Sometimes you need to be proactive when climbing the career ladder, and take steps yourself rather than waiting for someone to let you climb higher. Earning the respect of your co-workers and being seen as a capable leader takes more than just a new title – and according to Google trend data, searches for “how to get a promotion” have risen by 152% in the last month – so here, Cristiano Winckler at Somebody Digital reveals his top tips to give yourself a promotion and be a successful leader.
BE VISIBLE & TAKE ACTION
Don’t wait for promotion to showcase your leadership potential, but also remember that you won’t be recognised for those skills overnight. Look for opportunities to take the lead on projects, and volunteer to train newer colleagues and share your knowledge and expertise. Becoming the go-to colleague for advice and demonstrating that you’re willing to help others succeed will build trust within your future team, and show them that you’re not just someone with a new title, but someone who understands the work and the responsibilities.
KEEP LEARNING
Remember to keep seeking new knowledge, training, and ways to expand your expertise – whether that comes from online courses and qualifications, or simply those around you. Don’t assume that you know everything, you can always learn something new!
BE VOCAL ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT & COMMUNICATE YOUR VALUE
Don’t be afraid to speak up about your career development and advocate for your progression. Schedule regular meetings with your manager to discuss what you want from your career, and that you’d like to take on more responsibilities and move up the ladder. Be prepared to demonstrate skills and achievements that would make you a strong leader.
EXPAND YOUR NETWORK
Build strong relationships with the people in your team, as well as in other departments and companies. This can not only help increase your visibility and credibility as a leader but also provide a network of support as your transition into a role with more responsibility.
SHARPEN YOUR SOFT SKILLS
Being a good manager goes beyond being good at your job; you also need to demonstrate that you can provide a positive work environment, build relationships, delegate, and manage the performance of those in your team.
BECOME THE LEADER THAT YOU’D WANT TO HAVE
Think about managers you’ve had in the past. What qualities did they have, that you really responded to? Did they encourage a collaborative environment, or delegate effectively with clear communication? How did they motivate you, and give feedback and constructive criticism? Try and incorporate positive qualities you’ve experienced in the past into how you interact with your team, and you can begin to develop your own leadership style that inspires and motivates others.
MOTIVATE, DON’T MICROMANAGE
Good managers should be able to delegate tasks and trust their team to deliver results, without having to micromanage. It’s important to be able to match tasks to individual strengths and skills, to build not only their confidence but also their confidence in you as a leader. Change your mindset from giving orders to providing support, and offer constructive feedback that helps them improve rather than giving them tasks without any support or recognition – and remember to celebrate achievements and accomplishments!
3 REASONS WHY YOU’RE NOT GETTING PROMOTED
YOU’RE NOT SPEAKING UP
While you might be excelling in your current role, your contributions and soft skills might be flying under the radar. Particularly in large companies with lots of employees, your boss might not be aware that you perhaps have skills that would make you a strong leader, in addition to the skills you have for your current position. Make sure you make your skills and abilities known, rather than assuming someone will notice them eventually.
YOU’RE TOO NICE
While kindness and being a team player are great traits in a manager, saying yes to everything and being a people pleaser can hold you back from getting promoted. You might feel like you can’t take initiative or express your opinions, no matter how valuable they may be, and can find it difficult to provide negative feedback when you need to. You might also spend too much time making others happy and taking on extra work to actually highlight your achievements and successes, meaning that you’re less visible to managers when they’re looking for people to promote.
YOU DON’T HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR MANAGER
Open communication and trust are essential, and if you have a bad relationship with your manager, it can affect your chances of getting a promotion. You might see yourself as someone who performs perfectly, but without actively seeking feedback – and most importantly, listening to and taking on board the feedback you’re given – you’ll never know the areas for improvement that are holding you back, and making them not put you forward for promotion.
