Explicitly Share Career Goals with Managers
Microsoft's Nick Cosentino advises engineers and managers to explicitly share career goals with their manager.
For engineering managers eyeing a Director role, communicating aspirations is a calculated move, not just a formality. It signals ambition and allows your manager to become an active participant in your career trajectory. Consider framing your goals using the "Situation-Behavior-Impact" model when discussing them. This provides a structured way to articulate your contributions and their effect on the team or organization, showcasing your readiness for increased responsibility. Regularly update your manager on progress toward these goals using frameworks like the "Management by Objectives" (MBO) approach. This ensures alignment and provides concrete metrics for evaluating your advancement, crucial for demonstrating your potential to senior leadership.
