What to do to get promoted.
What are the few pre-requisites to get a promotion? Is it doing your job to the best of your abilities? Is it working long hours and hoping that one day somebody notices your exhaustive commitment? Is it having the right contacts.
It is much harder than that. Being promoted demands a mix of luck, right timing, recognition, and hard work. In my professional life I have seen many excellent employees missing out on the promotion simply because they did not play the game right.
I have worked out a few tips and tricks that may help you get one step closer. Unfortunately, like with most things in life there are never any guarantees, but the worst thing would be not to try.
- If it is important to your boss, it must be important to you. I am a manager; I lead a global business and have billions of dollars under management. The one thing I value the most are employees who recognise what is important to me and help me get it done. So if I tell you that you should work on Project A because it is urgent and key to the success of our unit; and instead of doing that, you go away and work on Project D, then quite frankly I think you are missing the point.
- Your job is not your job. There are two routes you can take here. Either you do your job as described in your contract and hope that somebody recognises what a star performer you are. Or. You help me do my job. I can come to you for anything, and you help. Things as simple as booking a room to as complex as running a multi-million-dollar project. Look at it differently. If you own a small company, you are simultaneously a CEO, CFO, CIO, bookkeeper, manager, analyst, secretary, sales manager and so on. Consider working for your manager like working for your company. The more of their work you do the better prepared you will be once the time comes to take over.
- Do not make me wait. If you have been given a task, then start on it right away. Do not let me wait and make me chase you for an update. I have plenty of things on my plate and the last thing I need are employees who are not reliable.
The last point I would mention is the network. In any business, whatever it is, you need to build real and lasting human connections that will help carry you to the top. If nobody knows you, nobody will promote you.
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Cheers,
Until next time
M | K