(2 minute read)
“Be so good they can’t ignore you!”
(Steve Martin)
Navigating your personal career direction remains one of the more discussed and debated topics amongst peers and colleagues.
At some point in time, the advice which was being offered to employees shifted from ‘how to climb the corporate ladder’, to an alternate perspective of ensuring your ladder was leaning against the right wall.
Renown leadership advisor, Ryan Hawk, shared one of the more common questions he gets asked at workshops and corporate retreats, “How can I get promoted?” Hawk realised that the enquirer wanted to know how to get noticed by key decision-makers, and how to position themselves for the next opportunity or leadership role.
When pushed further on his thoughts, Hawk made it clear that, “Regardless of what your job is, work to be excellent at it. Nothing else matters if you haven’t gotten this right. This won’t guarantee a promotion but lacking it promises you won’t. You shouldn’t be focusing too far into the next possible promotion without being great in your current role.”
As an enduring and sought-after leadership coach, Ryan Hawk doesn’t mince his words when it comes to the inconvenient truths about getting ahead in the workforce. “Your current employer pays you to do your job, not to prepare you for the next one. That preparation is your responsibility. Learn what skills are needed to be excellent at the job you want and develop them on your own time, not during company working hours.” Pow!
While this advice may not sit well with those who feel a level of entitlement in their workplace, it does support the views of many career coaches and business mentors across the globe.
The skills and behaviours that build your career value don’t always develop during the typical ‘working hours’. The individuals who get noticed and nominated for promotions are typically the ones who choose to do the extra work or ‘extension activities’ in their own time.
Put simply, organisations retain and promote people who create value. When you consistently deliver, promotion or advancement becomes a rational business decision.
When wholly engaged and invested in doing excellent work, promotion stops being something you strive for and starts being something presented to you.