How to Easily Expand Your Role at Work - The Muse

How to Easily Expand Your Role at Work - The MuseHow to Easily Expand Your Role at Work Even if things are going well at work, you cant help but think youd be happier if you were doing mora. Maybe its a project youre dying to get involved in. Or a skill youd love to build. Or a team youd like to work more closely with.Ive been there myself. I loved the ins and outs of being a headhunter, but I wasnt fulfilled. So, I branched out, and in addition to my recruiting responsibilities, I started writing articles for my companys blog. Of course, as you know, doing this can be a little tricky. Every organization comes with its own nuances and ways to best navigate the landscape- a.k.a., your manager can make this really easy or really hard, depending on how much they value your growth and how much room there actually is in your role or on your team to expand. But the truth is that your career development is on you- and theres no reason you cant explore your options. Heres how you can expand your role to work on things that matter to you (without overstepping those scary boss boundaries).1. Make it Clear How Youll Add ValueWhen pursuing a new project or responsibility, consider the value itll have on the companys bottom line. What problem is it solving? How is it making things more efficient? How is it helping your team or company reach its goals? How does your involvement benefit everyone? The more you can quantify or explain the output of your new passion project, the more likely youll get the green light (and possibly the budget) from your boss to run with it.(Weve even made you this ackerschnacker worksheet to plan out your pitch. Just click File Download as any file type youd like to get started.)Early in my career working in sales at a Fortune 500 company, I decided to branch out into people development. It was a far cry from my job description, but I wanted the experience, so I came up with the idea of putting together a mentoring program for the entire Southea st Division. The idea stemmed from new employees wanting to build a connection with management but unsure of how to break the ice. As the program grew and ultimately enhanced company culture, over 100 teammates directly benefited from my work. It bridged a gap by introducing less-experienced employees to leadership, gave those who were mid-level an opportunity to lead as a mentor and network up as a mentee, and provided the bosses with an opportunity to see first-hand what their direct reports were working on. The program was set up so that everybody won.When you invite others to participate, as well as benefit, from your work, you gain their support and encouragement (and the support and encouragement of your boss). Plus, looping others in lets you pick their brain and learn from their various expertise.2. Capitalize on Learning OpportunitiesDoes your company host lunch-and-learns or workshops, or allow employees to attend conferences? Get involved in anything that piques your inte rest- seriously, thats what theyre there for. If its not hosted by your team but is up your alley, ask your manager if you can shadow another departments training (if you get all your work done).Then, bring back a new approach you learned and teach it to your colleagues, or use it to improve one of your current systems, or use it as a framework for future projects. By showing that youre becoming a more valuable employee from these experiences, you encourage your managers to want to invest more time and money into them- and more time and money into your personal growth.If these kinds of professional development opportunities arent readily available for you, consider doing your own research for classes or conferences youd like to attend and asking your boss for some allocated budget (heres how to do that). Remember You might get a no to any of the above, but you wont ever get a yes if you dont ask. If all else fails, theres always room for growth that can be found outside of your 9-to -5. Consider volunteering, freelancing, taking on contract work, or attacking a passion project. Whether on the clock or off, when you feel that its time to expand, choose your path and go for it Its never too late.