Are you doing enough to stand out from the crowd and step up into that leadership role within your business or organisation?
Some years ago I came across an individual who had all the talent, skills, resourcefulness and potential for a promotion. However, they continued to go unnoticed while many of their colleagues were being recognised and indeed promoted. We agreed that she needed to find ways that they could get noticed at work and onto the fast track to a promotion.
First there were four questions that needed to be considered:
- Am I gradually slipping into more and more obscure roles at work?
- Have my colleagues with the same experience and talent already moved up the ladder?
- Are my ideas and opinions looked upon as insignificant by my manager and team leaders?
- Am I ready to move into the spotlight?
When she realised most of her answers were yes she knew she had to learn how to increase her visibility.
She needed to begin by learning to promote herself. We are the salesperson for our own skills. Just as with a job interview, where we sell ourselves to a potential employer, the same is true for when we are ready for a promotion.
10 Steps To Get Noticed
She came up with 10 ways to get noticed at work and get on the fast track to a promotion.
1. Dress professionally and appropriate to your positon. Be well groomed and invest in your appearance.
2. Be on time to the job, for meetings and functions. Be there for important events.
3. Respect others and yourself. Treat others with respect. Greet people with pleasantries. Be helpful and supportive to new employees. Make friends in other departments. Give complements and tell others when they are doing a good job.
4. Share your knowledge. Go ahead and share it with your boss. Be prepared to share your skills.
5. Make your presence felt whenever possible. Do your research ahead of time. Ask good questions and be visible at meetings and important functions. Add value as well as hard work.
6. Find your niche by knowing your stuff and your worth. Be confident in what you know. What are you really good at? Become the expert in it.
7. Be a good communicator. Your body language, how you talk, and your conversations should all reflect your confidence. Speak up clearly. Be assertive.
8. Get know throughout the organization. Be someone others recognize for their friendliness, hard work and the value they add to the company.
9. Be a leader. Don’t be afraid to head up committees.
10. Stay up to date with what is happening in the world. Know who the company competitors are and what they are doing. Do your market research. Join LinkedIn, start your own blog based on your profession, be on Twitter following your business. Be visible.
There are many ways to become more visible to your employer and get on the fast track to a promotion. It takes more than hard work and longevity. Suzy began implementing many of these tips and is on the way to getting that promotion she’s been eyeing.