How To Move From Middle Management To Senior Management.

So you’ve got a case of itchy feet…

You have the urge to take your career to another level by making the move from middle management to senior management… exciting!.

The problem with having a light bulb moment is that they’re sudden, like an awakening and you may be left wondering how…

“How do you escape middle management? 

“How do you take that massive leap forward in your career..?”

Have no fear, I am going to share with you a clear strategy that you can begin implementing today and rid yourself of feeling that you are stuck in middle management.  

Think about the conversation you may be having in your head... “I have the skills”, “I have been acting in the role”, “I am ready to do this!”  However it isn’t about how ready you are, it’s about how ready they are and that they see you as ready to take the next step so there’s a disconnect.

As I said, do not worry…

Let’s close that gap by putting together a plan, a strategy, about how you can reach your full potential because that’s what it’s about when growing in your career.

On a side note:  this strategy can be applied to external and internal positions. and to be honest, it’s really important that you don’t dismiss your internal options. 

You see, sometimes the role you want CAN be created within an organisation. You might not have asked or even explored the option and just assumed (believe me, this is what sooo many professionals do). 

Therefore always explore your internal options.

So, how do I break into senior management?

Let’s dive in and get the strategy to help you do exactly that...

1. Understand who you are: Your UVP

If you have worked in the same type of roles for over 15 years, focussing on the “doing”, you can forget who you are, what you want from your career and your true value. 

You need to understand your Unique Value Proposition (UVP). 

An example of a unique value proposition: this isn't about bragging about yourself and having a pushy pitch of how great you are… Look at it this way; just like a house needs a strong and sound foundation to build upon, you need a solid ground to grow your career. 

YOU need to know your unique value and your worth. If you don’t know or can’t articulate this clearly, others won't see it. 

3 key questions to ask yourself:

• “What’s my commercial value?”, “How do I contribute to the bottom line of the organisation?” 
• “What makes me good at my job?”, “what are my strengths?”
• “What is it I want to do?”, “What am I passionate about?”

Unravel and understand what sets you apart from everyone else because it is your UVP that will get you soaring up the ranks…

2. Audit your Personal Brand

“What is my personal brand?”

A Personal Brand or PB is no different to a lot of things that require a spring clean every so often.  

If your PB has remained the same for a decade or even five years then it’s time for an audit and uplevel.  

Like you, it needs to evolve and be in line with your UVP. 

You need to be intentional about your Personal Brand and ensure it’s based on your values and strengths and that it is aligned with how you want to be seen by others, especially the “others” that will assist you in your growth from middle management positions.

Most of the people I work with really want to make an impact in their job, to make a mark, to pack that punch. 

To do this you have to influence the right people, yes you need to have the capability to do the job but you also need to be on the same page as the people you work with and have the same value system otherwise you won’t make an impact or have any influence.  

For example: If you have high integrity and your CEO has low integrity in your eyes this will result in no connection.  If this is the case how are you going to accomplish anything within that organisation, how are you going to influence, make an impact and of course step up?  

This is why understanding both your Unique Value Proposition and up-levelling your personal brand into a leadership brand is so important because you will find those like-minded people and have more of an influence on the commercial impact of the company.  

3. Make it shine: LinkedIn & Resume

“Why is a resume so important?” especially when you are not applying for a job…

Well, how comfortable are you at articulating who you are..?

Resumes aren’t a document that many people think about (or edit) until we need it and even then it mostly involves a quick addition to the top section and not even a scan of the bottom.

Here’s the thing, the purpose of a resume is so much more than sending it off to employers in the hopes of getting an interview or a job.

If you take the time and go through your resume it will enable you to see what you have accomplished. It will also allow you to see how clear you are at articulating who you are.  

Shift it around and give it a rewrite, this process will assist in changing the language you use and insert you into a more strategic leadership position. 

Remember: it’s a shift that is needed when moving from middle management to senior management.

When I work with you, we co-create your resume, I take my knowledge, you take yours and together we make the resume work for you and the career you want. 

If there are elements that you no longer want to do or have represented who you are then get rid of them, begin making that conscious choice, just because you have done a task several years ago does not mean you are obligated to continue to do it, cross it out, get rid of it (yes you are allowed)!  

Brushing your resume up is demonstrating to you that you are ready to make the shift and step up.  

4. Reactivating your network

“What is the importance of networking in the workplace..?”

Having a strong network can have a stronger impact on both you and your career…

By re-activating your network, you are re-activating opportunities for growth in an upward direction.  This is because your network will vouch for your ideas, they will put you forward for promotion and refer you for other opportunities.

To do this those alliances need to know your UVP and your PB. 

Because if you can’t self-promote, they will struggle to promote you as they don’t know who you are or what you stand for. 

Re-activating your Network is a natural progression from steps 1-3.

5. Building Visibility - (Why get visibility at work)

This one is closely linked with reactivating your network.

Increasing your visibility is about creating new relationships with new people.  This can be achieved both internally and externally.

You must do this as your last step, there is no point trying to do it before the other steps as they will give you the foundation in which to grow and at the end of the day this is a strategy.

Think about it, careers are no different to other parts of our lives that require a strategy such as weddings, parties or holidays and then, of course, you have the strategies in workplaces such as marketing strategy, ad campaigns and certain tasks. 

So your career should have a strategy, it should not be an afterthought.

Career strategy and being intentional about creating your career is my passion.  I want more people to step up and into a career that’s aligned with who they are, their values and authenticity... 

So If this has inspired you then pass it on...

If you want to learn more, please connect with me across my platforms so I can help you and others who are searching for career success.

Reach out and schedule a FREE breakthrough session with me.

📲 https://www.newhorizoncoaching.com.au/call 

You have my word (pinkie swear) it will be a real conversation about YOU.  What your needs are, where you currently are in your career and most importantly where you want to be. 

Following this we can discuss how we will overcome any of the roadblocks, what strategies will help you and of course what working together will look like.