If you are not feeling challenged at work, you need to make a change. If you have a good relationship with your manager, an excellent reputation at the office, and are a valuable team player, consider talking with your manager about taking on more challenging work. Follow these guidelines to move forward with your idea.
Offer Ways to Provide Value
Suggest specific ways you can add additional value to the company. For instance, consider issues that are affecting your manager and how you can address them. Or, think about project ideas that interest you, projects your colleagues are working on that you would like to do, or areas of the organization that need additional support. Anticipate potential objections and how you can overcome them. For instance, if you need additional skills to complete the work, perhaps you can take an online class or shadow a colleague. Show how your work can benefit the organization. For instance, you may increase sales, engage customers in new ways, or increase efficiency. Your manager will be more inclined to talk about and implement your idea when they see the benefits.
Discuss Your Desire for Ongoing Learning
Frame your request as wanting to continuously learn. Otherwise, your manager may believe you do not have enough responsibilities and wonder what you do all day. Also, your manager is less likely to question the value you add to the company. Mention that you would like to learn more about the business by assisting with new projects. Your manager most likely will react favorably and honor your request. Maintain a positive tone. You may say, “I believe there are many opportunities for me here and would love to start tackling them.”
Focus on the Big Picture
Consider how your efforts will affect employees in higher positions. The farther up your idea goes, the more concerned with the big picture other employees will be. Think through the implications and potential upside of your ideas. For instance, expanding a current project may benefit the organization on a larger scope, position the company as an industry leader, or gain visibility for the business. Or, your marketing idea may help the company reach a younger demographic. Perhaps your project idea could involve collaborations with companies that the business has been wanting to partner with.
Outline the Steps for Implementation
Break down the steps to implement your idea. Showing your manager how you can carry out your plan will make it easier to see what is involved and how you would move forward. For instance, if you want to elevate the college recruiting program, list the tasks you need to complete to start the project and the timeline for implementation. Write down which skills are needed for each task and whether you need more training on them. Demonstrate how you can fit in the additional responsibility while still maintaining your current workload.
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