3 Reasons Why You Can’t Get a Promotion
It happens to the best of us, working hard all year, then not getting the promotion you wanted and think you deserve. It can be very frustrating and can even make you angry or upset and want to give up – but it’s not a career ender. Instead of moping around and giving up, learn from the situation by looking at yourself and figure out the reason you were skiped over.
Here are three common reasons even the most talented and qualified professionals can’t or don’t get their promotion:
- You Are Not Promoting Your Work:
One of the most common reasons hardworking professionals get passed up for promotion is because they fail to promote the value they bring to the organisation. Although working hard, achieving goals and going above and beyond does wonders for your job, it doesn’t always get recognised or seen by your manager or boss. You need to gain visibility.
This doesn’t mean trying to be self-interested, self-absorbed and self-promoting; but stop relying on the company to pass on information to your boss – focus on how to be recognised for the merit of your work and overall contributions.
This can be done by:
- Sending weekly updates to your boss, letting them know what you are and have been working on and what you have accomplished
- Focus on the work – talk about the outcome rather than what you did to accomplish it
- Volunteering to facilitate meetings or for projects that will showcase your strengths
- You Are Not Open To Feedback:
Being closed off to constructive feedback is a promotion killer…
These people are known to:
- Act defensively to a perceived criticism
- Think the problem is always with others – never themselves
- Refuse to change, even though what they are doing isn’t working
The hardest part of doing good business is not necessarily the day-to-day tasks involved, but managing the human behaviours. Criticism is hard to take – but it essential for you to not only identify your weaknesses, but work on them.
Criticism or areas of improvements can be hurtful, upsetting or even feel personal – but giving it can be just as hard sometimes.
Here are three things that may be helpful in receiving and processing feedback:
- Don’t React: at the first sign of criticism, before you do or say anything – stop. You have a fraction of a second to set the tone for how the conversation will go. Try not to react at all. It is important to show the person giving you feedback that you are open to what they have to say and care about their opinion. People want to know you are approachable and willing to work on areas of improvement.
- Listen!: Criticism can be hard to receive as well as to give. Don’t try and think of a way to get the person back or defend yourself. Just allow the person to share his or her complete thoughts without interruption. After they are done, repeat back what you heard so they know you were listening and understand.
- Define a Plan for Addressing the Issues:a plan is the best way to put you back in control of the situation. Send a follow up email to the person who gave you the feedback with what you heard and your plan to make the appropriate changes. It is important to review your plan weekly to make sure you are on track.
- Be Proactive: receiving feedback, whether it is good or bad, is essential to your professional growth and to understand what is expected of you in the workplace. Don’t just wait for feedback, seek it out regularly. From this you will not only gain the respect of your manager and peers, but also help with business relationships.
- You Don’t Take Initiative:
You do your and only your job. You don’t move up the ladder for doing your job, you get paid for it. Getting promoted is about doing more than expected and discovering new opportunities. Of you meet expectations, feel free to congratulate yourself – but don’t be surprised when you get passed up for promotion.
It is one thing to be a top performer, doing your job, but it is those who use their talents to help outside their stated job role who get promoted. Don’t always wait until someone needs help or asks for a favour – use your initiative wherever needed, with the one goal in mind: the success and growth of the company.
Some ideas include:
- Being more flexible with your job
- Ask your boss if there are other things you can do to help the growth of the company or a project
- Be available to help – even if the task is outside of your job description or scheduled work hours
- Offering help before it is asked of you
Hard work doesn’t go unrecognised if you’ve done it for the right reasons.
Your efforts, big or small, will be recognised and you will be viewed as a team player; all the right ingredients to move up the corporate ladder.
Gone are the days employers are approached for promotion by simply turning up to work – they have to be worked for and earned.
Take these lesions and learn from the past to get your well on your way to your next promotion.
Source: http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/
