How to Present Your Ability to Be a Manager Without Previous Experience
- 1). Take initiative. The idea is to not have to be told to do something by your supervisor, if at all possible. Granted, you probably don't know everything about any given project; there will be times when you do need managerial instruction. But the fact remains that the less time you waste just standing there, the better your management ability will shine through. For example, if you finish up a sales account early, begin prepping for the next one before your boss comes to you to tell you to do so.
- 2). Show that you are an effective manager of your time. This will allow you to multitask and thus complete more work. Time management at its best is the display of your ability to prioritize, which is a cornerstone of management. Shrewdly plan out your work schedule each day, week and month. Yes, there will be some curveballs where you may have to adjust on the fly, but it's vital that you have a basic structure of what you are trying to accomplish at any given time.
- 3). Communicate with everyone around you. This not only includes your fellow co-workers, but also management as well. As mentioned, you may not have any real authority just yet, but there are ways to display your management ability via communication with those around you. For instance, you can regularly make the effort to make sure that everyone is on the same page on any given project. Ask questions, and listen well. If there is indeed confusion in the ranks, volunteer to be the one to go to the manager for more understanding on any given issue.
- 4). Look at the big picture. If you're not a manager and working in the trenches, then it can be easy to see your job as one project after another, each task being one of many on an imaginary --- or real --- assembly line. Try to see the rhyme and reason as to why you and your co-workers do what you do. Avoid thinking of your job as just a paycheck and instead ask yourself why it is you do what you do and where management is trying to go with it. If you have a better idea as to the "whys" of your job, your work performance will improve and you will stand out to management.
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