From the course: Building the Reputation and Skills to Become a First-Time Manager

Explore your motivations for wanting to become a manager

From the course: Building the Reputation and Skills to Become a First-Time Manager

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Explore your motivations for wanting to become a manager

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Keep your eyes on the prize. You may have heard this when sharing your goals with those close to you. When it comes to pursuing management, what's the prize? It's your motivation, of course. Your journey to management will include new experiences, memorable lessons, challenges, and victories. As you navigate, knowing what drives you will keep you focused, grounded, and resilient. So where do you start? I encourage you to dig within and speak your truth about why you want to become a manager. Here are a few questions to get you started. First, what's inspiring you to pursue a management role? Is that the title, influence, or ability to uplift or advocate for others? Second, what specific aspects of management are you most passionate about? Do you love coaching, leading, or mentoring people? Or do you enjoy coordinating projects and implementing new initiatives across the company? Lastly, what past events, achievements, or challenges inspire you to become a manager? Have you volunteered to lead a team or project and found yourself excited to do it again? If these questions make you feel unsure or uneasy, it's okay. There are no perfect answers here. This exercise is meant to give you the opportunity to be honest with yourself and if needed, explore a different path. You're looking for real answers here that showcase your excitement, passion, and curiosity. Also, consider sharing your answers with someone you trust and getting feedback. Early in my career, I shared my management vision with a trusted colleague who also had a goal of landing a management role. He pointed out my accomplishments that I didn't mention and shared areas I could work on. We ended up as accountability partners. The final decision will ultimately be yours. But having input from a neutral party never hurts. Here's another example. I discovered my motivation after stepping into an interim management role, while my supervisor was out of the office for two months. I quickly discovered that I loved coaching and helping professionals reach their career goals and enhance their skill sets. From there, I set a goal to land a senior role to guide more individuals towards finding their sense of fulfillment at their current or next role. The key to being a great manager is wanting and having the motivation to be the best manager you can be. Remember, your journey to management starts with you being honest with yourself and keeping your eyes on the prize. I invite you to head to the handout for more questions to help you uncover your motivation. Spend time with these questions and reflect on your answers before continuing on with the rest of the course. Good luck. I can't wait to hear what you discover.

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