Moving into management can add an exciting new dimension to your career. But it can also be an anxious and difficult time for professionals as new responsibilities bring new challenges.
As Heather Taylor, social media manager for MyCorporation.com, says: "It means that you'll be calling the shots and trusting your own judgment in the decisions that you make. Not every decision made will pan out the way you want, and you're going to have to learn to accept mistakes and move on to new initiatives."
Securing a position as a new manager takes more than simply being good at your current job – you also need to develop a whole new skills set. "You need to overlay your own professional experience with a set of important attributes," says Simon Drake of HR firm Penna. Strategic thinking, flexibility and effective communication are among the skills you'll need to demonstrate.
Making the shift can be harder still for women. Recent research into the top 100 private companies in the UK revealed a startling lack of diversity. Only 64 publish the composition of their boards and of those, 73% have all-male teams of executive directors, 51% have male-only non-executive directors and 56% have all-male boards. The story on the stock exchange, meanwhile, seems a little more optimistic. Since March 2012, for example, half of new non-executive appointments in the FTSE 100 and 45% in the FTSE 250, have gone to women.
So how should you approach a move into management? How do you even know if it's the career right move for you?
If you're thinking about moving into a management position, or have recently become a manager, join our live chat on Thursday 11 April, from 1pm to 3pm. We'll be discussing:
• Whether management is the right career option for you
• What skills and attributes are essential for management
• How to show an employer that you're ready to become a manager
• Adapting into management roles
• How to cope with difficult management situations
The Q&A takes place in the comments section below this article. Taking part is easier than ever: you can create a free Guardian account, or log in using your Twitter or Facebook profiles to comment. Alternatively, you can tweet your questions and comments at @GuardianCareers or email your questions to Martin Williams who can post them on the Q&A.
You can follow the discussion on Twitter using the hashtag #careersqa
Our panel
Hannah Morton-Hedges has 10 years experience as a careers adviser and now runs Momentum Careers Advice. Previously, she was an in-house recruiter for major blue-chip companies, recruiting from graduate to senior executive level.
Matthew Smith is a careers adviser with the National Careers Service and has worked for them for eight years after studying towards a degree in media a communications technology.
Sarah Byrne is the online editor for Careershifters.org, and has been helping people move into work they love for more than three years.
Bev White is managing director of HR consulting at Penna, the HR services group. She heads up career transition, learning and development and board and executive coaching. She is also president of the UK and European Associations of Career Firms.
Richard Norris is regional director at ReThink Recruitment, a business and technology recruitment specialist. He has over 15 years' experience working in the IT staffing and consulting markets.
Saffron Fidgett is a career consultant and founder of Career Circus Ltd, a career development consultancy which helps young professionals develop their leadership skills, enterprising thinking and global ways of working.
Steve Nicholls is a career development coach who specialises in helping executives and managers forge meaningful careers. Steve is also on the UK council for the Association for Coaching.
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