I’m good at my job, but I want to be better, but I can’t figure out how. I’m trying so hard but I can’t seem to get any better than I am. It’s like I’m stuck at this skill level. I want to be manager material, but it’s just I don’t know how to “show urgency”. I need more detail on what that means. I want to be good to the point where my managers would say, “Why isn’t he a manager yet?” But I can’t do that if I can’t get better. And it’s hard to get better when you’re already good. I’m just not good enough to be manager yet, and I need advice on what I need to do. Not skills wise, but more like the mindset or work ethic wise. Tips on how I can push myself to get better so I can show my managers I’m worth making a manager. I’m already one of their best employees, but I guess they don’t see it in me yet. That needs to change. Any advice would mean a lot, thanks :)
Answers & Comments
If someone told you to show more urgency they mean to try and do things faster, treat everything like getting it done is urgent. When something is urgent it means it needs immediate action or attention. They're basically saying be faster. Which is typical for management to just answer with. Some things aren't possible to do faster than they're already being done.
In some cases, like in the plastics extrusion field, machines can only run so fast therefore the work can only get done at that speed. If the machine is sped up to get things done faster it causes defects in the product which then lead to the machine eventually needing to be stopped and cleaned out or repaired and restarted. So in some cases the manager has a choice:
A) Insist it's sped up so in 20 minutes and be down for 4 hours and there will be no production at all.
B) It continues to run and produce good product at the current speed.
The common sense answer is B. But do you know which one managers choose?
A.
And in 20 minutes the machine is down for 4+ hours. Then they're complaining the machine is down like it was the operators fault.
You can't win. Work at your own pace, do your job the best you can, insure the product is the best quality you can make it, not the machine the part you're physically doing. You can't make the machine better if they won't let you and if they instruct to 'show urgency' or speed up, do that, and if it causes problems or down time it's not your fault (but you can't tell them that, they'll blame it on you).
So just act like things are more important than you've been is probably your best bet.
The skills required to be a good manager and the skills required to be a good employee are two completely different skill sets. You can improve your skills as an employee all day long (and from all your self-praise it looks like you think you're doing a good job), but it won't help you become a good manager.
There are several good management training companies that put on seminars in major metro areas. Get management training. Management is all about relationships and accountability. If you don't get training, you'll be stuck in spin mode.
Showing urgency means that you want to get the job done and you wanted to get done fast and good so that you can do some more work!
That's how you move on to a better position. you do as much work as your job allows you to do and you do it right and then you ask for some more work. Hey boss I'm done the job is done right can I have some more work please. if the boss has to chase you around and check to see you did your job right and to see if you're riding the clock! Just waiting to get off of work you're never going to advance. But if you do your work faster than everybody else and you do it right and then ask your boss for some more work friend you're going to be the one that gets the advances the paychecks in the favor
When something is important, go out of your way to make sure it gets done asap.