Scott · Your next move

It’s two o’clock on Saturday. A customer wants to know why their delivery is late. Two salespeople both think the same deal is theirs. A new hire needs help with a trade, and you’ve got about five minutes before somebody asks where you went. That’s a decent time to watch a sales manager work.

If you’re thinking about moving to the desk, ask to shadow a manager for part of a busy shift. Watch what they handle themselves and what they ask someone else to handle. When a deal falls apart, pay attention to the conversation with the salesperson afterward. When things settle down, ask which decision was hardest and what they were weighing.

Then think about which parts of the shift you’d want to do again. Maybe you liked helping the new hire figure out what they missed. Maybe you spent half the afternoon wishing you could get back to your own customers. Either answer can save you some time figuring out what you want next.

Source inspiration — Are You Ready to Become a Manager?, Harvard Business Review.