How To Show Your Boss You’ve Grown

You’ve been learning a lot in your career and you want to advance in your role or get a promotion.

But has your boss noticed?

Scheduling a meeting with them to discuss your prospects might be worthwhile, but you will need to show them evidence that you’re skilled, competent and able to handle more responsibilities. If you feel like you should achieve more in your career, it’s important to show your boss that you’re ready for it!

Showing your boss how far you've come is important for a number of reasons. Even if you're not actively seeking a promotion or a salary bump, demonstrating your growth and development can:

• Make your job more secure. The last thing you want to be at work is fungible, where you're seen as replaceable. When your boss can see that you’re adding value to the company, your role and position are solidified. 
• Make work more interesting. Taking the learning curve in your stride encourages your boss to trust you with larger, more challenging tasks. 
• Make you happier at work. It can be hard to pinpoint exactly why you're unhappy at work, especially if it's more a sense of meh than a passionate loathing. One reason might be that you’re bored and 'rusting out' in your current role. Showing how much you've grown already is the first step to convincing your boss that you're ready for bigger and better things, and that can help boost your motivation. 

So, how can you actually show your boss that you've grown? Here are some tips.

1. Stretch Beyond Your Job Description

Even before you officially ask for more responsibility, demonstrate your readiness by taking on extra tasks and projects both inside and outside of your job description. Ideally, you will do this in visible ways so your boss takes notice. For example, you might:

• Brainstorm ideas during team meetings. It doesn't matter if you are the most junior person in the room. If you have ideas that could benefit the team or company, speak up and share them with enthusiasm. For example, if you’ve researched a new communication tool, you could explain its benefits and how it will make business operations smoother.
• Step up to organize a team outing or event. This shows you're willing to take initiative and can handle logistics, communication and coordination.
• Offer to mentor new employees or interns. This not only helps out your colleagues and benefits the company, but it also showcases your leadership skills.
• Volunteer for high-visibility projects so senior executives will see your progress.

2. Find Solutions to Problems 

Your boss wants to see that you’re willing and capable of solving issues when they crop up instead of always asking for help or direction. Nearly 90% of employers look for problem-solving skills in a candidate’s resume so this easily ranks as one of the most sought-after soft skills.

Prove you have it by using the STAR method. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result. How it works is that you: 

• Inform your boss of the situation/problem you faced; 
• Mention the task you were responsible for; 
• Talk about the action you took to solve the problem; 
• Close with the positive result you achieved. 

3. Sharpen Your Communication Skills 

Your communication should be professional across the board, from how you speak to coworkers to how you professionally write emails and documents (use spell check!). You should also focus on being positive in your interactions. Your boss wants to see that you’re excited about working in the company, so don’t be afraid to show it.  

When communicating, remember to listen more than you speak. Active listening makes the other person feel heard and valued, and it increases their trust in you. This is especially important if you are speaking to the boss.

Understanding personality psychology can really pay off in terms of how you communicate. For example, if your boss is more serious and analytical, you might adapt your communication to be more structured and data-driven—focus on the facts. If they are more outgoing and social, you might connect with them through casual conversations or team outings.

In any event, ask questions to ensure you’ve understood what they’ve said. Rephrase what’s been said by saying, “What it sounds like you’re saying is that…” or “So, what you’re saying is…” to  confirm that you’ve understood.

4. Sing Your Own Praises 

It’s a huge misconception to assume that your boss will know what progress you’re making. Especially in large companies, they’re busy with so many tasks and managing so many people that they may not even known who you are! You have to be vocal about the things you’ve learned and the challenges you’ve overcome, or they won’t know about them. 

It's a mistake to wait for your annual review to share your progress. It’s much more beneficial to strike while the iron is hot. If you’ve recently handled a difficult project, show your boss how you managed it and what results it brought. Be sure to quantify these results if possible—this helps your boss see the value you bring in measurable terms.

Ideally, you'll set up regular conversations with your boss that will help them see your progress as it happens instead of hearing about it when it’s become old news. If that's not possible, write a monthly summary of your achievements and share it. This makes it easy for the boss to see what you've been up to and also puts you front of mind when new opportunities arise.

5. Seek Out Feedback and Act On It 

Feedback can come from anyone—from your boss or colleagues up and down the company hierarchy. When you get feedback, remember to listen without getting defensive. If it’s negative feedback, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification or an example of how you could have handled something better. And if it is positive feedback, thank the person who gave it to you.

If someone in your organization is currently in the role you want to achieve, you should ask them for advice or tips. What did they do to  get where they are? Did they seek out extra responsibility or act on feedback? Were there any specific projects or skills that helped them stand out?

This will help you better understand what it takes to get to where they are. They might also connect you to senior executives who will become aware of your progress. 

6. Support Your Coworkers 

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you only need to focus on your assigned projects and tasks. But to show your boss you’ve grown, you should show how valuable you are to the entire office, even in ways that aren’t directly related to your job function.

Offering to help a colleague who is struggling with their work or taking on extra tasks when someone is out sick shows teamwork and a willingness to go above and beyond for the company. Your boss will take note of this and appreciate your dedication to the team.

Like problem-solving, teamwork is another highly sought-after soft skill. If it doesn't come naturally to you, make an effort to actively practice it. Recognize when someone else has done a good job and publicly acknowledge their contribution. Offer to lead group projects or support others with their tasks. Being a team player is essential for career growth as it shows your ability to collaborate and work well with others towards a common goal.