Promotion

8 posts

4 Ways To Show You’re Ready For More Responsibility At Work

In almost every office, there are "lucky" employees given formidable projects like setting up a new department or coming up with strategies for rebranding the company. Then, of course, there are those assigned to do the so-called "grunt work" such as alphabetizing clients' files, updating suppliers' contact details, and organizing meetings.

There's nothing wrong with doing grunt work, as these tasks are necessary for the business to operate efficiently. However, there comes a point when you want to move on to do more meaningful and challenging work.

Simply put, you want to get promoted.

After all, doing the same thing over and over again isn't exactly going to do anything for your career growth. That's why you should have the courage to ask for bigger responsibilities. Don't wait for your boss to hand that exciting project to youâyou must be proactive! Fight for it if you have to.

Here's how you can show everyone you're ready to move up in the world and finally earn that promotion:

Get The Tasks Nobody Wants To Do

Do the grunt work with enthusiasm. If necessary, over deliver. For instance, if you're tasked with alphabetizing clients' files, you can also make backup copies of the said files. If nobody wants to face a particularly difficult client, volunteer for the task. Doing so would prove that you're willing to do even the most difficult things to make your mark. This also establishes your reputation as a reliable member of the team.

Help Overworked And Stressed Co-workers

Woman stands out at work by helping her coworkers

Once you're done with the tasks assigned to you, you can help out any co-worker who's overwhelmed with their tasks. Don't be pushy, though. Let your co-worker tell you what to doâand then give it your best shot. Make sure you have your co-worker's permission before you tell your boss and other office-mates about the collaboration. Otherwise, people might think you're trying to take credit for their work.

Take Stock Of Your Skills And Learn New Ones

Woman writes down her skills while looking for a job

Make an inventory of what you can do. Find a way to highlight these skills. If you're good with words, you can offer to help your co-workers write their reports. You can also acquire more skills that will help you snag your target projects. For example, if your company has an office in Paris and you'd like to be assigned there, then learn French.

Ask Your Boss For A New Project

Woman talks to her boss about getting promoted

Get to know everything about your company. Immerse yourself in all sorts of information about the industry that you're in. Know the trends and other factors affecting your line of work. This information can help you suggest new projects and tasks to your boss. When you pitch a project, it helps if you present your skill set as well so your boss knows what you can do.

Remember: YOU control your career's direction.

You don't have to wait that long to get the project or position or promotion that you want. If you have the drive and will to succeed, then you can move forward in your profession at a much faster pace.

The trick is to do everything that you're assigned to do extraordinarily well and to keep improving your skill set. This way, you're always ready to take advantage of an opportunity for career advancement.

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4 Ways To Show You’re Ready For …

Landing a management job is a big deal. You're moving up in your career and getting recognized for all of your hard work and accomplishments. But it takes more to be a good manager than just experience and an impressive resume.

We've all had managers at different points in our careers, and let's be honest: a few, if not the majority of them, were not good managers. And that's okay. Not everyone is cut out for a management position. But if you recently landed a job as a manager at your company, you probably want to be the best manager you can be.

Here are 10 mistakes new managers make at work that you should try to avoid:

1. Acting Too Quickly

New managers frequently believe that they need to change everything. They place the stamp of their own ideas on every policy, procedure, and rule. And if there are no policies and rules, they're eager to create new ones.

They act on poor performance appraisal data. They immediately favor co-worker friends for key assignments, schedules, and so on. They want to create their "own team" as quickly as possible.

2. Acting Too Slowly

Other new managers act too slowlyâbuying into the "we've always done it that way" mindset. This can be particularly true of new managers with no management experience or very little experience with the company (e.g., a new manager hired from outside the organization).

Managers report that they intended to "wait a year or so" to learn how things work in the organization so "my employees can get to know me."

3. Failing To Assess Properly

New manager compares notes with a colleague

This mistake holds the solution to the paradox of the first two mistakesâthe "just right" solution. A new manager must assess the situation of the organization, the expectations given by senior management, and the strengths and weaknesses of the department and each employee (hopefully, more focused on strengths).

Typically, a new manager is charged with solving some specific problems. Ignoring them is fatal. Not meeting with each subordinate to get to know them personally, get to know their strengths, and get their input is equally fatal.

4. Acting On Old Performance Appraisal Data

New manager discusses an issue with two employees during a meeting

Performance appraisal data is fundamentally flawed by rater bias. The appraisal data reflects more on the performance of the previous manager than it does on the employees being rated. Spending hours reviewing old performance ratings on subordinates is a waste of time.

If the previous manager was promoted because of his or her successful management of your new team, ask that manager some simple questions about each member of your new team. For example, ask: "Would you always pick (or rehire) this person for your team?"

If you're replacing a manager who was not successful, see the mistake below.

5. Focusing On Weaknesses, Not Strengths

Solving key problems may be a top priority (e.g., poor customer service). But solving problems is less likely to be successful if the focus is on weaknesses instead of strengths.

If you can't objectively measure the strengths of the team using an assessment like CliftonStrengths Assessment then interview members about their strengths. Ask each one of them how they see themselves best contributing.

6. Failing To Communicate

New manager communicates with an employee during a meeting

Yes, it's a classic movie line, but it could be number one on this list. Too often, new managers lock into a learning mode to read policies and procedures. They want to "understand things" before saying anything to their new team.

The solution is simple: communicate now and communicate often. Give your team the opportunity to learn about you as you learn about them. Let them learn your communication style as you learn their styles.

7. Failing To Ask Questions

New manager on laptop thinks about her mistakes

"If I ask questions, it shows I don't know what to do." That's scary, but it's not unusual.

Too many new managers fail because of both inaction and action driven by the failure to ask. Some of the most successful managers I've known were the most curiousâasking questions of their bosses, other managers, and members of their team. They had a two-year-old's curiosity and loved the "why?"

8. Treating Everyone The Same

The biggest mistake all managers make, not just new managers, is trying to motivate all team members the same wayâor assuming they're motivated by what you think "motivates everyone."

Motivation has some common elements known to anyone who really studies performance and it has some myths that managers routinely follow by mistake. The solution is to understand your team members' strengths. That way, you'll know more about how to best motivate each person on your team.

9. Having A 'My Way Or The Highway' Attitude

New managers often believe they must be the know-it-all decision maker for the team, failing to realize the job is coaching people to be top performers and NOT being the "I can do it myself" manager.

In today's multiple-skilled workforce, a manager is likely to be the least knowledgeable regarding specific job/technical knowledge. The solutions are communicating, asking, and listening!

10. Being Afraid To Fire

New manager fires an employee during a meeting

New managers are often challenged by Red Scott's "hire smart, or manage tough" dilemma with a situation created by themselves or the previous manager. Managers must know when and how to firmly make decisions (legally) that someone does not want to meet performance objectives.

A common refrain: "I know I should have terminated him/her a long time ago."

A favorite management quote: "Management is now where the medical profession was when it was decided that working in a drug store was not sufficient training to become a doctor." âLawrence Appley

The ultimate solution to these 10 mistakes new managers make is adequate training! We wish you the best of luck in your management position and hope you receive the training you need in order to be the best manager you can be.

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10 Mistakes New Managers Make At Work

If you want to put yourself in a position to build a strong professional relationship with your boss, while growing your career and managing up, you have to prove yourself as a reliable employee. Taking the right kind of initiative can go a long way toward strengthening your relationship with your boss.

It's important to keep in mind that managers are not only responsible for your role and responsibilities and to a degree your career; they're also responsible for their duties as well.

If you really want to prove yourself to your boss, think of ways to work these four phrases into your work vocabulary:

"Here's A Potential Solution"

A boss listens while his employee shares an idea with him during a work meeting

Bosses hear A LOT of problems. And more often than not, they are expected to come up with a solution. The thing is, if it isn't their problem, they are not going to actively seek out solutions. Therefore, when you come to the boss with a problem, immediately follow it up with a proposed solution.

This accomplishes two things. First, it shows your manager that you are solution-oriented. You took the time to examine the problem and think about ways to address it. Second, your solutions are essentially saving the boss time and energy and those are both gifts to your manager. This approach is a huge win for you and the boss.

"Here's An Idea"

Two co-workers go over some ideas with their boss during a meeting

You should be a student of your company. You should be very familiar with the company's goals, mission, and vision. You should also have a very good understanding of the company's challenges. When you know these challenges, you should spend some time each week working on ideas to solve those challenges that the company faces.

When you go to your manager to say you have an idea that will positively impact the company's bottom line, everyone wins. Bosses should love to hear ideas on how to make things more efficient and profitable. Look for these ideas whenever you have downtime at work.

"Let Me Show You"

An employee graphs out an idea in front of his boss during a work meeting

On time-strapped days, it is so much easier to show someone something than it is to tell them. When pitching something to a boss or sharing an idea or even solving a problem, show him/her what you are talking about. Sketch it out, give them a flow chart, or show them anything visual and talk them through it. If you can, make a quick prototype. It is so much easier than using just your words when the chances are good that the boss is distracted.

Think about it. When you show people what you are saying, you have captured two of their senses: hearing and seeing. If you give them something to holdâeven better (three senses). This gets their attention and allows them to truly evaluate what you are trying to do for the boss or the company.

Always try to show people what you are talking about. It allows them to react to your idea in a more connected way.

"I Could Use A Little Mentoring"

Bosses are not solely responsible for your career. This is your responsibility.

If you need new challenges or want new opportunities, it is up to you to scope those out and present them to your boss. If you don't know how to do something or think that you could develop your skills even further, it is up to you to ask for mentorship.

As the protÃ©gÃ©, you must take an active role in carving out time for the relationship. When you seek mentorship from your boss, know that it may not be the boss who becomes your mentor. Your boss may not even be the right mentor. However, they can be the one who facilitates an introduction. When you ask for this type of guidance, your boss knows that you own your experience and will work to support you.

Building a solid relationship with your boss is the key to getting where you want to go in your career. These relationships will follow you throughout your career. These bosses will likely one day be the person you call on to be a reference. And when it comes time to be a reference for you, you want them to say that you were solution-oriented, respectful of their time, and full of an entrepreneurial spirit.

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4 Phrases Your Boss LOVES To Hear

It's that golden moment, the one you always dream about. The moment your boss offers you a raise, and you didn't have to ask for it! It doesn't happen often unless you have something in your contract that stipulates your pay increases, or some other sort of mandated pay raise. However, for the majority, an impromptu raise is just a dream.

There are no promises to be made here. Many raises, even those you ask for, depend on a variety of factors. You have control over whether or not you deserve a raise, but not always over getting one.

Luckily, there are some things you can do that will push you closer to getting a raise, whether you ask for one or not:

1. Bring In New Business

Woman looking for a raise gets congratulated by her boss

It doesn't matter if you're in sales or not. If the company you work for isn't able to bring in new business, they aren't going to grow, and they won't be able to afford to give you a raise.

In today's business world, everyone is in sales. You are a business-of-one. You have to sell yourself, your company, your skills, and your products. If you aren't a salesperson, you may not have the know-how to follow a sale through to the end, but you can still bring in business.

For example, just because I was an accountant at Dr. Snooze mattress company doesn't mean I had less of a chance to get a raise than the people on the sales floor. I'd still get leads and find new accounts. I used excellent customer service to ensure other companies kept coming back to do business with us.

Start looking for ways to bring in new business and you'll be amazed at what you can learn.

2. Become An Expert (On Something)

Woman on a video call takes notes to be a better employee and earn a raise

This "something" should be related to your field, obviously. There's no point in learning everything there is to know about QuickBooks if you work as an account supervisor. Sure, it might occasionally come in handy, but the goal is to become a go-to person on a topic.

If someone has questions about an account, they should be coming to you, and you need to be able to answer them. It's even more impressive if you can reach out before they even realize there's an issue. Not only does that mean that you increase your customer retention, but your clients will remember that and recommend you.

3. Find A Mentor

Not just any mentor. Do what you can to ensure that the mentor you choose is someone you would like to model your career after.

In today's marketplace, having a mentor that's a little bit old-fashioned (or at least respected in the industry) might be a great way to distinguish yourself. After all, careers now last about 4-5 years, instead of 40-50. You need to be on-call 24/7, but that doesn't leave you any time for a life. A mentor can help you work through the kinks and can help you to pave a path that others want to follow.

With guidance from a mentor, you'll stand out from other employees on the job, and could be next in line to get a raise.

4. Make Your Boss Look Good

Man helps his boss with something at work

There is nothing that will make your boss love you more than if you make them look good. After all, they'd probably like a raise just as much as you would, so it makes sense that they need you on their team. Stepping on their toes and making them look like they don't know what their doing isn't going to win you any favors.

When I was working at McElroy Metal, this tactic worked perfectly for me. I gave my supervisor all the credit for a huge sale I made, and he quickly became a favorite with the owner. When it was time for him to give promotions, I was the first one to be recommended.

5. Become Irreplaceable

Man gets complimented by his boss after getting a raise

The thing is, once you've made yourself irreplaceable, you can ask for pretty much whatever you want (within reason, of course). Becoming an indispensable employee involves doing what you're supposed to, plus everything listed, and then a little bit more.

After all, people who make themselves exceptional stand out for a reason. Having the perception that losing you would decrease productivity around the office and cost them money means that job security is locked in tight, and your boss will want to fight to keep you.

There is no way to promise that you'll get a raise. Much of it has to do with things you have no control overâthe company's current standing, when a promotion becomes available, or the overall economics of the country.

Even if that can't be guaranteed, however, you can drastically increase your chances of getting a raiseâwhether you ask for one or not.

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5 Ways To Get A Raise (Without …

6 Ways To Position Yourself For A Promotion

How do you get a promotion? It's a good time to start thinking about growing your career and positioning yourself for one.

Here are six tips to get the promotion you want at work:

1. Under Promise And Over Deliver

Man successfully presents data and works towards getting a promotion

With many companies leaner than they were several years ago, there are probably many internal voids. You want to identify and fill them. We recommend looking at how you can informally be of service.

For example: ask your supervisor or team members how you can step in and support them as well as identify where you see hiccups in efficiency. Approach the appropriate person with a case for how you can step in and help.

At the same time, make sure you do not commit to work you know you cannot complete efficiently and to the best of your ability.

2. Be An Intrapreneur

Man becomes an intrapreneur to get a promotion

An intrapreneur is someone who uses an entrepreneur's mindset, relationships, skills, and behaviors within an organization's four walls to develop new, innovative ways of working, new products, or new services.

Whether you are developing a new corporate social responsibility initiative or a new procedure for onboarding entry-level talent, elicit the support of all key stakeholders, do your homework to set yourself up to succeed, and set clear, mutually agreed-upon criteria for success.

By launching a new venture within your company's four walls, you may just create your new position. And when you succeed, you will have evidence of your leadership experience.

3. Get Your Internal Networking On

Work colleagues network during a meeting

It's important to develop mutually beneficial relationships within your department and team as well as throughout your company. Don't forget to connect with your co-workers, old and new, and continuously try to network with those outside of your immediate office or work environment.

To put yourself in line for such an opportunity as a promotion, set the time to get to know all of your colleagues. Be curious about their work and the opportunities they foresee on the horizon.

4. Balance Short-Term And Long-Term Thinking

This is another important muscle to flex when positioning yourself for a promotion. While it's important to have an eye on your goals so that you stay on top of your chief responsibilities, you also want to pay attention to how your work plays into the bigger picture.

Get clear on your department or organization's one, two, and even five-year goals, and work with your supervisor to make sure that how you are spending your time and energy is moving youâand the companyâin the right direction.

5. Zap Negativity

People want to work with happy people. Andâlet's face itâright now, too many workplaces are seas of persistent complaint.

Senior leaders also want emerging talent who see opportunities rather than obstacles. Not only does a Negative Nelly or Negative Ned kill moral, but she or he also comes across as someone incapable of solving problems and inspiring others toward solutions, which are keys to positioning one's self as an effective leader.

If you want to get that promotion, focus on being positive at work. Your encouraging nature will show your manager you have the right attitude for a leadership position, therefore making you that much closer to getting promoted.

6. Ask

This might sound obvious, but we can't tell you how many people know a position is open in their companies and fail to advocate for themselves or hope that a supervisor will read their minds and make them that offer they can't refuse.

This is particularly important for women.

Men initiate these kinds of conversations about four times as often as women! You don't want to under promise and over deliver forever. Once you know you have laid the foundation for your ask, set a specific day and time to talk to the appropriate person about your aspirations, and make sure you facilitate the conversation in such a way that you are creating a compelling story about what you have achieved in your previous position and what you believe you can achieve moving forward.

Most promotions won't fall into your lap. If you want it, sometimes you just have to ask for it.

Remember, sometimes the greatest impediment to our upward mobility is ourselves. Take this advice and position yourself for a promotion today.

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6 Ways To Position Yourself For A …

Brand pillars are the foundation of your brand and contribute to your overall brand DNA. There are five pillars: purpose, positioning, perception, personality, and promotion. Brand pillars help you define your unique characteristics and experiences, driving every consumer touchpoint to differentiate you from your competitors.

Letâs review the five brand pillars and how to implement them within your organization.

Purpose

Brand purpose is "why" you exist. It's the reason for being beyond making a profit. A great brand purpose will always put the consumers first and manifest itself in everything it does.

Knowing the deeper "why" your company or brand exists provides the foundation on which to build everything else.

Simon Sinek, author of the book Start with Why, introduced the idea of defining brand purpose to a global audience in his 2009 TED talk.

"People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. The goal is not to do business with everybody who needs what you have. The goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe."âSimon Sinek, How Great Leaders Inspire Action.

Here are some key questions to ask yourself to get at the "why" when developing your brand purpose:

Why does our company exist?
What drives our brand?
What is unique about our business? What is our secret sauce that no one else has?
What problem are we trying to solve?
Why would our ideal customer choose our product/service?
What are we exceptional at?
What inspires us day in, day out?
What do we want our legacy to be?
What are we most proud of as an organization?
Where do we want to be a year from now? Five years? Ten years?

Brand purpose is critical in today's market as it shows your customers, employees, and competitors that you're bigger than just turning a profit.

Positioning

Brand positioning is the process of positioning your brand in the mind of your customers based on your brand purpose and values that gives you a competitive advantage.

What do you think of when you hear "search engine"? Did Google come to mind? This product is positioned to dominate its category. What about a company that provides "overnight shipping"? FedEx owns the transportation category even though other companies provide overnight shipping.

A well-developed and implemented brand position provides a sustainable competitive advantage, communicates value to customers, is a vehicle to help manage brand consistency, and impacts the bottom line.

Here are five steps to consider when creating your brand positioning.

Evaluate Current Standing: Evaluate your current brand positioning. Is it working? Does it reach your target audience? Is it helping to achieve your business goals? If not, you may need to look at repositioning your brand.

Research Your Competitors: You can't stand out from the crowd if you don't know what the crowd is doing. Conduct a competitive analysis to evaluate your competitor's brand position by looking at their social media feeds, company websites, marketing & advertising materials, and customer service. Look at who they're targeting, what their messaging is, their unique selling proposition, and their positioning strategies. For more information on how to gather competitive research, check out my article.

Identify Your Target Audience: Understanding your target audience is critical as this information will define every strategy you execute. Your goal is to define your target audience into a simple statement: Our target market is (gender) aged (age range), who live in (place or type of place) and like to (activity). For more information on how to develop your target audience, check out my article.

Identify Your Differentiators: Just like everyone is unique and different, so is your brand. It's your job to find those characteristics and differentiators that will make your brand stand out from the competitive crowd. List all the things that your competitors do well. List all of the things you do well. List what your customers want. Now start comparing your most unique angles against your audience's needs. Are there any needs that haven't been filled? Is there anything that you provide that your competitors can't easily copy or reproduce? Check out my article on how to develop your unique differentiators

Craft Brand Positioning Statement: Here is a template to follow when crafting your brand positioning statement.

Personality

A brand personality can be defined as the set of human characteristics associated with your brand. Itâs communicated through tone of voice, visuals, and even policies. Theyâre expressed as adjectives that convey how you want people to perceive your brand. For example, is your brand cheerful, funny, friendly, youthful, innovative, spirited, dependable, responsible, credible, sophisticated, rebellious, cunning, powerful, honest, and so on? Here is a list of 200+ adjectives to get you started.

Letâs look at an example: Coca-Cola is considered real and authentic while Pepsi tends to be young, spirited, and exciting, and Dr. Pepper is seen as nonconforming, unique, and fun. Source.

A brand can also be described by demographics (age, gender, social class, and race), lifestyle (activities, interests, and opinions), or human personality traits (extroversion, agreeableness, and dependability). Source.

There are three approaches on how to find your brand personality.

Jennifer Aakerâs Dimensions of Brand Personality framework contains 15 traits organized into five factors (Sincerity, Excitement, Competence, Sophistication, and Ruggedness).
Carl Jungâs Brand Archetypes Framework believes that archetypes are models of people, behaviors, or personalities, thus making them more recognizable and relatable to target audiences. Jung identified 12 archetypes. The idea is that any brand can relate to one of the 12 archetypes that help define the brand.
There is the Combo Brand Archetypes & Brand Personality Framework. This model combines the Brand Archetypes and the Dimensions of Brand Personality frameworks mentioned above.

Perception

The first three brand pillars, purpose, positioning, and personality, are driven by the brand through targeting, messaging, and execution. The fourth brand pillar, perception, is owned by your customers. Itâs how they view and experience your brand. Jeff Bezos famously said, âYour brand is what people say about you when youâre not in the room.â

When youâre starting your business, list out the traits and characteristics that you want your customers to associate your brand with. If you have an established brand and want information on how your brand is perceived, gather customer, employee, and/or vendor feedback:

Online reviews/ratings
Testimonials
Social media listening
Live chats
Emails
Customer service calls
Research (polls, surveys, focus groups)

You can also gain further insights into your brand perceptions by asking customers, employees, and/or vendors questions through various research tools (i.e. polls, surveys, focus groups, etc.):

How do you perceive our brand? How would you describe it?
What do you perceive our value to be?
What terms or adjectives would you use to describe our brand?
What do you consider to be our brand strength?
What problems or challenges does our brand solve?
What do you think of our competitorâs products (list them)? Have you used them?

Your goal is to evaluate customersâ perceptions to see if you need to make changes to your brand strategy. Itâs important to create a positive perception of your brand that aligns with your mission, vision, and purpose.

Promotion

Brand promotion is a way to inform, persuade, convince, and influence consumers by driving their decision-making process towards purchasing your brand.

A strong brand promotion strategy places your brand in the right place, at the right time, and in the right context for your customers and prospects.

The goal of brand promotion is to increase brand awareness in order to drive revenue and convert consumers to loyal customers, building long-term, lasting relationships.

To start identifying how to promote your brand, consider asking the following questions:

What is your current brand awareness?
How are you currently promoting your brand?
Where do your customers expect to find you or your competitors?
How are customers interacting with you online and offline?
When do your customers need you?
What kind of experience do you want your customers to have with your brand?
How do you handle bad experiences?
Who are your greatest brand ambassadors?

Final Thoughts

Brand pillars are the foundation of your brand. They help you define your brand for your internal and external customers, ensuring you capture your audience and convert them to brand loyalists. Start building your brand leadership today. Youâve got this!

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5 Brand Pillars That Are The Foundation …

What Are The Next Steps After Getting A Promotion?

Itâs exciting, no doubt about it. Your expertise, hard work, and perseverance paid off. You got the big promotion you were working toward. Then, along with exuberance, reality sets in with a bit of nerves for this new challenge. Now you have to deliver.

Even though promotions are exhilarating, they can also leave recipients uneasy about the change. Going from a position where you had proven yourself into a position with some inherent uncertainty will put a knot in the most confident stomachs.

Oftentimes, the easiest kind of promotion is where youâre promoted into a new environment with a new team to work with. That is like a clean slate. Much harder can be the transition within a business unit. Not to mention, the move from peer to boss can definitely be a minefield. Like it or not, we create an identity at work and many of our co-workers identify us with our role. Change our role or give us more responsibility, and people around us sometimes have difficulty adapting. There are also occasions when the person promoted has difficulty adjusting.

Letâs take a look at some of the steps the newly promoted can take to ensure a smooth, effective transition.

Listen

Embrace the newness and recognize your stakeholdersâthose affected by your work and your teamâs work. Even if you are working with some of the same people, there is a good chance you have new stakeholders or new relationships with stakeholders. Meet with them and listen to their feedback. From employees to suppliers to customers to your boss, they will let you know whatâs going well and what needs improvement from their perspectives.

Note the emphasis on listening. You donât need to promise the world just because youâre in a new role. You are there to gather their feedback so you can ensure expectations are met. You will learn a lot when you actively listen and these people will notice your engagement.

Plan

Your promotion was a competitive process. Your boss saw something in you that persuaded them to give you this opportunity. There is almost always a learning curve to your new position, but during the transition, put together a plan for yourself and your role going forward. You bring a skill set, expertise, and a new perspective. These are all ways you can add value.

Determine 30-, 90-, and 180-day milestones about what you are going to learn and how you will proceed in making positive contributions. Utilize the SMART principle for goal-setting (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-Bound). The promotion is not the high water mark. You have greater things in store.

Communicate

Woman talks to her coworkers during a work meeting

Be as transparent as possible about your goals and expectations. This communication should be the case up and down the chain of command, and you have to actively invite feedback and demonstrate a willingness to listen to it.

Once you have developed your plan and milestones, meet with your supervisor to discuss them. If you have not worked closely with this person before, it may be helpful to meet regularly, at least while you get your feet wet. Get to know his or her expectations and communication preferences. See to it that youâre both on the same page strategically and tactically.

The same holds true if you have any employees reporting to you. They should be aware of the direction you want them going in, and they should know how you prefer to communicate. Share your goals and plans. Research has shown that we are more successful at working toward goals and implementing new habits when we communicate them to others. We allow people to hold us accountable. In a team environment, there is no other way to move the needle.

Finally, you may be asking, âWhy so much emphasis on communication preferences?â Relationships at work function much better when the individuals involved have clear understandings. This becomes even more important in workplaces with flexible schedules and working arrangements, different communication media available, and where teams are distributed and function in a virtual environment. Sending an urgent email to your boss when she only checks email once a day can be useless.

Taking the time to understand these important details can ultimately pave the way for cohesiveness and long-term success after your promotion. Good luck!

We know how tricky it can be to navigate a promotion at work. If you're struggling to adjust to your new role, we can help.

We'd love it if you joined our FREE community. Itâs a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades.

Join our FREE community today to finally become an empowered business-of-one!

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What Are The Next Steps After Getting …

You work hard, spend your time at the office judiciously, and meet targets without failing deadlines. For the work you do every day, you feel you deserve a promotion. But when it comes to asking your boss directly, you find it awkward and difficult to approach him/her.

It can indeed be quite nerve-wracking to go up to your boss and ask for a promotion directly. Instead, there are ways you can show that you are ready for one and convince your boss easily.

Here are some useful tips to show your boss you deserve a promotion:

Upgrade Your Skills

A promotion means new responsibilities and greater challenges. To meet these new challenges, you must have the desired skills. One of the best ways to show that you are ready for a promotion, therefore, is to upgrade your competencies and develop your skills. Understand your job role, browse the net, and find courses that can take you ahead. Many large organizations have online courses for their employees. On the completion of those courses, managers are immediately notified. If your organization also has such courses, sign up for them frequently.

You can also attend workshops and seminars to learn more about what courses will upgrade your skills and make you a more valuable resource in your company. Another simple tip is to follow people on LinkedIn. Find professionals who have a similar background and check the courses they completed. A simple Google search will give you a lot of information.

Be Innovative

In the present business climate, organizations need people who can not only perform their responsibilities well but also deliver greater value. To make yourself more valuable for the business, think outside the box. Look for unforeseen challenges and hidden opportunities. Start by observing your team keenly. Once you identify a problem, look for ways in which it can be addressed.

Be A Dependable Team Player

One of the things managers pay special attention to when it comes to promoting their team members is their maturity to handle things. In other words, you should be someone your manager can depend on when things are difficult to handle. You must, therefore, be proactive and extremely organized.

Create folders as per your convenience to arrange documents, presentations, and spreadsheets in order. Be responsive and always respond to important emails. If you find it too tough to handle multiple responsibilities, use sticky notes to stay on top of things. The way you do your job sets you apart from your colleagues. So, don't leave a bad impression by doing a shoddy job.

Ask Your Manager To Mentor You

This is the easiest way to grab your boss's attention and show that you are keen to learn. During the mentoring phase, you get an opportunity to collaborate closely with your manager. Moreover, you come across as an enthusiastic learner and get an opportunity to demonstrate your skills. By leaving a good impression, you can have an influential ally backing your case for promotion.

Rock Your Current Role

While pitching yourself for a promotion, you must show that you have excelled in your current role and that staying in the same position will be stagnating for your career. Gain the trust of your team members so that they approach you when they have a problem at hand. Try to "manage up." Your boss will be more convinced if he/she sees that you have done a great job in your role and are now ready to take on more responsibilities.

When you bring value to the business, your manager will be convinced to promote you at work. You just need to find the right balance of hard work, people skills, and enthusiasm to brighten your prospects.

Navigating difficult workplace situations like asking for a promotion can be incredibly stressful, especially if you're feeling lost, trapped, or burned out in your career. If you're struggling to demonstrate your value and advocate for yourself on the job, we can help.

We'd love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades.

It's time to find work that makes you feel happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. Join our FREE community today to finally become an empowered business-of-one!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

Acquiring Job Advance Your Career Career Changing Careers and Employment Education Internship Job