6 Ways to Prove You’re Ready for a Promotion

ready for a promotion
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Ready for a promotion? If you’re eager to take the next step in your career, creating a strategy to put yourself in position for a promotion is key. Simply working hard and waiting for your boss to notice may not guarantee a leap into the position of your dreams.

Hard work is important, but it’s just part of the equation. If you want a promotion, take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Understanding the landscape, as well as the skills you bring, will help you adopt the right strategy to set you up for success.

Here are a few best practices that will demonstrate to your boss, and your team, that you’re ready for a promotion.

1. Lead by example

If your boss asks you to complete a task, don’t just do the bare minimum. Make sure you understand what’s needed and deliver before the deadline. Demonstrate how you could add value by offering to help further or providing additional information that helps your boss achieve their goals with the task.

Consistently do your best work with a positive attitude. People will notice. Adopt this trait you’ll build a solid reputation for delivering results and being a great person to work with.

2. Don’t over-promise

Do what you say you will do. It’s that simple. People who don’t follow through will quickly lose the trust of their team.

Over-promising and under-delivering is the surest way to annoy your boss, especially if it makes him or her look bad in the process. If you commit to doing something, do it. Managing and exceeding expectations is one of the most effective ways to show you are reliable and productive.

[click_to_tweet tweet=”Over-promising and under-delivering is the surest way to annoy your boss, especially if it makes him or her look bad in the process. If you commit to doing something, do it. ” quote=”Over-promising and under-delivering is the surest way to annoy your boss, especially if it makes him or her look bad in the process. If you commit to doing something, do it. “]

3. Play to your strengths

We all bring a variety of skill sets to a team, so take time to consider where your strengths lie and what areas you may want to focus on for improvement. Identify who the top performers are in your team and play close attention to what they do and how they do it.

On the flip side, we all have weaknesses. One important facet of leadership is learning how to give constructive criticism. Giving and receiving feedback is an inevitable part of any job and if you can turn a negative into a positive it will be noted.

4. Solve problems

It can be easy to complain about what’s wrong with your project, team, product, clients or service but the people who command the most respect are those who see issues and solve them.

It can feel safer to go along with the pack, but you’re not going to shine if you don’t make a difference. If you have a great idea, share it. It might not gain traction, but you’ll earn a reputation for being a problem solver, and you may identify an innovative solution that wows your boss and pays off for the company.

5. Treat everyone with respect

One of the easiest ways to command respect is to demonstrate respect to others, regardless of their seniority. Wherever possible, avoid workplace gossip. Constant gossipers rarely command the respect of anyone.

Being respectful of senior leadership is a no-brainer, but this should also extend to how you interact with the everyone on your team. Showing respect for other people’s time is a smart way to show your ability to manage people and projects effectively. This includes being on time for meetings, responding to emails in a timely manner and ensuring to meet deadlines. Again, people will notice, and it will be appreciated.

6. Communicate with your boss

If you are targeting a promotion, it’s important for your boss to know your goal. Use your performance reviews and one-on-one time together to convey clearly what you’re working toward. You also need to understand what your boss’s goals are for the team, and the role you are coveting, and how you can add value.

Without direct communication, you may think you know what the next step in your career requires but find yourself missing the mark. Start a dialogue with your boss and use the feedback you receive to create a roadmap for how you will move forward.

Tell Us What You Think

Have you recently been promoted? Tell our readers how you did it. Share your story in the comments or join the conversation on Twitter.

Octavia Goredema is a career coach and the founder of Twenty Ten Talent. Find her on LinkedIn and on Twitter at @OctaviaGoredema.