Becoming a manager is no easy task. It requires a lot of hard work and dedication, as well as some education and training. If you’re serious about taking your career to the next level, then following these steps will help you achieve your goals:
1) Take advantage of any opportunities to advance in your current position.
2) Make sure that you are always on top of your responsibilities and tasks. Be proactive when it comes to completing work assignments or solving problems.
3) Learn how to be a good leader by observing those who are already managers at your company or in other businesses around town. You can also take classes or read books on leadership styles that might suit your personality better than others do (e.g., servant leadership vs. transformational leadership).
4) Network with other people who are in management positions within your company as well as others outside of it so that they can give you advice about what makes them successful leaders today!
5) Focus on developing skillsets that will help you become more effective at managing teams effectively such as communication skills (both written/verbal), problem-solving skills (logical reasoning), conflict resolution strategies etc…
How To Become Manager
Effective managers can motivate their employees and improve an organization’s overall performance. A manager is responsible for overseeing a particular project, team or department within an organization and often serves as a liaison between employees and senior leadership. Because managers typically perform both supervisory and leadership functions, becoming a manager takes planning and preparation.
In this article, we share five clear, actionable steps for how to become a manager with tips for being a successful one.
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How to become a manager in 5 steps
Becoming a manager can be an exciting development point in your professional career. In addition to higher compensation, being a manager usually offers opportunities to develop new skills, mentor other professionals and explore leading projects. Here are five steps you can take to become a manager:
- Research manager responsibilities.
- Assess your manager qualifications.
- Set goals for improving skills.
- Share your aspirations with your manager.
- Show your worth.
1. Research manager responsibilities
Before applying for a manager position, spend time researching what to expect in a managerial role to determine if it’s right for you. This involves learning key information such as common job functions, essential skills and typical salary ranges. Your research ensures you approach the process of becoming a manager informed about what to expect and what employers look for in a manager.
Researching manager positions can include both formal and informal methods. To formally research, you can read professional articles, review job descriptions, browse career guides or even schedule a call with a career adviser. Informally, you can observe the managers around you, ask questions about their experience or request to shadow them.
Related: FAQ: Am I Ready To Be a Manager?
2. Assess your manager qualifications
Next, you can perform a self-assessment to determine your strengths and areas for growth relative to the expected skills of a manager. This helps you set realistic expectations about your timeline for pursuing a managerial position and a baseline to start your preparation.
To complete a self-assessment, you can review past performance evaluations or ask a trusted colleague for honest, constructive feedback. A leadership mentality is critical to your success as a manager, so make sure to include this in your self-assessment. Managers must be able to work well under pressure and give clear feedback to their subordinates. Some other common manager qualifications to evaluate are:
- Relationship-building skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Decision-making skills
- Time-management skills
- Coaching and mentoring skills
- Communication skills
- Strategic planning skills
Read more: Management Skills: Definition and Examples
3. Set goals for improving skills
Using the information from your self-assessment, set a goal to strengthen one or more of your growth areas before applying for a manager position. Then, self-assess periodically or ask for feedback from your own manager to determine if you’re making progress. This will help gauge your readiness and help you support future employees with their own growth and development.
In some cases, you can begin setting skills-improvement goals via your company’s framework for goal setting to follow a commonly referenced structure and support. For instance, your organization might use a tiered goals framework that organizes objectives by week, month and year.
If your company doesn’t have a framework, use goal-setting resources online with individual feedback or performance evaluations to assess your progress. If a colleague helped you during this phase, they also could support your progress by sharing their observations.
Related: How To Develop Leadership Skills and Become a Great Manager
4. Share your aspirations with your manager
Expressing your managerial aspirations to your own supervisor can be valuable, depending on their leadership style. This person may be able to provide honest feedback about your readiness and suggest ways to develop your skills before applying. They might even assign you new projects or offer insight into their own experience as a manager.
Related: 7 Management Styles for Effective Leadership (With Examples)
5. Show your worth
A critical step on your way to becoming a manager is to demonstrate to your supervisor and colleagues that you have the skills to succeed as one. Remember that initiative is an essential leadership trait employers look for when hiring a manager.
To show your worth, you can do so directly and indirectly. For example, adding specific, measurable accomplishments and outcomes to your resume is a direct way to prove you’re ready for a manager role. Indirectly, you can model excellent communication and problem-solving skills managers need by speaking up more in meetings, sending clear notes for follow-up after team meetings or offering creative solutions to challenges.
Related: 15 Types of Manager Jobs
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Tips for being a successful manager
Once you become a manager, your success will likely be defined by your contribution to the goals of the organization. In the business world, for example, a successful manager benefits the company by increasing profits and meeting company goals. Regardless of industry, these strategies are essential for succeeding as a manager:
Delegate
Successful managers build team capacity and strengthen performance through assigning duties appropriately. Use these tips to delegate effectively:
- Determine which tasks you must complete and which can be delegated to others.
- Assess the strengths of your team members and delegate tasks accordingly.
- Set goals and corresponding deadlines to ensure employees deliver on their assigned tasks.
Read more: How To Delegate Tasks in the Workplace
Invest in relationships
Being a manager requires a lot of interpersonal skills. Investing in relationships with the people you manage can serve as a key asset in the success of your role and team overall. Use these strategies to build strong relationships with colleagues:
- Create team-building opportunities to get to know your employees.
- Share parts of yourself with team members so they feel connected to you in return.
- Model a sense of humor, humility and vulnerability.
Work strategically
Being a successful manager requires making effective decisions about your organization’s time and staffing resources. It requires a clear focus on company goals and the ability to effectively align resources to the pursuit of those goals. Use these steps to ensure your team works strategically:
- Create a plan with clear goals, strategies and timelines to help your team stay organized. To the greatest degree possible, stick to that plan. You can incorporate new and creative ideas, provided they support the existing work.
- Communicate early and often so team members maintain clarity about their purpose and expected outcomes.
- Set high standards while also being realistic about capacity and timelines. Identify priority tasks and allocate time for them accordingly.
Related: 9 Compelling Benefits of Being a Manager
Be prepared
Part of being a successful manager is staying calm under pressure and using problem-solving skills to overcome challenges. Use these strategies to address unexpected situations:
- Accept that even with your best preparation, surprises may occur.
- Stay calm and communicate confidence in your team.
- Develop a plan and take action.
