MANAGEMENT MINUTE: How to make the jump into upper management

Posted on July 29th, 2009 by Eli Journals

Are you ready to take the next step in your career, but you’re not sure how to grab your boss’s attention and show him you’re ready for upper management? No problem; follow these tips, from F. John Reh’s article, Getting A First Management Job:

1. “Do your job well,” says Reh. There’s no reason to give you more responsibility if you can’t handle what you have now, right? Get your superiors to notice your potential by excelling in your current supervisor position. Turn parts around in your department faster than other departments, maintain a perfect quality record in your department, and do your best to keep your department accident-free.

2. “Do your homework,” Reh advises. Learn more about what upper managers do in your company. Find out what their responsibilities are. If you know someone outside of the company in a managerial position, ask him to describe his job to you. You want to get a sense of whether you can handle the job.

3. “Develop people skills,” suggests Reh. Your ability to get along with and effectively manage people will be even more important when you’re in a higher position. Respect your employees, be diplomatic with supervisors from other departments, and get your workers to work hard for you because they respect you, not because they’re afraid of you.

4. “Show initiative,” Reh recommends. Unless your boss is a mind reader, he probably has no idea you’re looking to move up the ladder. Show him that you’re ready to move ahead by offering to help with projects like managing the year-end inventory count, by volunteering for any opportunities like planning the company picnic, or by working on an employee-relations committee, suggests Reh.

5. “Ask,” says Reh. Show your boss that you’re really interested by asking him what opportunities are available. Don’t wait for him to come to you. Even if no positions are immediately available, he’ll keep you in the back of his mind when a position opens up. And because most companies like to promote from within, you’ve got a good chance.