During this month’s mental fitness connect, “Ashley” brought up an interesting scenario to get the group’s input. She has been at her new job for five months now. Last week, her manager approached her and asked what she wants to do next in her career. Ashley was both baffled and suspicious.
Ashley Shares More Context
While it seems like her manager is proactively discussing career progression, Ashley isn’t so sure. She has a weird feeling that her manager may want her to take on more work under the guise of career development. Here are two reasons for her concern:
- Manager’s Absence: Ashley’s manager has been away from work for various personal reasons and hasn’t really worked with Ashley much. Ashley has been essentially leading her team and getting all the work done solo. This lack of interaction leaves Ashley feeling that her manager doesn’t fully understand her current workload and responsibilities.
- Colleague’s Experience: One of Ashley’s colleagues has been at the company for six years and seems to handle the workload of three people without much of a promotion. This colleague’s situation raises a red flag for Ashley, making her wary that accepting more responsibilities might not lead to career advancement.
Ashley is still learning about the company and leading her team. There is still much to learn as she hasn’t been at the company that long. She feels it’s odd that her manager is already talking about next steps, especially when she’s still trying to find her footing in her current role.
Ashley told her manager she would think about it and get back to her. She hopes the group can help her think through how best to respond.
We Offered 3 Tips for Ashley
Tip 1: Ask More Questions
Use this opportunity to ask her manager more questions and get to know her better. Is she what Ashley suspects—a manipulative manager trying to get her to do more work for free? One way to gauge this is by asking her manager about the typical career paths at the company. Her manager has been there for 12 years, so her answers could provide valuable insights. Ashley should also ask about the manager’s own career progression and any challenges she faced. Based on her responses, Ashley can draw more informed conclusions.
Tip 2: Be Honest and Defer the Conversation for 7 Months
Ashley can be upfront and say she still has a lot to learn, having only been there for five months. This approach can help preemptively prevent her manager from giving her more work. She can suggest revisiting this conversation after she has been there for a year, which is seven months away. This timeframe will allow Ashley to gain more experience and understand the company culture better, putting her in a stronger position to discuss her career path.
Tip 3: Use the Opportunity to Get Support for External Learning
Ashley can leverage this discussion to ask for training or opportunities to attend relevant conferences. Both require budget and approval. Since the manager opened the door and wants to appear supportive of Ashley’s development, Ashley can test her manager’s willingness to support her request for external learning. If her manager is genuinely interested in her growth, she should be willing to invest in these opportunities.
At the End of the Day…
While we all provided tips, the most useful advice we gave Ashley was
actually Tip #4: Trust Her Gut. If Ashley feels suspicious, there is probably something to it, given the context. She should tread carefully, not trust too easily, but also not openly show her cards. She still needs her manager’s support. Gathering more facts and verifying her suspicions is crucial. Ashley should document her interactions and any additional responsibilities she takes on to have a clear record of her contributions.
We can’t wait to connect with Ashley in a month or two to find out how it turned out. This follow-up will provide more insights into how her manager’s intentions unfolded and whether Ashley’s cautious approach helped her navigate the situation effectively.
Your comments: Have you encountered this situation before? Do you have more suggestions for Ashley?
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Lei
