If you’ve been working as a secretary or file clerk for several years, you’re probably wondering when your boss will promote you to supervisor or manager. Keep in mind that your boss has become dependent on your typing, filing and organizational skills and may be reluctant to promote you. That said, there are certain things you need to wrap you head around before your boss sees you as a supervisor or manager. For example:
More work does not equal more responsibility. Simply taking on more of the work you’re already doing is not the same as accepting more responsibility for a higher level task. If you want your boss to regard you as management material, you’ll have to take “ownership” of higher level jobs. That means getting the job done no matter what, using all the skills and creativity at your disposal. It means “working the problem” and going outside standard operation procedures to overcome any hurtles that may arise. No “what should I do now” questions.
Working off the Clock. Managers don’t stop working at 5 p.m., leaving a problem unsolved till the next day. If you expect to move up to management , you’ll do whatever it takes—even if it means working through lunch or weekends. As a clerk, you’ll still be expected to do your 9 to 5 tasks, but once you move up to management, you’ll have some flexibility in that regard. After you “put out fires,” you’ll be able to take those long lunches—as long as everything gets done.
Adopting a Non-Solipsistic Approach. The solipsist believes that nothing exists beyond oneself and one's immediate experiences. Many clerical workers adopt this attitude. Your cubicle and the work you do therein is all that matters. Typing and filing chores come into your in-box and the finished product goes in the out-box. End of work, end of responsibility, end of commitment to the company’s overall goals. Potential managers, on the other hand, see patterns and develop plans around them. Their world of work extends beyond the cubicle to embrace the company’s goals. They see opportunities and they develop models and work structures to improve things and to anticipate problems or bottlenecks.
Embracing Leadership. Up to now, you’ve been more concerned with getting along than taking the lead. That has to change. And in a visible way. Your need to be liked will have to take a backseat to getting the job done by convincing others you can lead them. If you’re a listener rather than a talker at lunch or social get-togethers, this may be challenging for you, as others may not be used to seeing you as a leader. Taking the lead on even a small project will require a different mindset. You’ll need to rally the troops behind a cause, learn to accept criticism and get different personalities to work together. You’ll be “under the microscope” here. So prepare and do your best.
Look like a Manager. In the military, they call it Bearing. Corporate image consultants call it Image. In the film Working Girl, Tess McGill broke out of her clerical image by saying, “If you want to be taken seriously, you need serious hair.” If you want to be taken seriously as a potential manager, watch some image consultant videos and adopt the CEO look that’s appropriate for your company.
If you do all the above and your boss still keeps you in the clerical role, you’ll have to move on to move up.
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