How to Increase Your Chances for a Promotion

You do your job faithfully every day. You may even do your job exceptionally well. You come in early and often stay late. You are a team player through and through. So why is it that you have been in the same position for so long while others, seemingly less deserving, have been promoted?

Do these people know a secret that you don’t? Is there something special in their coffee? Before you start plotting to steal a sip of their special brew, take action with the following tips to improve your chances for a well-deserved promotion.

Be Bold or Italic – Never Regular

To prepare for a promotion, you need to let the decision makers in your company be aware of your ambitions. You may do your job exceptionally well, but you should always think about how to do things better. That’s one of the defining characteristics of leaders. How can you do something cheaper, faster, or with less waste? Exhibit critical thinking when you report to your boss. Rather than accept things as they are, think how you can improve them, and come up with innovative ways to do those things better.

Take Criticism Seriously – Not Personally

If a decision-maker gives you a suggestion for improving your performance, thank that person and then do it. Acting on feedback shows you’re a team player who’s committed to improving the organization. Constructive criticism is often the only way we learn about our weaknesses. Without it we can’t improve. When we’re defensive, instead of accepting and gracious, we run the risk of missing out on this important insight.

Don’t Just Spot the Problems – Solve Them

Take the time to look at where you can add value. Analyze your department and the overall business. Where are the inefficiencies or problems which you think you can solve? By identifying these areas you will know where to focus your efforts. Self-starters impress managers, and people who take the initiative in areas where the business may be weak are higher up on the list for a promotion.

The Main Thing is to keep the Main Thing the Main Thing

Spend most of your time on projects that decision-makers deem important. Prioritize your projects by what makes life easier for your boss. This way, you will be perceived as someone who is capable of doing more. Offer to take on tasks that you know your boss dislikes or is weak in. You’ll expand your range of experience, and you’ll make your boss’s job easier, it’s a win-win!

I know what you’re thinking – I can do this! Yes, you can, even without the ‘special brew’. By demonstrating your company’s core values and competencies, and meeting your performance objectives, you are positioning yourself favorably for that next position. And you are making yourself an invaluable resource to your company. Big things could be coming your way soon!