Advance by career ladder It can be very difficult. It's especially difficult business women: Society has already come to terms with the fact that a woman works equally with a man, but a woman boss is still something that some people cannot wrap their heads around. Do you love your job, but feel that you have become cramped within its confines? If you really want a promotion and are ready to accept the responsibility that comes with being a manager, there are just a few steps you need to take...
I'll become a boss, let them teach me
How to get a promotion at work and move from an ordinary position to a managerial one?
Many specialists think about a promotion one day. Only for some this intention disappears quickly, while others are confident that they have the necessary experience, skills and are passionate about joining the ranks of bosses. But what if the employee is not familiar with managerial functions and has always performed the duties of an executive? Labor market experts told how to change a linear position to a managerial one.
There are two main scenarios for such a transition: promotion within your own company or transfer to a managerial position in another. What problems might future top leaders face? And how to realize the desire to become a leader?
an old friend is better than two new ones
According to Maria Silina, customer service manager at Agency Contact, growth within one company is considered a classic career development option and has a number of advantages: “Firstly, a potential manager has the opportunity and time to prove himself from a professional point of view vision, while still in a private position. Secondly, during this period he can establish connections with company employees who can influence his position.”
Indeed, convincingly demonstrating your leadership qualities to your superiors with whom you have been working for several years is easier than convincing representatives of a new company of the same thing. But how exactly do you grow in your own organization?
“To get promoted at work, you need to demonstrate good results in work, perform their duties efficiently and on time. We must remember that leaders are inherently strategic. Such people are able to anticipate changes in the industry in which they work, set priorities in their work and in the work of the team, focus on main goals, bring creative ideas, make correct and timely decisions. This is not the entire set of qualities that are needed for people who want to take a leadership position. When working in a team, it is also important to be able to see the situation through the eyes of your boss and abstract from the situational perception of the problem. Your manager and colleagues should know about your professional and career preferences,” says Alexey Iodko, head of the HR department at Raiffeisenbank.
“First of all, you need to be an active and proactive employee who does not avoid additional workload and participation in the life of the team, be it teamwork or brainstorm on the topic of improving the work of the department. With the conviction "this is not part of my job responsibilities“It’s difficult to grow professionally in a company and gain a larger area of responsibility. If you are proactive, active, ready to take responsibility and support ideas and proposals with results, your chances of career growth increase significantly,” adds Nadezhda Smirnova, leading specialist recruiting agency Penny Lane Personnel.
What should you be wary of?
Let's imagine that the long-awaited promotion has occurred, yesterday's performer becomes a manager. There are no problems with fulfilling my duties, everything works out, the prospects are encouraging. However, there is one “but” - the team. Labor market experts say that relationships with former colleagues (current subordinates) can significantly poison the joy of promotion.
“The main stumbling block is building relationships with former colleagues. If in professional competencies And personal qualities new manager If he has already proven himself previously, he will need to demonstrate his talent as a manager to his colleagues more than once. And only after this can he establish himself as a leader in the usual team,” comments Nadezhda Smirnova.
“To many young leaders who grew up inside own company, at the stage of forming one’s managerial experience one has to face the solution of a natural paradox: on the one hand, with a formal change in one’s own role, and on the other, with the perception of one by the team in a new status. However, this situation can be easily avoided if, firstly, the appointed employee has achieved the transition to new position solely through his work, and secondly, if he has a certain authority and weight in the team, not just as an “excellent friend,” but as a professional in his field,” says Boris Anikeev, head of the personnel selection department of Svyaznoy Group of Companies.
Changing places
The process of transition from a line position to a managerial position new company, of course, it is more difficult to raise within your own. The reasons for leaving your old job can be different.
“Firstly, the company may not have a vacant leadership position, and secondly, other, more suitable candidates may apply for this position,” says Maria Silina.
It is possible that the highest echelon of the company simply does not believe in the leadership abilities of an ambitious employee. In any case, even if a specialist leaves an ordinary position in a large organization, it is unlikely that he will be able to get a job as a manager in a company of the same size. It would be wiser to choose a smaller institution.
Nadezhda Smirnova confirms that such a transition is possible from a “leading” position in large company to a managerial position in a relatively small company.
“But “downsizing” the size of the company still cannot guarantee a promotion at work. It is important that the new/potential employer sees and believes that you are not only good specialist, but also successfully manage people. Therefore, during the interview, remember and name several situations where you demonstrated leadership and organizational qualities", the expert recommends.
“If a candidate does not have management experience, it would be reasonable if he does not immediately apply for a very high salary and broad managerial functionality. As a rule, such applicants are offered to work on minimal conditions for probationary period and, if the results satisfy both parties, renegotiate the terms. Another important point: in the new resume, it is important for the applicant to indicate all the cases when he had to perform leadership functions or was able to demonstrate leadership potential (decision making on the current project, organizing the work process, building work in a team, etc.),” adds Boris Anikeev.
What should you be wary of?
Oddly enough, there is no need to worry about relationships with new subordinates. Because they already perceive the new manager as a boss, and not as a former colleague.
“Sometimes a team can benefit from a fresh perspective from a new leader from the outside.” This will allow us to take a bolder step and make radically new decisions on this or that issue,” says Alexey Iodko.
In principle, you should be afraid of an unfamiliar environment - the process of adaptation to a new company always requires effort and energy. In addition, you will have to rely only on your own strength (if in old company If there was an opportunity to turn to the former management for help or advice, then most likely there will be no one to count on in the new one).
Boris Anikeev also sees difficulty in the lack of experience in managing people: “This can partly be compensated for by business acumen, readiness for an irregular schedule and constant improvement.”
Labor market experts shared tips on what a person who has never managed, but is determined to take the manager’s chair, needs to remember.
“It is extremely important to tell employees about strategic plans: everyone must understand and share the common goals and objectives of the team. Try to find a mentor and enlist his support, go through extra education. For example, training to develop managerial skills will allow you to make a more confident start,” the expert adds.
“Be confident in your actions! Any doubts will be instantly transmitted to the team and will undermine your reputation. And don’t be afraid to rely on your assistants, having first understood who you can/should really rely on. Delegation of authority is the key to the success of any leader. But absolutely, regardless of whether you are planning a career within a company or when moving to others, you must know the main functions, tasks of a manager, think systematically, be consistent, be active, take initiative in order to prove yourself,” – advises Nadezhda Smirnova.
But the most important thing, according to Alexey Iodko, is to make sure that the desire to become a leader is genuine. Managing because it’s “fashionable” or “all my friends have long become managers, so it’s time for me” are not the best arguments for achieving success. Remember - a person does best what he loves and what he really has a soul for!
So, you have been working in the company for many years, you know the entire inner workings and even more: you have been in the labor trenches of production, have been involved in marketing, are familiar with the features of the product first-hand... What are your chances, if the opportunity arises, of taking a top position in the organization? Real cases shared by users Executive.ru, confirm that in this category of vacancies HR pays close attention primarily to candidate experience. But how do you get the coveted chance to show off your management skills if you are already expected to have been given such a chance? The site has collected expert advice, add it in the comments!
What requirements should you consider?
A director is not only a higher salary, a comfortable chair and several managers subordinate to him. This is a different level of responsibility, the ability and desire to make decisions, more complex tasks and a willingness to go beyond the usual boundaries. Many experts pay attention to the special character traits characteristic of professionals in this position. It cannot be said that there is a certain “genotype”, a model of behavior of a top manager, but there are certain requirements for a candidate who feels ready to become a manager. This is the ability to find a common language with staff, listen and hear people, manage your time, resolve complex non-standard situations, be personally involved in all processes of the organization, interested, desire for self-development. It is important to have an impeccable reputation, since the director is actually the first person of the company.
Of course, HR will look for evidence of experience in a resume or in a personal conversation. Not necessarily at the same level. Your readiness and ability to manage can be confirmed by achievements at previous jobs, educational certificates and diplomas (MBA, CFA, RICS and others). This is actually an indulgence for a manager at the initial stage, when he is just entering the path of the top. An excellent basic education, a confirmed desire to develop and constantly gain new knowledge will add points in your favor. Leading market positions of the companies you worked for may also be an advantage. This type of experience is valuable, especially if you are not changing industries but want to move to a different organization.
Is there a typical path for a top manager?
According to experts, there is no specific “route list” for the top. It is clear that those specialists who have actually tried themselves in several areas and participated in the main business processes of the company have a better chance. It is necessary to know the organization’s product, clients and potential audience well, and to see the ways of development of the enterprise. It doesn’t matter which department you move to. The main thing is to show great persistence and determination in achieving your goals.
Comments on the topic Felix Kugel, Vice President and Managing Director for Russia and CIS countries ManpowerGroup: “On average, the path from an ordinary specialist to a top manager is six to nine years. The time directly depends on the number of steps (positions) that a specialist needs to go through. For example, you can make your career faster in a startup than in a large company, but the level of the top manager will also be different. In addition, in young companies there is no guarantee that a specialist will be noticed and helped to move up the career ladder. In large organizations, there is a clear system of personnel development, and if an ordinary specialist shows appropriate results, he is given project work, where there is an opportunity to gain managerial skills, which means he has every chance to grow to a top manager.”
He talks about how a manager's career can develop. Sergey Chemerikin MRICS, Director of the Company's Valuation Department Cushman & Wakefield: “Some people become top managers with the “right” connections. Remember, for example, the times of the USSR, when someone occupied a high management position and appointed relatives and/or friends to positions at a slightly lower level. That is, those whom he could trust. And it wasn’t so important whether he understood what he was managing or not. The main thing is that he belongs to the caste of “his own”. And this approach is still observed in some organizations. Others became top managers solely due to fortunate circumstances, finding themselves in right time V in the right place. Still others - thanks to their abilities and experience. For example, a person worked in a middle managerial position in a large company; they gladly hire him to a higher position in a smaller company. It is assumed that such a candidate has gained good management experience, since the organization is large, and these skills will help him in his new job. The fourth showed their abilities to their superiors. He is very comfortable working with such an employee. He begins to grow and takes his subordinate in tow. One is growing up the career ladder, and the second is following behind. Fifths become top managers because they know how to present themselves well and charm HR and managers. They say about such people - “they will fit into any crack without oil.” This can go on ad infinitum. The phrase fits here: how many people, so many opportunities to become a top manager.”
Should I develop myself into a top person in the same company or should I leave?
It's no secret that when filling vacancies at any level, HR first looks at the team. Employees are familiar with the organization from the inside; moreover, their personal qualities are known not in words, but in deeds. Therefore, of course, you can wait for a top-level management position to become available in the company. There is only one problem in this case - sometimes you have to endure too long until the moment when circumstances develop as desired. The candidate is more likely to find the desired position with another employer. Features of the search for a top manager comments Elena Smirnova, managing partner of a research company Profi Online Research:
“Filling a top vacancy can be compared to “looking for a needle in a haystack.” The experience of someone from another company may not be 100% identical to the experience you are looking for. Therefore, you need to be sure that the candidate will be able to quickly and successfully adapt his skills to the characteristics of your company, its production processes and current needs. Finding the right person internally may be an ideal option for an employer. However, internal search for employees for a top position has its drawbacks:
- Difficulties in building “new” working relationships while maintaining chain of command. For example, just yesterday colleagues were watching a football match together, and today one of them has already become a subordinate of the other. This problem can be solved, for example, by surrounding the top manager with deputies hired from outside - forming a layer that will avoid awkward situations of boss-subordinate interaction in the presence of informal connections.
- If a person has been working for a company straight out of college, it is unlikely that he will have behavioral patterns that differ from those he faces now. Lack of diverse, diverse experience can be a barrier to accomplishing tasks in an optimal manner. Such a specialist can be sent for an internship to your office located in another country, to a friendly company, or to training. We must do everything to show him as many different possible situations and corresponding behavior patterns.
Searching from outside also has disadvantages:
- Ignorance of the “inner kitchen” of the company. You can familiarize a person with it by sending him for an internship in various departments of your organization.
- Possible rejection by the team. It is important that the company's management supports his decision and shows their confidence in him.
- There is not always confidence in his loyalty. It depends on the person himself; influencing his thoughts and values is quite difficult. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to this at the search stage.”
What to do first?
When building a career at any level, it is important to clearly understand what you are striving for. Specify your goal - why the manager, what specialization suits you best, would you like to stay in the same company, or have you already outgrown it. Based on the clarified plans, you need to act. If you think that your current job is suitable for realizing your managerial ambitions, you need to show and prove to your senior management that you are ready and can handle it. At the same time, using the categories “I will help the company” (in what way, in what business process), “my current skills will be useful” (where, to what extent). The same thoughts will need to be conveyed to a potential employer, if you decide that you are more interested in developing in another organization. The main message is the desire to expand the circle of responsibility, to gain new experience, cope with tasks of a different, more global level. It may be necessary to develop management skills at a theoretical level - complete specialized courses and confirm your desire with an appropriate diploma.
Recommendations Mikhail Rozin, Director of Human Resources GC "Ronova": “It is necessary to draw up a plan for personal growth, in which to prescribe the basic knowledge, skills, abilities, and lack of experience that require development in a specific period of time, for example, during the year. It is useful to discuss the plan with senior management, ask for a critical analysis of each of its elements, ask for an independent project to be transferred to management as a test, followed by an analysis of the implementation results. At the same time, a specialist needs to constantly improve, study best practices, act as an initiator and assistant to his manager, and learn to manage his time not only at work, but also in everyday life.”
Thus, the most important advice comes down to the usual pattern: I see a goal, I go towards the goal. The main thing is not to sit still, but to act.
Photo:freeimages.
com
I'll become a boss, let them teach me
How to move from an ordinary position to a managerial one?
Many experts once. Only for some this intention quickly disappears, while others are confident that they have the necessary experience, skills and passionately desire to join the ranks of managers. But what if the employee is not familiar with managerial functions and has always performed the duties of an executive? Labor market experts told how to change a linear position to a managerial one.
There are two main scenarios for such a transition: promotion within your own company or transfer to a managerial position in another. What problems might future top leaders face? And how to realize the desire to become a leader?
an old friend is better than two new ones
According to Maria Silina, customer service manager at Agency Contact, is considered a classic career development option and has a number of advantages: “Firstly, a potential manager has the opportunity and time to prove himself from a professional point of view, while still in an ordinary position. Secondly, during this period he can establish connections with company employees who can influence his position.”
Indeed, convincingly demonstrating your skills to your superiors, with whom you have been working for several years, is easier than convincing representatives of a new company of the same thing. But how exactly do you grow in your own organization?
“To do this, you need to demonstrate good results in your work, perform your duties efficiently and on time. We must remember that leaders are inherently strategic. Such people know how to anticipate changes in the industry in which they work, set priorities in their work and in the work of the team, focus on main goals, bring creative ideas, and make correct and timely decisions. This is not the entire set of qualities that are necessary for people who want to take a leadership position. When working in a team, it is also important to be able to see the situation through the eyes of your boss and abstract from the situational perception of the problem. Your manager and colleagues should know about your professional and career preferences,” says Alexey Iodko, head of the HR department at Raiffeisenbank.
“First of all, you need to be an active and proactive employee who does not avoid participating in the life of the team, be it brainstorming on the topic of improving the work of the department. With the belief “this is not part of my job responsibilities,” it is difficult to grow professionally in a company and gain a larger area of responsibility. If you are proactive, active, ready to take responsibility and support ideas and proposals with results, your chances of career growth increase significantly,” adds Nadezhda Smirnova, leading specialist of the recruitment agency Penny Lane Personnel.
What should you be wary of? Let's imagine that the long-awaited promotion has occurred, yesterday's performer becomes a manager. There are no problems with fulfilling my duties, everything is working out, the prospects are encouraging. However, there is one “but” - the team. Labor market experts say that relationships with former colleagues (current subordinates) can significantly poison the joy of promotion.
“The main stumbling block is building relationships with former colleagues. If the new manager has already proven himself in professional competencies and personal qualities, then he will need to demonstrate to his colleagues more than once. And only after this can he establish himself as a leader in the usual team,” comments Nadezhda Smirnova.
“Many young managers who grew up within their own company, at the stage of forming their managerial experience, have to deal with the solution of a natural paradox: on the one hand, with a formal change in their own role, and on the other, with the perception of him by the team in a new status. However, this situation can be easily avoided if, firstly, the appointed employee achieved a transition to a new position solely through his own work, and secondly, if he has a certain authority and weight in the team, not just as an “excellent friend”, but as a professional in his field,” says Boris Anikeev, head of the personnel selection department of Svyaznoy Group of Companies.
Changing places
The process of moving from a line position to a managerial position in a new company is certainly more difficult than promoting within your own. The reasons for leaving your old job can be different.
“Firstly, the company may not have a vacant leadership position, and secondly, other, more suitable candidates may apply for this position,” says Maria Silina.
It is possible that the highest echelon of the company simply does not believe in the leadership abilities of an ambitious employee. In any case, even if a specialist leaves an ordinary position in a large organization, it is unlikely that he will be able to get a job as a manager in a company of the same size. It would be wiser to choose a smaller institution.
Nadezhda Smirnova confirms that such a transition is possible from a “leading” position in a large company to a managerial position in a relatively small company.
“But “reducing” the size of the company still cannot guarantee a promotion. It is important that a new/potential employer sees and believes that you are not only a good specialist, but also that you can successfully manage people. Therefore, during the interview, remember and name several situations where you demonstrated,” the expert recommends.
“If a candidate does not have management experience, it would be reasonable if he does not immediately apply for a very high salary and broad managerial functionality. As a rule, such applicants are offered to work on minimal terms and, if the results suit both parties, renegotiate the terms. Another important point: in the new resume, it is important for the applicant to indicate all the cases when he had to perform leadership functions or was able to demonstrate (decision-making on the current project, organizing the work process, building work in a team, etc.),” adds Boris Anikeev.
What should you be wary of? Oddly enough, there is no need to worry about relationships with new subordinates. Because they already perceive the new manager as a boss, and not as a former colleague.
“Sometimes a team can benefit from a fresh perspective from a new leader from the outside. This will allow us to take a bolder step and make radically new decisions on this or that issue,” believes Alexey Iodko.
In principle, you should be afraid of an unfamiliar environment - the process of adaptation to a new company always requires effort and energy. In addition, you will have to rely only on your own strengths (if in the old company it was possible to turn to the former management for help or advice, then in the new one, most likely, there will be no one to count on).
Boris Anikeev He also sees difficulty in the lack of experience in managing people: “This can partly be compensated for by business acumen, readiness for irregular schedules and constant improvement.”
Labor market experts shared tips on what a person who has never managed, but is determined to take the manager’s chair, needs to remember.
“It is extremely important to tell employees about strategic plans: everyone must understand and share the common goals and objectives of the team. Try to find a mentor and enlist his support, go through. For example, training to develop managerial skills will allow you to make a more confident start,” the expert adds.
“Be confident in your actions! Any doubts will be instantly transmitted to the team and will undermine your reputation. And don’t be afraid to rely on your assistants, having first understood who you can/should really rely on. Delegation of authority is the key to the success of any leader. But absolutely, regardless of whether you are planning a career within a company or when moving to others, you must know the main functions, tasks of a manager, think systematically, be consistent, be active, take initiative in order to prove yourself,” advises Nadezhda Smirnova.
But most importantly, according to Alexey Iodko, make sure that the desire to become a leader is genuine. Managing because it’s “fashionable” or “all my friends have long become managers, so it’s time for me” are not the best arguments for achieving success. Remember - a person does best what he loves and what he really has a soul for!
Any ambitious person, one way or another, strives for career growth and promotion. A long-awaited leadership position, earned through years of hard work in a rank-and-file position, can plunge the newly minted boss into a state of deep euphoria. Especially if this position is received for the first time.
The work of a manager, in addition to its advantages and privileges, is fraught with difficulties unfamiliar to a former specialist. The biggest discovery that an inexperienced boss makes is that a significant part management problems has nothing to do with professional sphere. It is these specific difficulties characteristic of the “upper floors” of business that often put an end to the career of a young manager. What are the dangers of leadership work, and how to competently avoid them?
Legitimacy of status
Whatever position appears in your work book, but the right to leadership still needs to be asserted. People will not work effectively under a person who cannot explain to them why he, and not someone else, is sitting in this soft and comfortable chair. There are a great many options for domination; it is only important to choose the most suitable one and relentlessly implement it. Unique advantages may be professional knowledge, advanced communication skills or the ability to effectively administer a wide range of business processes. A leader who has not established himself in the eyes of his subordinates risks provoking a silent rebellion or even outright sabotage and disobedience. The result may be a series of failures, which will inevitably lead to dismissal with a diagnosis of “failed.”
Old, conservative team
Any boss likes to select people for himself and, perhaps, you will not find someone who sincerely likes joining an already established structure. As you know, there are no two identical people, no two identical leaders, which means new boss will inevitably begin to reshape the department to suit itself, breaking established ties. The danger of transformations in this case lies in their intensity. It is enough to go too far with reforms a little, and paralysis of work processes is ensured. A good alternative to revolutionary innovations can be soft evolution, when regulations and rules change gradually, and ineffective employees leave the department one by one, separated by a significant interval.
Secret centers of power
Perhaps the greatest danger to a new manager comes from employees with unofficial power. As a rule, these are experienced specialists with ambitions who never became business leaders. various reasons. Such gray cardinals are capable of significantly complicating the boss’s life by playing their own game that runs counter to his ideas and plans. Often, the eminence grise wants to lead, but does not want to bear responsibility, which means he will substitute his boss at any opportunity. In the worst case scenario, such a “saboteur” secretly contacts the management of adjacent departments, which makes it extremely difficult for the new boss to build any relationships at his managerial level. In this case, sadly, there is only one recipe - we must ruthlessly get rid of the gray cardinals.
Alliances, clans and “undercover” fuss
Having dealt with internal problems, you can move to the external level. The relationship between departments in different areas has never been smooth, which is something you should prepare for from the beginning. The life of people in power has always been filled with conspiracies and intrigues. At this level, it is important to quickly understand the structure and composition of numerous alliances and competently join one of them, since there is no sadder fate than the fate of a lone ship in a stormy sea, which, if trouble happens, no one will come to its aid. On the other hand, you should not get carried away and make too risky bets by getting involved in combinations of senior managers. For example, being the head of a small department, it is dangerous to seek trusting relationships with deputy chief executives, and even more so with general director or business owners. It is important to remember about subordination, as well as the fact that superiors weave their own intrigues and the likelihood of becoming a bargaining chip in someone else’s game, the meaning of which is unlikely to be clear, can be very high.
This is an approximate list of the main problems that are most typical for any structure, from a trading company to a federal ministry. Despite the different specifics of organizations, any leader should remember that management work- this is, first of all, flexibility of mind and the ability to calculate risks, of which, as we know, there are a great many.
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