15 Techniques that Create Upward Mobility
It’s not unusual for emerging leaders to seek advice on how to ask for a promotion. It’s not enough to ask for a promotion. You must build a platform.
5 techniques you should never employ:
- Avoid being a threat to insecure bosses. If possible, help them get what they want.
- Never say you are better than someone above you; you just insulted the leadership team your boss belongs to.
- Never make negative comparisons between you and your colleagues. If you get promoted, you may end up leading people you just disrespected. Additionally, insulting others suggests the people who hired them made a mistake.
- Never feel entitled; it destroys your credibility.
- Never threaten to leave.
10 techniques that expedite your next promotion:
- Begin conversations long before you ask. Let higher-ups know you want to move up. But, don’t make them uncomfortable with your ambition.
- Make your approach more about the company than about you. You always want to take your organization further.
- Always say, “How can I earn an opportunity to move up?”
- Always exceed expectations. Go the extra mile.
- Ask for and write down specific, measurable behaviors and results your boss wants to see. The more specific you can be the more successful you’ll become.
- Toot your own horn.
- Establish an acceptable communication plan. Tell your boss moving up is on your mind and you’d like to discuss it once a quarter.
- Immediately start looking for a new position when you’re 70% sure there’s no upward mobility.
- Constantly build a network of advisors, leaders, and colleagues that believe in you. Let them know your ultimate goals so they can support you.
- Demonstrate you understand the challenges and opportunities your organizations faces. Rise above your division or department.
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Which technique do you find most useful and why?
How can people build a platform for their next promotion?
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Hey, Dan, I agree with your points but want to emphasize #4 under your techniques to expedite. The thing that will set you apart fastest is showing up every single day and doing quality work all day long. That alone will put you in the top 10% of the work force, and believe me, your boss and all his/her peers will notice. I never competed for promotion; I was advised early on to work like the job I had was the most important one in the world. With that attitude, I’ve been recruited for every promotion I ever got.
Great stuff Dan, thanks.
I’m already forwarding these tips to others!
#4 is key, should be Highlighted and in bold print. This is also LAW for Customer service, Sales, Marketing etc. Heck #4 could be a game changer for many!!! Thanks again for another great post!
Dear Dan,
I like and appreciate the point, avoid being threat to insecure bosses. It is so true. When they feel that you are threat to them, they will make all effort to bowl you down. I like the technique number 8 most useful because when you find that there is no upward mobility, continuing there may indicate that you are not capable, and also questions your acceptability outside. Other point that I like is, about raining above department or division.
I think people can make platform for their next promotion by showing their performance which is needed in the organisations. Performance based on personal interest is not as important as that of performance based on organisational need. People should also know the limitation of people and system. Most of the time, we do not know the limitation of top management and we tend to blame them. Eventually, this creates a communication and expectation gap, which is beyond our control. So, knowing the system and people limitation is more important.
Other points that I like is, never threaten to leave and never show that you are better than your boss.
This is all very helpful, Dan! I’m in a senior non-management role and looking to transition into a management role. Our reporting structure recently changed (in a way that is not supportive of my growth), and I’m carefully navigating that change. I think all of this is sound advice.
I think #5 is most helpful–it’s important to write down specific, measurable action items. #9 is also helpful and it’s something I tend to rely on quite a bit.
Dear Dan,
Quite an appreciable post. You have dealt with one of the most difficult and unpredictable things in every professional’s life.It is not easy to pin-point a single most influencing technique which can take the attention of higher ups. Yet, own good performance and the relationship with immediate boss help you to get recognized.
Point 5 & 6 are quite useful. Reporting things based on the expected list of deliverables is a good habit to earn the respect on a regular basis. Nothing wrong in beating your own trumpet on your appreciable achievements. That’s the way, you catch the attention of higher ups.
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