Am I Ready To Be a Manager?

When I shifted from an individual contributor to a manager role, it appeared like a natural part of my career progression. I was moving forward in my career, getting bigger and better responsibilities. What was there to say no? 

I was playing a lead role, working with stakeholders and co-ordinating work across many teams and functions. So, I kinda assumed that becoming a manager will be very close to the work I was already doing and nothing much needs to change. 

The first few months were tough—I was unprepared, ignorant and naive. Mismatch in expectations led to many mistakes with unnecessary stress and anxiety. 

Jumping into the role just because my manager thought “I was ready” wasn’t a good decision. I definitely could have been a better manager only if I had made the decision myself with some thoughtful consideration. 

Julie Winkle says in Promotions Are So Yesterday “Continuing to confuse career development with attaining specific positions will only limit the growth that both employees and organizations need.”

That’s a big mistake that employees at all levels make. Rush to climb the career ladder makes them take on positions which make them miserable because they actually don’t enjoy the role or not having the proper skills to do their job well leads to exhaustion and burnout. 

Becoming a manager when you’re not ready is the worst of all. Your job is not just about you. You’re now responsible for other human beings. Take a long term perspective. Don’t be short-sighted. 

If management is the path for you, you’d better do it right. The choice to become a manager is not black and white. Ask these 4 questions to take the right steps towards your goal to become a manager without rushing through the decision: 

What does the role demand?

Becoming a manager may appear like a step up in your role. It definitely comes with a better pay and more responsibilities. 

But do you actually understand what the role demands? Even if you’re playing a lead role in your team, being a manager is nothing like it. It’s a completely different ball-game. 

Every organization has a different set of expectations from the manager role. The actual work is not even close to what you see other managers doing. A lot goes behind in becoming a successful manager and it starts with understanding your organization’s unique expectations and challenges. 

• What will be your day to day responsibilities?
• What would your team need? 
• Which stakeholders do you need to collaborate with and what do they want?
• Are you expected to code along with managing the team?
• What do other managers say about the challenges of the role?
• What kind of support exists for managers within your organization?

Ignoring your organization’s reality or the challenges you’re bound to face is signing up for a lot of pain and angst down the line. Aligning with what’s to come gets you better prepared to deal with the challenges when they arise. 

Is it something I want?

Moving from a lead role to manager may seem like a natural career progression, but have you ever sat down and pondered over this question “Is this something I really want?” 

Just because your friends, colleagues or other people around you are opting to become a manager does not mean it’s the right role for you too. Many organizations now offer growth opportunities on the individual contributor track. Speak to your HR, your manager, other leaders of the organization and then determine what’s the right thing for you to do. 

Becoming a manager takes more than assigning tasks, delivering products and getting work done. It involves real people—their growth, emotions and aspirations. Tough part being a manager is not doing the work, but getting work done through others.  

To determine if you’re up for it, answer these questions:

• Do I love dealing with humans and am I willing to take responsibility for their learning and growth?
• Am I ready to let go, empower my team and trust them to solve problems instead of being the one providing solutions?
• Do I understand that my decisions will be more complicated and will have less certainty involved? Am I mentally prepared to navigate the unknowns that are part of the role instead of expecting everything to be in control?
• Do I acknowledge that conflicts will be a big part of my role and I cannot avoid, ignore or put them aside? Am I willing to embrace the discomfort and deal with the conflicts as they arise?
• Do I employ good practices to make the best use of my time (and others time as well) or do I use not having sufficient time as an excuse?  

Proactively inquiring if the role aligns with what you want to do will help you avoid dissatisfaction, frustration and unhappiness that comes from having a different set of expectations from your career and not getting what you want. 

A great way to do this exercise involves:

1. Write down the top 10 responsibilities of a manager.
2. Write down the top 10 things you want to do in your job. 
3. What’s the overlap between 1 and 2? 
4. Consider a score of 6/10 or less a red flag. 

Becoming a manager is a choice. No one can force you into it. Don’t jump into the role unless you’re sure it’s something you really want. 

How can I bridge the skill gap?

Once you’ve made up your mind that management is the path for you, honestly evaluate the gap between the skills you possess and the skills you need to build. 

Rushing into a promotion may be good financially and may even be good for your ego, but not having the skills to do the job well can hurt you mentally and emotionally. 

Take a long term perspective. You’re going to be in this role for a long time once you opt for it. Better to invest time in building the proper skills than failing at your job and feeling miserable about it. 

It may be hard for you to see what you lack. This is where trusting others to give you honest feedback can help. What does your manager think? What about your colleagues? Are there other leaders and managers in the organization you’ve worked with who can give you feedback and advice? 

However, simply knowing what you aren’t good at isn’t enough. You actively need to seek the right opportunities to bridge this gap. You may think it’s your manager’s responsibility to help you shine and succeed, but leaving your growth in your manager’s hand is being irresponsible and foolish. 

No one’s ever going to be as invested in your growth as “you.” Don’t treat your career growth as other people’s responsibility. Feel powerful to take your growth in your own hands. Create a plan of action by identifying different ways to build the career capital—don’t limit yourself to the work you’re doing right now. Think about how you can contribute to areas that will help you build the skills you need. 

Treat Your Manager as a Coach. Your own boss should be one of your best sources of learning. But this might not naturally be the case. Maybe he doesn’t see the day-to-day of your work, or he’s busy putting out other fires, or he simply isn’t as proactive about helping to guide your path as you’d like. Regardless, the person most invested in your career isn’t him; it’s you. Your own growth is in your hands, so if you feel you aren’t learning from your manager, ask yourself what you can do to get the relationship that you want.
— Julie Zhou, The Making of a Manager

For example: If you need to learn how to interview candidates, ask your manager if you can shadow a few of their interviews. A lot can be learnt by sitting and silently observing how your manager conducts them. You can do this with other managers in the organization as well to get a perspective on different interviewing styles. 

Another example: Let’s say you find it hard to give direct and honest criticism. Speak to your manager and sign up to mentor a few interns. Ask your manager to be around when you give feedback and seek their guidance on how to do it better. You can also mentor people outside your organization. Plenty of youngsters are looking for experienced, senior folks who can mentor them. It will be a great opportunity for you to practice your skills and your mentee will be delighted to learn from you. A true win/win. 

Who will stand for me?   

You can’t get promoted by working hard or simply building all the skills. Keeping your head down and doing great work isn’t sufficient to become a manager. Your work needs to be visible and it needs to get in front of the right people. 

While many organizations have a set criteria that determines if someone is ready to get to the next level, what goes on during the decision process is not that simple. Leaders and managers in the organization play a crucial role in determining who stays and who gets promoted to the next level.  

It’s important for you to understand how the performance appraisal process in your organization works:

• Who is responsible for promotions in your organization?
• How does the process work?
• Do you need recommendations from some senior employees of the organization?
• Who can vouch for you?

Your manager needs to be your biggest ally. To do this, you need to get into the spotlight and make your work visible. Your manager should know about the areas you’re doing well, where you excel, your strengths and highlights. Keeping your manager in the loop is essential for your success and growth. To do this, manage up by sharing the following information with your manager regularly:

• Your biggest accomplishment 
• Challenges faced and how did you overcome those challenges 
• Your learnings 
• Initiatives and value created

Self-promotion isn’t boasting or putting others down to pull yourself up. It’s shining a light on your skills, making sure your boss and colleagues understand what you’re truly capable of and demonstrating your true strength.

Self-promotion is a leadership and political skill that is critical to master in order to navigate the realities of the workplace and position you for success.
― Bonnie Marcus, The Politics of Promotion

Summary

1. Don’t make assumptions about expectations from a manager’s role. Do the work necessary to understand what the role demands and the unique challenges you’ll need to face when playing this role in your organization. 
2. Getting promoted and becoming a manager may seem lucrative. But you can’t take up this job for the wrong reasons. You need to be sure about what you’re signing up for as the growth of many individuals will now be in your hands. 
3. You may be an excellent individual contributor but that does not guarantee you’ll be successful in your role as a manager. To be an effective manager, identify the skills you need to build and proactively seek opportunities to practice them. 
4. Working hard or ticking each item on the managers competency list may still not get you the promotion. To get promoted, you need backing and support from people who have the power to make such decisions. Get in front of these people and make your work visible. 

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