Hard Work Doesn’t Earn Promotions
Work that isn’t noticed isn’t valued. People who work hard are overlooked for promotions every day.
Helping doesn’t advance your career when others see you as a helper, not a leader.
A reputation for leading earns promotions. You’re overlooked while others pass you by because you’re a candle in a bright room.
Danger:
The danger of going the extra mile is being viewed as a good soldier. It doesn’t advance your career to be unnoticed when you help others reach their goals.
Be seen to earn promotions:
Don’t over promote yourself. You frustrate your boss when you constantly talk about getting a promotion. Four questions have power to advance your career.
- How can I earn a promotion?
- How can I be part of the conversation when the next advancement opportunity comes around?
- What kind of people are historically promoted in our organization?
- What does the leadership team look for when considering promotions?
Take notes when your boss answers your questions. Say, “Thank you for the insights. I’ll be working on these things.”
Send email updates:
Send “dear boss” updates every week or two. Make them brief and direct. Don’t mention promotions.
Dear boss,
I just want to keep you in the loop. Make a bulleted list of things you completed. Next week I plan to focus on… List three things.
Please let me know if I’m focusing in the right direction. No reply necessary.
Have a great weekend,
Tips to avoid being overlooked:
- Stop minimizing your contribution. Don’t say, “It was nothing.”
- When your boss asks you what you’re doing say, “I’m leading…. I finished….”
- Don’t help everyone. Use your strengths and talents. Don’t get sucked into doing something you aren’t good at. Say, “No.”
- Record compliments and achievements. Bring them up during performance reviews. You forget how good you are and so do others.
How are promotions earned in your organization?
Have you seen hard working people overlooked?
This article is inspired by a recent piece in the Wall Street Journal.
Dig Deeper:
“Too Good to be Promoted” is Bull Crap
One Essential After Being Passed Over For Promotion
Dan–I like your point about the importance of how a person is perceived. Are you viewed as a helper, a doer, or a leader?
What get’s you promoted?
1. Consistently meet or exceed all expectations.
2. Promote you accomplishments.
3. Connect with people, build a positive network you can go to for help.
4. Manage your boss and other senior leaders. Get to know their style, interests, and priorities. And have them get to know you personally and professionally.
Dan, I like your four questions to ask your boss.
Thank you, Paul. I’m glad you added “connect with people.” Loners don’t get promoted as often as people who are connected with others. We might wish that our work would speak for itself. But it often takes more than work to get ahead. Cheers
DearDan,
An intersting and debatable topic! Promotions are dependent mainly on company policies and recommendation of an immediate boss with endorsement by higher-ups. Key contributions adding to growth in business and profits get counted. Own image and professional strengths have their roles with keenness to learn, quick adaptability and qualities like team leadership help in getting noticed for higher promotion.
I’m glad you added your insights, Dr. Asher. We don’t like to talk about politics, but they definitely play a role. The person who understands office politics and plays ethically gets ahead sooner than someone who doesn’t. I’ll add that unethical politicians get ahead sometimes.
I really like the idea of sending your supervisor updates every two weeks or so just to let them know what you have completed and what you are not working on.
Thanks, dreamily. Some bosses would like more information, but they don’t want to ask for it. Think about updates and progress reports that would be useful to them and give them proactively. You’d be surprised how many bosses live with nagging concerns, but don’t ask.
Times have changed considerably. Work smarter not harder.