A FORMER colleague used to complain that he was never considered for a promotion even though he worked as hard, if not more, than his peers. During promotion deliberations, he kept getting glossed over or ignored completely. When he asked me why he was not promoted despite his hard work, I realized he was banking on his tenure and doing what was required of his position. I had to explain to him that promotion is not based on tenure but on the skills for the higher position, among other things. So, I asked him the following questions:
Do you do some tasks that are required for the higher position already? One of the things managers look for when they promote someone is their team member’s readiness for the position. If you aim to be promoted, you should already be doing some tasks which are required of the higher position. You need to be proactive in asking your manager for stretch assignments that provide you opportunities to develop skills needed for the higher position.
Do you volunteer for more responsibilities? This tells your manager that you are willing to grow in your professional career and that you are ready for bigger responsibilities. Of course, this means that you are consistently delivering quality work even in your present capacity, but because you have developed mastery over your tasks, you are now able to take on more assignments. Engagement in office work and how you volunteer for tasks show that you are ready for more responsibilities.
Do you get the work done on time with good results? Excellent and consistent work shows that you can be reliable in your present capacity, and that you can work independently. One of the indicators for a manager to promote someone is when they outperform their peers. This tells them that you have exceeded expectations in terms of your deliverables, and you can do more. Managers promote team members not just for their skills but also for their potential. When you get things done faster and better than your peers, it tells them you have the potential to improve processes which will help the entire team in the long run.
Do you work well with others? Whether you like it or not, people who get along with others have a better chance of being promoted. A higher position means more interactions with other departments in the organization and more dependencies on others to get the results that the team needs. So, it is necessary for someone to have good interpersonal skills because a higher position means increased visibility in the organization. Managers promote team members who can relate well with others because as you climb up the corporate ladder, you will have to interact with more people within and outside the organization.
How do managers know who has good interpersonal skills? One of the ways they know more about how you work with others is through their peers. They ask feedback from others on how you performed and interacted with them so that
they can understand how you influence others. They also observe which team member is often consulted when other departments need help and who are willing to extend their help when asked. Managers also ask other managers for their feedback and observation on their team members to have a better understanding of how their team has performed. These tell your manager if you are dependable not just within your team, but also for people in other departments.
Do you work well with your manager? While performance indicators and performance scorecards delineate what you need to do within the year and serve as objective evaluation tools, you cannot escape the fact that your manager plays a pivotal role in your promotion. You need to manage your manager by understanding how you can best support them through your work by carefully observing and discovering their needs. Or you can do the direct approach and manifest that you want to be promoted. You can then both sit down and talk about what you need to do to be promoted. Whether you use the direct or indirect approach, you need to find out what your manager needs to see from you so they can consider you for promotion because in the end, they will be the one to decide whether to promote you or not.
Do you take the time to look for opportunities to develop yourself professionally? Someone who consistently upskills themselves indicates that they are always looking for ways to do things better and improve the way they deal with others. In one of the management training programs I have coordinated, candidates could not graduate unless they had implemented a process improvement project in their respective fields. They needed to pass the management training program before they could be promoted to become people managers. If you want to be promoted, take the time to learn the skills needed for the higher role and train or expose yourself to others who are already in the position. This will help you understand if you are ready for the role.
Do you mentor others? One of the best indicators if you are ready for a promotion is when you are teaching others, especially the new members of the team. Teaching others shows that you have mastered the skills in your current role, and you are ready to learn new ones. Mentoring others shows your people skills and proficiency in the team’s processes and tools, and how these benefitted not just you but the entire team.
Being promoted is validation of what you have learned in your current position and what your manager expects from you in a higher role. They are not just telling you that you have the requisite skills for the higher position, but they also believe that you will do well.
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