Ask AdaMarie: How do I get clearer about the kind of responsibility I should be asking for without sounding unsure or scattered?
“Hi, AdaMarie! I know I want to grow, but I struggle to articulate what I actually want next. How do I get clearer about the kind of responsibility I should be asking for without sounding unsure or scattered?”
Dear Future-You-Who-Already-Figured-This-Out,
Let’s start with this truth: not being able to clearly articulate what you want next does not mean you’re unprepared, unfocused, or behind. It means you’re at a real growth edge — the part of a career where you’ve outgrown simply “doing the work” and are starting to think about how you want to be trusted, stretched, and seen.
Most people struggle here because they think clarity is supposed to arrive as a clean sentence or a perfect role description. That’s a myth. Direction shows up first as patterns.
Instead of asking yourself “What do I want next?” try asking:
What kinds of problems do I want to be closer to?
Where do I feel most useful, energized, or challenged in a good way?
What responsibilities am I already taking on informally that I’d like to own more formally?
Go back over the last few months of your work. Look for moments where time passed quickly, where you felt proud of an outcome, or where someone relied on your judgment. Those moments are clues. So are the tasks you avoid, dread, or feel depleted by; those are boundaries trying to form.
When it’s time to talk about growth with a manager, mentor, or sponsor, your goal isn’t to sound certain. It’s to sound self-aware.
You’re not saying: “I don’t know what I want.”
You’re saying: “I’m paying attention to how I’m growing.”
That might sound like:
“I’ve noticed I’m strongest when I’m working on X, especially when it connects to Y. I’m interested in taking on more responsibility in that area and would love your perspective on what that could look like.”
That’s grounded.
Remember, you’re allowed to explore. You’re allowed to revise. And you’re allowed to ask for opportunities that help you learn. Growth is about getting better at choosing the next step. And you’re already doing that by asking this question.
You got this,
AdaMarie
