Do you feel stuck in the same everyday routine at work? Are you looking to take on more responsibility, learn new skills and challenge yourself? Then it’s time to take the initiative and ask your superiors for more responsibility.
Asking for additional tasks or projects can be daunting; fortunately, there are steps you can take to communicate your request successfully.
According to experts, here are the best ways to ask for more responsibility at work.
Dr. Kim Turnage
Co-author, “Managing to Make a Difference: How to Engage, Retain, and Develop Talent for Maximum Performance“
Have a good sense of what talents you have before asking your boss
Do you ever experience a sense of “flow” at work where you become so immersed in your work that you can lose track of time and work for a long time without feeling tired (or bored)? What are you doing during that time?
Related: 50+ Productive Things to Do When Bored at Work
Make a pie chart that represents the amount of time you spend each week doing the various tasks or activities that are part of your job.
- Color slices of the pie ‘green’ if they are areas where you experience flow or where you’re working in the sweet spot of what you do best and enjoy most.
- Color slices of the pie ‘red’ if they are areas where you consistently feel bored, disengaged, or in a rut.
- Color any other tasks and activities yellow’.
These questions and activities can help you become more self-aware. Armed with that self-awareness and your color-coded pie chart, go to your boss, explain the self-reflection you’ve done, and ask questions such as:
- “Is there a way I could increase the kinds of activities that are green on my pie chart and help you reach the goals you have for our team?”
- “What do you wish our team could achieve that we’re not making progress on now?”
- “Is there a way I could increase the kinds of activities that are green on my pie chart and help you reach the goals you have for our team?”
- “Is there a way I could decrease the kinds of activities that are red on my pie chart without creating an obstacle to achieving the goals you have for our team?”
This is a great way to present your manager with both a clearer understanding of how to help you do your best work and an opportunity to use your strengths in the service of bigger-picture team goals. It’s a win-win for you, your manager, your team, and even the organization as a whole.
As well having a good sense of who you are, what you enjoy doing, and what you have the talents to do, is an important step in assessing your current career and its fit for you and your talents, as well as helping to put you on a plan for what you want to spend more time doing.
You want to be a rising star in your company. To keep growing on a steep trajectory and avoid getting stalled out, find ways to start taking on some of the responsibilities of the next level and see how they fit with your strengths before you ask for that promotion.
Here’s a checklist of things you can do to ‘try on’ the next level and see how it fits:
- Ask questions that push your team beyond the status quo.
- Constantly learn and talk with your manager about how new ideas connect to bigger-picture goals.
- Manage change and conflict to keep everyone on track and achieve goals.
- Take on projects that stretch you into new areas of learning and responsibility.
- Lead a team of your coworkers in a project that improves results for your team as a whole.
Related: 30+ Workplace Conflict Examples and How to Resolve Them
These kinds of activities will give you an opportunity to start performing at the level of the next role so you and your manager can assess your readiness and potential.
In that leap, you’ll become responsible for achieving goals by capitalizing on other people’s strengths, not only your own effort.
Here are some questions you can ask to see how naturally you’re already working at the next level:
- Who is already following you? Where do you have influence even though you don’t have formal power or authority?
- How often do you see what other people do well and position them to succeed?
- How many people naturally turn to you for answers or advice or a listening ear?
- Does your manager trust you implicitly?
- Do you elevate the game and inspire your teammates to work harder and reach higher?
Be specific about the responsibility you want
Be specific about the responsibility you want, and ask your manager to provide you with the specifics of how to get it.
Before you talk to anyone, define for yourself what will make you happy.
- Do you want to take the tasks you are doing to the next step?
- How, exactly, and using what tools within what timeframe?
- Do you want to manage a bigger team?
- Who, specifically, do you propose?
Make sure you know what you are going to ask for, how you will fit it into the work schedule you already have, who will be impacted, why it is important to you, and when you think it would be reasonable for the change to occur.
Don’t just dump a big, undefined issue in your manager’s lap.
Advocate for yourself using past work examples
Back up what you want by giving specific examples that prove you are ready for more responsibility.
- Is the role you are doing now mimicking the tasks and accountabilities of someone in the organization who formally has more responsibility?
- Have you been knocking it out of the park and still had time to spare?
- What specific reasons are making you want more responsibility, and how will you back them up with examples?
Ask for a trial run of incremental, parallel work
If your manager and/or the organization is dragging their feet for some reason, ask for a trial period of 30, 60, or 90 days.
Unless there are reporting relationships involved, this could potentially be a good option for taking on more process and project responsibilities.
Take a project off the “someday” list
If your skills, abilities, or time are at issue, take on a project that would not otherwise be getting done to prove that you can take more on your plate and still juggle everything well.
Every manager has a list of “when I have time…” to-do items. Ask for one of those or create your own. Find one that relies as little as possible on other colleagues.
You’re asking for an opportunity to grow and develop, but it’s also a way for you to contribute more to your company and/or team. That’s the best way to frame your request.
You can approach it in one of two ways.
- You might have a specific project in mind that you’d like to work on.
- You want to grow in responsibility, but you aren’t sure how.
Have a specific project in mind
Ideally, the project you have in mind should be something you know there’s a demand for. Maybe your boss mentioned wanting to improve one process, or they seem to have too much on their plate and can’t get around to a project that you care about. There’s your opportunity.
You don’t need to overthink how to bring it up. Just wait for your next one-on-one (or schedule a meeting–you can even use Slack), and say something simple like, “Hey, I’m really interested in working on x. I think I’d be good at it because of my experience with y.”
Put some effort into explaining why you think you’re a good fit, so you make a case for yourself as well.
If the project you have in mind isn’t something you know there’s demand for, you’ll have to pitch the project first. In this case, focus on explaining why you think that project is important and valuable for you or your team.
Aiming to work on projects that have a meaningful impact on the people around you is going to have the highest likelihood of success.
Take time to prepare what you might be interested in
This one’s more complicated.
There’s a bunch more value in having this conversation in person (in a Zoom call rather than via email) because it should include equal input from both of you. It’s helpful to take time to prepare what you might be interested in, even if you don’t have very specific ideas.
Here are a few phrasing suggestions:
- “I think I’m ready for more responsibilities in my role.”
- “I have a few general directions in mind, but I don’t know what will bring the biggest value to our team, so I was hoping to bounce ideas off you.”
- “I’d love to hear what opportunities for growth are available for me. I’m excited to take on new responsibilities if possible.”
The biggest challenge is this: Avoid approaching this conversation from a place of frustration. If you find yourself wanting to say something like, “I’m bored and want something else to do,” then it’s a lot harder for your manager to find opportunities for you.
Try also to make sure your performance is in a good place before you approach them. The more positivity you can bring into the conversation, the better it’ll be for both of you.
Make sure to lead with empathy and stay direct with your request so there is no confusion
Struggling with how to climb the ladder? As you’re planning for the future of your career, you’ll need to navigate how to ask for more responsibility at work. These conversations can be intimidating at times, so let’s dive into what soft skills you’ll want to leverage.
You can work with your people operations specialist to identify your progressive needs in order to be clear when setting expectations with your manager.
You should be able to create a set of goals to present, so be honest with yourself and compare the responsibilities you want with the responsibilities you’re ready for. You want to avoid over-promising and under-delivering.
Related: 40+ Employee Performance Goals and Objectives Examples
When speaking with your manager, you’ll need to display your proven track record, speak to your successes, and come up with a solution-oriented approach.
While these conversations are uncomfortable for an employee, they can also be nerve-wracking for their supervisors. Make sure to lead with empathy and stay direct with your request, so there is no confusion. This will allow your manager to understand your needs and plan accordingly.
You’ll need to schedule a dedicated time, separate from a recurring touch base, to ensure you and your manager have ample time to discuss how you add value in your current role and how you plan to exceed their expectations.
You don’t want to blindside them. You will want to identify your strengths together and find a path that allows both you and the business to exceed.
Have a “stop, start, continue” developmental action plan
I recommend a “stop, start, continue” developmental action plan to keep track of your personal progress before having the conversation. This is made up of three things you should keep doing, three you should stop doing, and three new things you should start doing.
Your end goal should reflect the company’s needs and growth.
Keeping track of your progress ahead of time will allow you to create situations where you excel and achieve KPI success based on your actions and leadership. This will show your manager and HR leader you’re a self-starter who’s committed to their organization.
Make sure that your supervisor knows and sees that you do your current job well
From an employee’s perspective, the first thing when looking for more responsibility at work is to prepare — make sure that your targets and your job responsibilities are done in a proper way, and make sure that your supervisor knows and sees that you do your current job well.
Besides, a simple solution would be to simply approach the supervisor and say — “hey, I have the skills and the guts to help the organization more. Can we discuss extended responsibilities”? It is as simple as that.
95% of people never do that, so I bet the supervisors would be very excited to see that someone is looking for more responsibilities and is ready to contribute with their skills more.
If we are looking from the employer’s perspective, you must give the employee a bigger picture of what you are looking for if you want the person to take up more responsibilities.
You need to connect it to a possible rise in salary or a promotion or explain how acquiring more responsibility can help the employee perform the current tasks better. You must ask for something when you are giving something.
Gain an understanding of the current workspace
My first piece of advice for asking for more responsibility at work is to ‘read the room,’ in a sense.
Gain an understanding of the current workspace, the responsibility of others, upcoming projects, and even what new responsibilities you could potentially take on. Try and do all of this before even bringing the subject up with a leader in your company.
After you feel like you’ve gained a good understanding of what is going on and what your request may look like, I’d recommend getting a few ‘proof points’ together that you can use in your conversation.
These can be examples of your effectiveness, your dedication to the company, a time when you showed your willingness to do anything, or a variety of other things.
Essentially, you’re looking for solid evidence that shows that you can take on more work and become a bigger part of the company’s production.
Then, it’s time to have the conversation. Go into with your proof points (on a paper or even just ingrained in your mind) and have as many details worked out as you can. Find a way to discuss this that is comfortable for you but is also convenient for your boss.
Once together, run the conversation using the points you have in your mind and ask your boss to listen before making a decision over even chiming in (in a polite way, of course).
Once you’ve had the chance to speak and detail your idea, turn the conversation over to them and be prepared for new questions and an open conversation about what you have proposed.
From there, it’s in your hands, and the situation will unfold in a way that makes sense to your boss, but hopefully, with proper coaxing from the proof points, you’ve provided.
My final tip: don’t rush things. Don’t rush having the conversation and allow it to happen at a good time, for you, for the other side of the conversation, and also for the company.
Master the responsibilities that you have been assigned first
Any employer in their right mind will appreciate an employee who wants more responsibility. However, first, you will need to show that you a more than capable of the responsibilities that have already been assigned to you.
As the Managing Director, I keep an eye on how all my employees are progressing no matter how closely I work with them.
I have had administrative assistants, previously, who couldn’t follow basic instructions despite the fact that they interviewed really well, and I had spent a bank holiday putting together a cheat sheet for them.
Had they come to me and asked for more responsibility, I would have diplomatically told them to master the responsibilities they had been assigned first.
However, we also have developers and SEO specialists who perform their duties well, and when they have asked for more responsibility, it has, in general, worked out well for them, especially if they have identified an area that needs more manpower.
They have progressed in their career and been rewarded. It’s not simply handed to them on a silver platter, though; a lot of the time, it will involve extra self-development and/or learning.
In short, be prepared to:
- Master the responsibilities that you have been assigned already.
- Identify an area in which you can progress/ take on more responsibility.
- Be prepared to indulge in self-learning/ self-development.
- If it’s not assigned to you, then ask for extra responsibility.
If you want to take on more responsibility at work, the key is to make a strong case that demonstrates your value and commitment.
Here are some tips for how to approach your boss in order to get more responsibility:
Demonstrate your commitment
Showing your commitment to your job is one of the most effective ways to ask for additional responsibilities.
You can do this by going above and beyond in your current role, delivering on projects ahead of schedule, taking the initiative to improve processes or procedures, and actively volunteering for new tasks.
Show your value
Identify the areas where you excel at work and make sure you communicate your value to your boss.
Highlight the skills and talents you bring to the table that your boss may not have noticed. This can help make a strong case for why they should consider giving you additional responsibilities.
Propose suggestions
Preparation is key when asking for more responsibility at work. Come up with concrete proposals of tasks or projects that would give you more responsibility and benefit your team. Show how you’ve identified a need, come up with solutions to fill it, and are ready to take action.
Identify the outcomes
Outline the positive outcomes that would result from giving you additional responsibilities. Make sure to focus on the value these new tasks or projects will bring to your team and the company.
Express your desire to learn
Demonstrate that you’re ready to take on more responsibility by expressing your desire to learn new skills or hone existing ones. Showing this enthusiasm will prove how committed you are and make it easier for your boss to justify giving you more work.
It can be tough to ask for more responsibility at work. You might feel like you’re not doing enough or that you’re not ready for more responsibility. But if you want to move up in your career, you need to be proactive and ask for more responsibility.
Talk to your manager
The first step is to talk to your manager about your career goals and what you’re looking for in terms of more responsibility. Your manager is the best person to talk to about this because they can help you identify opportunities for more responsibility within your current role.
Be specific about what you want
When you’re asking for more responsibility, it’s important to be specific about what you’re looking for.
For example, if you’re looking for more challenging work, be specific about what kind of challenges you’re looking for. If you’re looking for more leadership opportunities, be specific about what kinds of leadership roles you’re interested in.
Give examples of your qualifications
When you’re asking for more responsibility, it’s also important to give examples of your qualifications.
For example, if you’re asking for more leadership opportunities, you might want to mention your experience leading teams or projects. If you’re asking for more challenging work, you might want to mention your successful completion of challenging projects in the past.
Show that you’re ready for more responsibility
In addition to being specific about what you want, it’s also important to show that you’re ready for more responsibility.
One way to do this is to talk about how you’ve taken on additional responsibility in the past. For example, if you’ve taken on extra projects or responsibilities outside of your normal job duties, mention this.
Another way to show that you’re ready for more responsibility is to talk about your willingness to learn new things. For example, if you’re asking for more challenging work, mention your willingness to learn new skills or technologies.
Be prepared to prove yourself
When you’re asking for more responsibility, be prepared to prove yourself. Your manager may want to see that you’re capable of handling additional responsibility before they give it to you.
One way to prove yourself is to volunteer for additional responsibility. For example, if you’re asking for more challenging work, you could volunteer to lead a project or take on a new task.
Another way to prove yourself is to ask for feedback from your manager. For example, if you’re asking for more leadership opportunities, you could ask for feedback on your leadership skills.
It is important to show that you’re ready for more responsibility and show that you’re willing to work hard. This means putting in the extra effort, even when it’s not required.
Just remember to be patient, professional, and prepared to show that you’re ready to take on the challenge.
Asking for more responsibility at work is a great way to show that you are ready to take on additional challenges and develop your skills. Here are some tips for making the request:
Prepare an elevator pitch
Take time to think about how you can explain why you should be given more responsibilities, and practice saying it out loud until you feel confident in delivering it.
Make sure that you include specific examples of accomplishments or projects that demonstrate your capability.
You can say:
“I’ve been a team player since I joined the company, and I think that I am ready to take on additional responsibilities.
For example, I recently completed Project X ahead of schedule and within budget, which demonstrates my capability in managing projects. I would like to be given the opportunity to prove myself further by taking on additional tasks.”
Talk to your manager and explain why you are ready for more responsibility
Schedule a meeting with your supervisor or manager and explain why you are ready for more responsibility.
Make sure that you come prepared with examples of specific knowledge or skills that you possess and outline how they can benefit the company if used more effectively in a new role or project.
You can say:
“In my current role, I have been working on a variety of tasks, and I have developed skills in X, Y and Z. I believe that these skills could be applied to new roles or projects to help the company reach its goals. I would like to discuss with you how I can best utilize my abilities and take on more responsibility.”
Offer specific ideas for how you can help the company
Show that you are serious about taking on additional responsibilities by offering specific ideas for how you can help the company. If possible, suggest ways that your new role or project might benefit the team or organization as a whole.
You can say:
“I am interested in taking on additional responsibilities in order to contribute more to the team’s success. To demonstrate this commitment, I am willing to work on Project X, which I believe will benefit the team in terms of A, B, and C.”
With the recent impact of quiet quitting, many workers are looking for ways to do less at work instead of more. Even so, plenty of employees know that they are valuable, and these are the people that want to do whatever it takes to help the business they are working for succeed.
If you are one of these ambitious employees, here are some ways to ask for more responsibility at work.
Do your part well and in a timely manner
Doing your part and doing it well and in a timely manner will indicate to your superiors your abilities. You can even offer to help others on your team. You don’t have to make a big production of the work or extra work you are doing because the higher-ups are sure to notice.
Send an email and avoid being negative
If you are concerned that maybe your boss doesn’t exactly know what you have been doing or that you are looking for more, send an email that details this for them.
Don’t write something like, “I really wish you would give me Y to do instead of giving it to Dereck.” Also, avoid being negative. You wouldn’t want your message to be, “Stacey isn’t doing a good job on Z. I know I can do better.” Instead, be positive and honest, and you might get what you ask for.
Take a class
You might not get additional responsibility handed to you because your team might think you don’t have the qualifications needed. Find out if there is a class, certification, or even a degree that you can get, and then pursue it. This will show how dedicated you are not only to bettering yourself but also to bettering the company.
Ask around
Some departments are probably slow and under control, while others might be looking for a way to make the madness stop. Find out if there is anything you can do to help.
Just make sure that if it is not in your department or part of your job description, you run it by your manager before getting started.
Ask for a meeting
As an employee, you can ask for a meeting to discuss your position and responsibilities, including if you are looking for more. Before the meeting, write down the items you want to discuss. Being prepared will show the company how serious you are.
As with an email, be positive and also be detailed. Saying, “I want more work,” might be vague, but “I want to work on Project S” gives them the information they need.
Taking on more responsibility at work can be great. It’s the perfect opportunity to show the company you work for your worth, and it could be a way to show them that you deserve an increase.
Whatever way you opt to go about it, keep your head held high. A positive attitude can go a long way toward a positive outcome.
Have calm confidence and be direct with your boss about what you’re looking for
The best way to ask for more responsibility at work is to have calm confidence and be direct with your manager or boss about what you’re looking for.
If you work remotely and have no face time with your colleagues, then it’s best to craft an email showing kindness, positivity, and gratitude when you make your request.
If you work in an office environment, it’s best to schedule a meeting with your manager and bring proof of your recent successes while being ready to state your case without talking too much, too fast, or too confidently.
For example, I work as a freelance content creator, copywriter, and SEO strategist, and one of my editors recently reached out to offer an assignment.
And when I replied, I let them know that I’d love to take it on and that I’d be grateful for any extra work if there’s ever an opportunity and to “Please let any other [editors at their agency] know that I’d love to work with them, too, if there’s a project that’s a fit.”
By straight up asking nicely, you’ll sometimes get rewarded with more work volume, and other times you’ll land a new client if you work for an agency.
For people who work in an office in a salaried role, it’s best to approach asking for more responsibilities like you’re asking for a raise (because you probably should do that, too, if you’re trying to take on more responsibility).
Related: How to Negotiate Your Salary (Tips and Examples)
For example, when I worked as Content Marketing Manager at a B2B SaaS company several years ago, I approached my team leader and CEO with a printout of an expansive plan for what I’d do if promoted to Head of SEO and Content, along with more printouts showcasing the average salary for that position in our market.
I ended up getting a five-figure raise (but less than what I was asking for) and a title upgrade, but I had some of my other requests shot down. Still, by showing up looking professional and ready to back myself up with concrete examples and a plan, I was able to get something at least.
On a final note, one would expect most companies would be grateful to have workers who proactively ask for more responsibility, as long as they do so in a kind and courteous way, so if one’s request for more responsibilities isn’t met, then they may want to consider finding a new employer who understands their high value.
Have an idea of what responsibilities you actually want
All too often, I’ve seen employees come to their managers or me and say they are ready for more responsibility. Ok, great, sure. Which ones? What exactly do you want to be responsible for?
Oftentimes, they don’t have an answer for me which usually means they aren’t ready for more responsibilities because what is driving them is more a sense of wanting to be more important rather than feeling like they’ve outgrown their current position.
Timing is everything
While I’m usually very happy to help any of my employees with their career progression, I highly recommend you consider the timing of your request before you make it.
There is a reason why we tend to have regular review cycles — those are the best times to showcase how much you’ve grown in the role and that you’re ready to take on more.
If you come to me in between cycles, then your odds of getting my buy-in are smaller simply because I’m too busy to ensure I give it my full attention.
Demonstrate your current capabilities and value
When asking for more responsibility at work, you need to start by demonstrating your current capabilities and value. Show that you’re reliable and trustworthy with the tasks you’ve already been given, and prove yourself to be an indispensable asset.
Going above and beyond in every task is a surefire way to get noticed, as well as build relationships with your colleagues.
Ensure that your supervisor knows what your ambitions are
Talk to them about where you see yourself heading in the company — what kind of roles do you want? Are there any projects or extra responsibilities that they would be happy for you to take on?
This will give them a clear idea of how serious you are about stepping up in the company and may even help them to identify roles that you could be suitable for.
Don’t be afraid to take the initiative
If there’s a project or task that needs some extra attention, volunteer yourself before someone else does. It shows that you’re proactive and willing to go the extra mile in order to get results — traits that any employer would appreciate.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to how dedicated you are and showing your current capabilities.
Demonstrate this clearly, talk to your manager about what you want to achieve within the company, and build up relationships with colleagues along the way — then you should have no problem asking for more responsibility at work!
Understand your capabilities and limitations clearly
Being aware of your skills and experience without compromising on the integrity of your work is the basis of taking on more responsibilities.
For example, if you have additional skills or capabilities that can help the team or company without compromising your current work, seek a meeting and clearly explain your value proposition.
Tell your manager how you can offer additional help besides the work you already do while ensuring your manager is aware of your time limitations or expertise—avoiding biting more than you can chew.
Be patient, vigilant, and honest
Please know that you are in a conversation, and there is a high possibility of your manager denying your request for any possible reason. Regardless of the result, you should be patient and be on the lookout for any opportunities you might have while you continue your work.
For example, a colleague needing help, an upcoming project any new changes the company might be considering are all potential opportunities to showcase your skills.
Rejection does not equal a lack of trust. There could be other reasons why you might not be given extra responsibilities. For example, the timing might be wrong. There is an existing person responsible for the tasks; you have a specialized job description, etc.
Finally, always make sure if you take up more responsibilities, you document them adequately for future benefits.
You always demand appropriate compensation for the extra work that you will be taking on. It could be anything from a salary review to flexible working hours. The choice is up to you.
Explain where you are coming from and how it can help you do your job better
Asking for more work can be interpreted in a lot of different ways. One of them can mean that you don’t have enough work on your plate.
To make sure there is no room for misunderstanding, directly talk to your supervisor. Explain where you are coming from and how expanding your horizon can help you do your job better.
Making your case with examples would be helpful. For people in customer service, learning about product management and raw materials can be helpful. You can explain the features of your product properly if you know the in and out yourself.
People managing finance can also do their job better by looking into warehouse and customer support directly. You can make your position indispensable by picking up skills from these sectors.
Sometimes, different sectors of an office are interconnected in uniquely different ways. Something happening in the background can have a big impact on your actual work. Those ways can be discovered only by interacting with other sectors directly.
As long as you can connect the dots between how those extra responsibilities can help you improve, you can consider it in the bag.
