How can you increase your chances of winning a promotion? Common sense might suggest you should work harder and improve your results so that you really shine. Unfortunately, your boss’s common sense may push her to take a completely different view of your near future.
Put yourself into your manager’s head; as she watches you become increasingly effective, the more valuable you are to her – and the more reluctant she will be to see you leave the team. In effect, working harder may put you in danger of becoming indispensable.
First of all, ask yourself a more fundamental question: why do you want to be promoted in the first place? Let’s explore three common reasons.
Some people are ambitious, and yearn to climb up through the corporate ranks; these people will tend to regard regular promotions as stepping-stones to reach the top, or as near to the top as they can get; their drivers are likely to be around increasing their status, influence or power, rather than finding a role they love and sticking to it. These highly motivated people need little advice on their next promotion, but should be careful that they do not go for a promotion that is beyond their capabilities, because overreaching can end up blighting your career. Even if you manage to escape to another organisation after botching a role, your reputation will have taken a severe knock.
Other people may be very clear that the next step up from their current role offers desirable challenges or a change in responsibilities that really appeal to them, and have no further ambitions beyond getting to that specific role. For these people, the path to happiness lies not in working harder in their current role, but in preparing themselves thoroughly for the role they aspire to. This may mean learning relevant new skills (in their own time, if their organisation is unwilling to send them on courses or give them training), or volunteering for extra responsibilities or projects that make them attractive candidates for the particular promotion they desire – and, if their organisation doesn’t subsequently offer them that promotion, they can simply apply to other organisations offering that role.
Others, more simplistically, see a promotion as the only way to achieve a step change in their income. This is a path fraught with danger, especially if you love the role you’re currently fulfilling. How do you know you’re going to be any good at your new job if you are indeed selected? Don’t just trust that your organisation is wise enough to ‘know’ that you have the skills and outlook to handle yourself well – many firms promote people for all sorts of bizarre reasons that may take no account of your potential competency in the new role. And even if you do prove competent, promotion is likely to load you with new responsibilities and a bunch of extra functions (such as managing more people) that will occupy much more of your time, leaving less time to do the work that you really enjoy.
If you love your role but just need more cash, there are a number of ways you can go:
- Improve your skillset by undertaking a new qualification or training that makes you more valuable, and therefore worth a higher salary. Expert practitioners who continuously improve their capabilities will always be in demand
- Apply for the same role at larger, better-funded organisations. This may mean looking to work in a different city or even a different country
- Ask for a raise! The worst that can happen is that the request is turned down. If it is turned down, and you think you’re worth the raise, see the bullet above…
Of course, you may find your current role boring or unfulfilling. But think – is this down to the role or the organisation? If it’s the latter, what are you waiting for? Go find a less dismal outfit to work for. If it’s the former, you need to reflect very carefully before just going for promotion as a means of escape. Imagine yourself performing the new role; ideally, talk to those that do similar roles to uncover the upsides and downsides. But whatever you do, don’t think a promotion will magically solve all your problems, because you may need a change of career, not a change of role.