I recently wrote about the dangers of unofficially assuming a role. There’s also a positive spin on this scenario that is worth exploring.

In The Office, Pam is unhappy with her role so she “assumes” the responsibility of Office Administrator. She entrenches herself in the role such that, even when she is eventually questioned about how she took the title, her boss backs down and lets her stay at it.

Obviously, The Office is a comedy, and it’s a funny situation, but I also don’t think it’s too far-fetched.

On more than one occasion, I’ve been able to use a similar technique to grow into a new role that excites me. I saw a gap in the work that was being done, put together a plan to fill that gap without hindering my ability to follow through on my existing responsibilities, and eventually was accepted in the new role – all without prior formal approval.

Generally speaking, there’s more than enough work to go around. When someone is eager to expand their horizons, and can do so without creating a new problem elsewhere, they’ll be free to do so more often than not.

And when someone does finally catch on, they’ll have a hard time pushing back if you already have a successful track record to point to, proving that you can do it.

-Brandon