I got my manager fired... and now I want their job!

0:00Is there a right time or way to ask for a promotion? That's what we're going to be talking about today and this is coming off the back of another great DM that we've got in our big business podcast Instagram account DMs. I always find that really long to say big business podcast Instagram account. Anyway, we've got an Instagram for the pod and if you want to send us a message, please do because we love answering your questions on the pod. So this is the question. I'll leave your name out because I don't know. Usually people specify, but I'll just leave this one out. Hey Brit, love the pod and high scrollers. Why, thank you. I'm wondering if you had any advice for staff wanting to move up into a management position. For some background, I have been in my role for three years now and am the most experienced in our team. Last week, our manager was fired.

1:00I was part of an investigation into them breaking code of conduct and had proof of this. But how soon is too soon to put your hand up asking to be considered for a higher position and progressing? There is no job ad for the management position. However, I have been asking about progression for a long time and nothing has happened. I don't want anyone to think I have made any complaints that contributed to her termination just to take the job. Any advice I would appreciate so, so much. Thank you. Now that's a difficult situation because if someone has been terminated and it's for something like misconduct, you obviously don't want to then come across that you're just so excited that someone's gone because then you're like, yes, this is my chance. But also, it's understandable that you're now identifying a gap or like an opening that may become available if it's needed and then you're adding in on top of that, the fact that you've

2:04worked at your job for three years, you've got great experience and that you've already discussed with your manager or your boss that you're wanting progression and nothing has happened yet. So it's kind of like now is the time because this opportunity has come up even though it's not really an opportunity and someone's been terminated. So I definitely think that you have an opportunity here and I think all that you need to be mindful of is just how you're going to word it because like you've said, you don't want to come across that it's like, hey, I know she got hired so I'll take her job now because you don't want it to come across that way even though it very well could. So I think how you handle yourself in this situation and the way that you word things is going to be vital. I think especially with stepping into a leadership or a management position, it's a whole new ballpark and I think I want to talk a little bit more about leadership and management here on the pod. I know I briefly do here and there but stepping into

3:07management is it's a whole new world and you know management a lot of people will agree like management isn't for everyone. It's tough, it's hard, it's challenging, it's literally not easy in any way and I think it takes a really special person to be a great manager but if you feel like you've got it in you and that's the next step for you in your career, I say absolutely go for it but I hope that you can go into it knowing like management is really tough and with your situation in particular as well like going into leadership for yourself it's not about grabbing a chair while it's still warm if you know what I mean it's about professionally and calmly putting your hand up to essentially say I'm ready when you are rather than hey I saw the seat is still warm I'm going to go sit in it it's instead making it known that you're ready when the business is ready for your progression. Now you've said that you have already spoken about your growth and

4:12progression and nothing has come of it which I would be interested to know more about whether like the business is not ready for it a while ago last year I had one of my team members come on the pod grace who at the time was our national retail manager part of me and she since received a promotion which is really exciting but one thing that Grace said to me in that episode and I don't even remember what the question was that I asked her I think we were just talking about people wanting to progress because Grace has had like a great career within fate and she's been with us for five years now but she said something along the lines of it's one thing to want growth in a company and to want to grow and yeah I'm ready I'm ready I'm ready but she said you also have to stop and wait for the business to be ready for you because it can be very hard to not see the other side you know we always want to advocate for ourselves and always get the next thing and the

5:13best thing and keep growing but if especially if you're in like a smaller business sometimes the business is not going to be ready for that yet whether it be financially or within the team structure so I'd be interested to know more about you expressing that you're wanting growth and the feedback that you've gotten from that and why there hasn't been any progression yet is it because the business is not ready like I don't know but given the fact that the manager is no longer in the company I would definitely request to have a meeting with your manager or whoever it is that your report to definitely don't put it all in an email or a message or anything like that I would send an email or ask in person depending on the type of relationship that you have and I would request a meeting and give them I guess not a full agenda but like give them what you're wanting to talk about I'd love to arrange a meeting to talk about the future structure of the team and how I can support for example and going into that meeting I would just 110% make sure that you're

6:19going into it with an agenda and a structure and that you're going in leading the meeting with your value in the company not just wanting that new title which I'm guessing from your message that you'll be more than fine to do but I think yeah given the fact that someone is left you don't want it to come across like you're just wanting you know I'm ready to go into the manager role but instead you know go to them with a bit of a pitch like I've been here for three years I know the systems I care a lot about stability in this business and I'd love to help lead you know during this next transitional period I feel like you can touch on what has happened without directly talking about it instead of saying I'm ready to step into the manager's position it could be like I'd love to help build stability in the business you know and whoever you're talking to will pick up what you're putting down and I'm hoping with that meeting and given the fact that the manager has been terminated they'll be able to give you a clearer answer because I'd just be so interested to know what

7:20they've said every other time that you've said to them hey I want to grow here and if they say no for any reason I would say something along the lines of them like what would I need to demonstrate in this business to be considered for this in the future like put it almost put it back on them to be like what can I do to show you that I'm ready for this or that the business needs this rather than them just you know going no not right now and you walking away I'd be like okay well what can I demonstrate you know in the coming months to show that I am ready for this I do think it's a bit of a great area that you have mentioned that you've been asking for progression and haven't gotten anything but again I don't understand the full context is that because they haven't wanted you to grow in the business or is it because the business isn't ready for you and that growth yet it may be a completely different story now that someone has stepped out of that management position

8:26but yeah my only real advice would be to lock in that meeting have all of your notes prepared have all of your I don't want to say proof prepared but like a big list to go through of like all the value that you have already added to the business and what you think you can do moving forward and see what they say and another thing like for you wanting to step into a manager's role you know I would never be the kind of person to say you know go and work the extra hundred hours a week to show that you've got it in you but I think a piece of advice would be and even thinking about me and my own team I think it goes really far if you almost start acting like a manager before you are one I'm not saying like going and boss everyone around and act like you own the place but just showing that extra initiative and that passion and drive like your boss will notice that because I'll always notice that in someone if they've got that fire in their belly and their drive

9:31they're eager and they're wanting to learn and grow and develop themselves and they're emotionally mature and they know how to help solve problems and not by just fixing them for others but by teaching others I think there's so many things that you can do in the way that you just carry yourself in your role which will then show your manager or your boss hey this person has got that you know they've got it in them of course we're going to put them forward for that promotion so to answer your question it's not definitely not too soon to ask for a promotion I think with your situation you just obviously have to make sure that you do it professionally you lead that meeting with value not just wanting that promotion and title you know for the sake of saying I want the managers role like show them your value and ask for clarity in that meeting if they don't give it to you especially given the fact that you have already asked for progression and haven't gotten it at this stage and if they stall again or don't move you forward that's

10:32a little bit of data I think at this stage for you putting your hand up it's not too aggressive it's not too soon it's leadership at the end of the day and the only mistake would be probably staying silent and hoping that someone notices because you know it's one thing for us as bosses and leaders to notice our team and help them grow in their careers but it also falls majorly on the employee of showing that initiative so I think by you putting your hand up and saying hey I'm ready for growth I want to help the team I think that's you showing great signs of leadership so good luck and if you do go forward with this please send us another follow up DM and let us know how you go and that's all for this week's bonus episode