How to Approach Your (Unsupportive) Manager for Growth Opportunities

0:28This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. of America for a reason. With SUVs made to move with your rhythm. The versatile Equinox tackles your entire day. The spacious Traverse fits your crew and your whole weekend. And tracks bring style with value you can count on. All infused with tech that has your back. So your drive always hits the right chord. Chevrolet. Together let's drive. This person writes to us and says, I'm currently four years into my project management role and starting to look for what's next. I feel like my manager is not supportive enough. The topic of career progress only comes up when I initiate it.

1:09When I ask to do more commercial projects or work with different teams to expand my horizon, she just gives me names of people to have coffee with. It feels like the bare minimum. I think she might be secretly happy where I am because in my current role I support her a lot and she doesn't want to lose me. I value my relationship with her, but I'm starting to feel like she is keeping me down. First question, why do you value your relationship with her? That's a good question. Right? Yeah. There's no question that she doesn't want you to leave your role because that creates a big problem for her.

1:40Is this a situation where the boss is being really bad at communicating that there just aren't other opportunities? It might be that, but there is a way for our listener to ask and be more direct. Say, listen, I'm really feeling restless and I'm ready to move into a more challenging role. Doing that makes it clear that you're not going to stay in this job forever. Being indirect isn't going to get you where you want to go. And I also think find someone who has succeeded in the way, or at least a similar way to what you're hoping to succeed at in this organization? Can you go to that person and say, what did you do?

2:24All of which is helping you then advocate for yourself, but then possibly then giving feedback to your manager and saying, oh, so-and-so down the hall was able to do it by this. Their manager did this. Can you do that? More concrete ideas about what actually works in this system, in this context.