If you want to position yourself for a promotion, you have to do more than just ask for it. If you’re serious about advancing your career, you have to work for it. Demonstrate your abilities to the right people, and you’ll be moving up the career ladder before you know it.
Put yourself on your supervisor’s radar.
No one gets a promotion by hiding in the shadows. You have to make sure that your work and contributions are being seen by the right people. Show your value by demonstrating a desire and willingness to jump into tough situations. Offer solutions and ideas to challenges you see as they arise.
There are few ways to get yourself noticed and in the spotlight. Take the lead on a project to showcase your leadership skills. Spearhead a new initiative that will have a broad impact to show that you’re focusing on the greater good of the company. Offer to mentor a colleague and you’ll be able to both teach someone and learn something new.
Think about the bigger picture.
Think about more than your current role. Show your bosses that you’re thinking about the company and business as a whole. Focus on performance and planning. Show off your leadership and managements skills and your ability to take on greater responsibility.
If you see processes that need improvement, formulate a plan and present it to the management team. Try to focus on the things that will benefit the company in a big way such as increasing productivity or streamlining time consuming processes. Show that you’re already thinking beyond the confines of your current position.
Work harder AND smarter.
Working hard is important, but it’s only half of the equation. The other half is working smarter. Simply working hard won’t get you to the next level. Be strategic about where you focus your time and efforts and be wary of filling your day with busywork just to look busy. Demonstrate a fantastic work ethic that shows you don’t need prompting to do your job.
It’s important that you identify the right things to work on and put your full effort into. It’s better to do three things well rather than ten things decently. Prioritization is key to ensure you don’t get lost in a sea of busywork. Show your supervisors that you’re capable of handling more responsibility.
Get comfortable with delegation.
The best leaders are also master delegators. You have to know when to delegate and when to take charge. As a leader, you can’t do everything yourself and you have to put trust in your team. Part of delegation is holding people accountable for their actions.
Start practicing delegation whenever possible. If you’re the lead on a project, showcase your ability to assign tasks that match people’s strengths. Be prepared to have tough conversations if the person you delegated the work to doesn’t pull their weight. That’s simply part of being a leader.
You hold your future in your hands, and it’s up to you to put in the work to achieve your goals. Keep working towards what you want. Persevere through any challenges that arise, and you’ll be well on your way to your next promotion.