Building Your Management Career: Action Plan

As with any target, if you want to achieve something having a plan can help; this also applies if you want to move into Management.

Management Training

There is a wide range of management training available from in-house to public courses. Some are short introduction or top-up courses; others provide qualifications on successful completion. There is also a variety of course options from on-line training to classroom style lectures. If there are limited training options at your company you may want to consider courses you could do in your own time.

Some training courses you may want to consider:

• Management training
• Management styles training
• Coaching skills
• Performance evaluation skills
• Human Resources Management
• Project Management
• Planning

The Chartered Management Institute can provide information of Management courses: www.managers.org.uk

ACTION PLAN:Write down the training courses that would help you.

Softer Management Skills

There are other skills, pertinent to many roles, that you can improve whether you have your desired management role or not.

These include:

• Having a Can-Do Attitude
• Strong Interpersonal Skills
• Communication Skills
• Problem Solver
• Self Management
• Motivation and Influence
• Taking Responsibility
• Negotiation Skills

ACTION PLAN: Write down the top five soft management skills you need to work on and one action for achieving each

Get to Know your Organisation

If you want to be a manager in your current organisation it’s important to understand the corporate culture. What is the company’s mission statement? Do you understand the company values? If you want to represent the organisation as a manager it’s essential that you embody the corporate culture.

ACTION PLAN: Write down your Organisation's mission statement and how your current role supports it.

Find a Mentor

Find a manager that you work well with and typifies the type of manager you would like to be. Discuss with them if they would become your mentor and assist you in improving your management skills, particularly the softer skills. Very often it is honest feedback that will help you hone and refine these abilities.

ACTION PLAN:Write down some possible managers that you feel might be a good mentor for you.

Consider your own Behaviour

Do you behave today as someone who seems capable of being a successful manager? Consider such things as your attitude to work, your appearance, and your ability to work well with others. If you are regularly later for work, dress more casually than others, and are not driven to perform well, then it is unlikely that you will be considered management potential.

ACTION PLAN:Write down 5 ways you could improve your behaviour, attitude or appearance.

Make it Known

Make your manager aware of your aspirations and ask for his or her suggestions on how you can gain experience. Just because a management role isn’t available it doesn’t mean that you can’t get practical experience. Secondment to another area may be an option, or potentially taken on other work that will broaden your experience.

ACTION PLAN:Set a date to discuss your management plans with your manager. Discuss possible options with them for gaining experience.

Get Experience

This may be within your organisation or it may be outside. Perhaps there is a local charity that could benefit from your current expertise and may also give you the opportunity to expand your skills.

ACTION PLAN:Write down some possible options (regardless of how feasible) for gaining experience.

Take on Responsibility

A strong sign of management potential is when a person is willing and capable of taking on responsibility, whether for a budget, resources or people. Demonstrating that you are willing to take on responsibility for a task and for the outcome shows a readiness for management.

ACTION PLAN:Write down an how you could take more responsibility in your current role.

Get Organised

Planning and being organised are essential skills for a manager. If you are chaotic now, the situation will only get worse when you are a manager. Get on top of your agenda and organise your calendar. Demonstrate that you are organised and show that you are competent at planning.

ACTION PLAN: Write down 3 ways you can become better organised.

In Conclusion:

Becoming a manager demands a variety of skills and part of the talent of a successful manager is knowing how to behave and act as appropriate. Many of the skills required of a manager are important to a wide range of jobs, so there is no reason why you have to wait until you have a management role before building these abilities. Get started today, and you might just get noticed as management potential.