Whether you are a scientist seeking that first project manager role, a Director with aspirations for becoming a VP, or a volunteer seeking board leadership, how do you navigate into an exciting, new role within your organization? Done well, you and the organization will benefit from a more capable, adaptable, business savvy, networked, and motivated you.
Navigating into a new role within your company includes:
- Mastering your current role – Delivering results in your current role; a pre-requisite for increased or different responsibilities. By doing so it conveys:
- Competence – you know your stuff
- Motivation – you get stuff done
- Trust – you reliably do what you say you are going do
- Communicating your value and career aspirations – When decisions are made on who wins the next big promotion or plum project, allowing your results to speak for themselves is a rookie mistake. Do communicate your value, contributions and aspirations to your manager, in-house mentors, leaders, and human resources professionals with whom you have a great relationship. You never know who will evolve into your sponsor and advocate for your advancement when new opportunities emerge.
And since the workforce for the foreseeable future will be a mix of remote and onsite workers, communicating regularly will become increasingly more important. Don’t let “out of sight out of mind” derail your career aspirations.
- Developing capabilities for the job you want – Developing skills and capabilities for the job you want before needed, will separate you from the rest of the pack. How? Start with informational interviews with folks in and outside your organization already doing the job you want or think you want. You will learn where to focus your development efforts including volunteer assignments that provide relevant, rewarding, and action learning experience.
- Volunteering for tough assignments – Take it a step further by volunteering for tough assignments, the ones no one else wants, the ones that require risk taking. Then deliver. Bottom line is, successfully volunteering and completing tough assignments often paves the way for plum assignments later. Plus, a wide range of experiences provide insight on the types of work you enjoy most and offer a broader base for potential references.
- Getting involved in social responsibility initiatives – It’s a given that getting involved in any social responsibility effort should speak to your value system. And like all work, doing a great job counts. Hopping onto a committee within your organization affords you the additional benefit of expanding your reach across the organization. Who knows? Maybe you will get connected with another future sponsor or learn of new initiatives that pique your interest.
- Generating fresh ideas – Get out there, circulate, attend conferences, join a professional association, read, and connect with others in-person and on-line. Expand your horizons by learning about other industries and global trends. You will benefit from thinking more strategically and creatively, have fresh ideas when needed most and avoid the stereotype sometimes suffered by long service employees – too insulated, too conventional, and too tied to “not invented here”.
- Building lasting relationships – Build effective and collaborative relationships inside and outside of your organization including customers, suppliers, strategic partners, and key alliances. Forge relationships and benefit from getting known throughout the industry eco-system. And support and nurture those relationships by giving back!
Nothing is more intoxicating to an executive than a capable, results generating, highly motivated and networked, direct communicator who is capable, reliable, trusted and well respected both inside and outside the organization for that next big role. Good luck!
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