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If you're happy where you work, your near-term goals probably include a move up into management. In that case, you need to prepare by picking up new skills and possibly more credentials. "What happens with a lot of accountants is that around (age) 30 they find themselves just being technicians and they reach a dead-end," says Dennis Whitney, CMA, CFM, and vice president of certification for the Institute of Certified Management Accountants. "There's nowhere to go in management until you develop the soft skills and management skills."
First and foremost, successfully increasing your responsibilities requires a change in outlook. No longer are you responsible only for your own work. The management track "takes you out of that individual role, where you've built reliability as a go-to person," explains Terry Gallagher, president of executive search firm Battalia Winston International in New York. "All of the sudden you're in charge of a department. You're now a line manager and you may go through a rudimentary training module that tells you how to set expectations, provide performance management or motivate employees." But, he adds, "a lot of it is trial and error."
Positioning Yourself
Getting promoted requires you to enhance your management skills, including the ability to give feedback, to hire and fire, to listen, and to coach. "Hopefully, you're in a company with good professional development that encourages you to go to leadership, public speaking and other communication skills seminars," says Whitney. "If not, you're going to have to do that on your own, or find a job in a company that's more supportive." He suggests signing up for assignments that give you practice doing group presentations, volunteering to represent your department on cross-line teams and networking at internal and external associations.
It's also important to be honest about how you like to work - alone or as a team leader. "Some of the best individual contributors are the worst managers because they don't have the affinity to grow from an 'I' to a 'we' perspective," observes Gallagher.
If your firm has large clients, your communications skills will need to reach the next level. "Communication skills are essential," stresses Evelyn Rodstein, KPMG's chief talent and development officer. By those, she means, "skills a professional can use to effectively facilitate a meeting, refocus a conversation that's off-track, or handle a difficult discussion." KPMG helps its professionals "develop skills they can use to manage large and complex engagements, including global engagements where parts of the team may be sitting in different client sites, connected virtually," she says.
The Need to Take Stock
If you've been unsuccessful in your attempts to break into management, conduct an honest personal assessment. Have you articulated your goal and created an action plan for achievement? Do you have milestones and perform periodic assessments of your progress? Have you communicated your interest to your manager and solicited support and feedback? If you've taken these steps and are still having difficulty, it's probably a good time to make an appointment with your boss to discuss the issue.
Before the meeting, prepare an agenda that articulates your goal along with your proposed action plans. Ask for feedback on your performance, such as your strengths and weaknesses, and ask for ideas on improving your management and leadership skills. It may also help to meet with a human resources representative to get her perspective on your potential, as well as an idea of promotion opportunities within your organization.
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