Ever wonder why it seems you are the only one not getting promoted in your office? Here are some pointers to help on your way to getting that much desired promotion. Note that these pointers are not full-proof as there managers out there that are just pure evil (i.e. have a personal vendetta against you (unfortunately, I can’t help you with that one)).
But if you don’t have such crazy managers, here are reasons why you may be holding back your destiny of success:
1) YOU DON’T TAKE FEEDBACK
Must every criticism be taken as though someone has a personal vendetta against you. If you get defensive each time you receive constructive feedback, you will be perceived as rigid and unable to take correction. Feedback is not always a bad thing so when you receive constructive criticisms, resist the urge to defend yourself. PAUSE, TAKE IT IN, REFLECT and see what you can learn from it.
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2) NO INITIATIVE
An initiative taker is someone who is quick on their feet to generate ideas, they hear problems spoken aloud and without being asked, they turn them into project plans and then into solutions. If you do not take initiative, your promotion might still be hanging on this. Go beyond someone who just sees or lodges the complaint, be a problem solver.
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3) BAD ATTITUDE
Heard of the common saying that ‘Your attitude determines your altitude’? This is true especially in your workplace. If you are good at your job and your attitude is bad, you most likely will not be the first person that comes to mind when the talks of promotion are being discussed. Look inwardly and change your attitude to your work, your colleagues and in the work environment in general.
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4) NO LEADERSHIP SKILLS
If you tend to stand in the shadows only to be seen when you are called upon, you are running in the opposite direction from your promotion. There is value in strong leadership and as such people who show leadership skills tend to shine more and guess who gets promoted…only those that shine brightest.
Image: leadershipinsightsblog
5) LAZINESS
Unwillingness to take on extra work or put in the extra effort will only portray you as a lazy fellow. This sends a message to your manager that even if you’re capable of doing more work, you’re not willing to do so. I am not suggesting that you become a workaholic just to be seen. I am encouraging you to go the extra mile and very soon that promotion will be yours.
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6) NOT PLAYING TO YOUR STRENGTHS
We all have strengths and weakness but strategically seeking out opportunities that showcase your strengths will help in getting you a promotion quickly. Why spend your life trying to race against lions when you are a tortoise #TotalWasteOfTime. In many cases, you need to already be operating in your new level before the formal promotion follows.
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7) PASSIONLESS ABOUT THE JOB
When you have passion for your job, you invest your time and energy in getting things done well. This type of passion is exactly what your boss is looking for when promoting an employee. Passion is infectious and can have an enormous impact on your company. If you’re going to receive a promotion, you’ll need passion that will inspire others. If you’re lacking this passion, your boss will most definitely search for it elsewhere within your company.
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8) LACK A SENSE OF URGENCY
High achieving employees have a high sense of urgency. As you master a task, it stands to reason that you should be able to do it faster and better than when you started or than your less experienced colleagues. If you are not increasing your rate or your results or both, you should question why (probably your manager is asking that same question).
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9) NO RESPONSIBILITY OR OWNERSHIP
Do you blame others when things go wrong? Always have an excuse? Never take responsibility for failures? That’s a great way to limit your altitude in that career. Managers want to see that you’re willing to own up to errors and find ways to improve. Take responsibilities for faults (if they are indeed yours), find ways to resolve issues, that way you learn from mistakes and reduce the likeliness of you making them again.
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10) YOUR SOFT SKILLS ARE NOT UP TO PAR
When it comes down to receiving a promotion, your soft skills; effective communication, team player, motivation and so on will be the difference between you and the other candidate. Many employers look at soft skills when making a hiring decision. So to make sure you are worthy of a promotion, make sure your soft skills are some of your strongest skills. You need to have a balance between your hard and soft skills that will make you the perfect candidate for a promotion.
Image: gviservicelearning
If you were overlooked for a promotion, it isn’t the end of the world. In fact, missing out on a promotion can give you a great opportunity to learn new skills and improve as a professional. For now, evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and ask your peers and managers for constant feedback and see how you can improve from there. This will guide you in the right direction for receiving a promotion.
Know any more pointers to getting promoted? Do share, that is what family is for, right? (I consider you family *wink*))