Do I have to become a manager? (Part 2)

Thank you for all the great feedback on Part 1 of this post, here’s Part 2!

We’ll start with a blunt statement: Managing is a hard job, and it can be a hard transition. For the vast majority, management roles are not for you. It’s not difficult because you can’t learn to do the job, the difficulty comes from the fact for many of you, that the role isn’t going to fulfill you (in practical terms, the demands of the job will be more draining than the value of any reward it gives you).

If it’s not rewarding to you, if it doesn’t motivate you regularly, then your chance of progression drops quickly. Nobody wants to start down a dead-end road that ends in frustration, or worse, burnout.

With that out of the way, we can talk about how you can move ahead. (Remember from Part 1, we talked about three of the motivators for career advancement: More decision-making freedom, more power or responsibility and more money.)

If we put the transition to management option aside, you’ve got three basic options to get ahead:

1. Become more focused or specialized in what you do
2. Change your focus (change job roles, change departments)
3. Change organizations

Can you get ahead by becoming more focused or specialized in what you do? You can take more training, get certified in more technologies, products, methodologies and techniques. You can research and attend training to make yourself the specialist expert in your team on a particular facet of what you do. You can go deeper and narrower – and you might be able to one or more of the three motivators.

Can you get ahead by changing your focus? You could change job roles or change departments and take on a new function based on the skills and knowledge you already have. Depending on what opportunities are available in your organization, you may or may not have this option. Obviously, that leaves you with a decision of staying or leaving.

Many of the possible jobs aren’t advertised. Some people will point out that’s because it’s all about who you know.

That’s only part of the answer, and it’s only partly correct at that.

There are so many possible roles and options, within your organization as well as outside, that are not advertised because the organizations themselves are not actively looking yet. Sometimes that’s because the urgency has not boiled over and made filling that role a priority (but having the perfect candidate is something they would jump at!) Other times it’s because the organization doesn’t know they have a need. Again, if that perfect candidate (HINT: a leader!) were to show up, ready to show them the problem and it’s impact, then suddenly that’s a role any organization would consider addressing.

In either case, it’s not about who you know, but all about who knows you and what you’re capable of. So, what do you do?

One way to get ahead is to develop your leadership skills and abilities in the role you have right now. We’re not talking about management yet, just about developing your leadership

What’s the difference? That’s a whole new post.

You can develop your leadership skills wherever you are, in whatever position you hold right now. The foundations of leadership are the very same as the foundations for good managers. Regardless of the path you eventually choose, you can’t lose by strengthening your leadership capabilities.

The first four Transformations in From Technical to Exceptional (https://www.thresholdlearning.net/pl/37087 ) are instrumental in your progression, from wherever you are to wherever you want to go.

Here’s the secret: unless you’re at an entry level position in your current role, you don’t need to get more focused or in-depth expert to get ahead. You need to become a leader that adds value to your organization. That’s the key to getting ahead and can be developed in conjunction with any of the career advancement paths we discussed. We’re not telling you not to get more technical training or certifications. We’re saying that, in order to advance, in order to get your knowledge and expertise used, in order to have your voice heard you need to develop your leadership. That gives you the freedom to go in any direction that you want.

With the leadership foundations you could pursue a specialization role in your organization – if the deep dive, technical or specialist work is interesting or fulfilling to you. If it’s not, you could move to a more generalist role within your organization. The Transformations will not only raise your profile within your current organization, but they will also show you how to find the problems that you’re positioned to and interested in solving (even if there isn’t a formal role created for you yet)!

Of course, you may also see opportunities outside of your current organization. Your leadership development strengthens your Personal Power, not your Positional Authority. That means you can take it with you as you change roles. You can start a new role in a new organization and put yourself on a new career trajectory based on the Six Transformations and your newfound leadership capabilities.

What about management?!

The manager’s path is a great one, but as we mentioned at the start of this post, it’s not for everyone.

The good news is if you start down the path of the Six Transformations, you’ll be positioned to be a leader in your organization. That’s also the groundwork you need to be a successful manager. It helps you get the promotion you’re looking for, and it helps you navigate the mindset shift that you need to be successful in your new management role.

There’s a lot more to say about becoming a manager, but we’ll come back to that Part 3.

If you’re thinking about whether management is the right path for you, download our free self-assessment from https://www.thresholdlearning.net/pl/61833 and see.

For those of you who are ready to strengthen your leadership and transform yourself from Technical to Exceptional, use the link below (before it expires!) to get an additional 15% off the price of the course.

https://www.thresholdlearning.net/pl/61899