better!
Thanks for your interest in what we do here at FIND. We love meeting and helping amazing kiwis every day and will always do our best for our clients and candidates. We've been simplifying the recruitment game since 2008, so don't hesitate to get in touch if you need our help!
