Pay Close Attention

Who Don't ClapWhen You Win...

Working hard for a promotion is easy; getting people to promote you is a different story
We all aspire to get promoted at one point in our corporate careers. We want it not just because it means fatter paychecks and bigger responsibilities, but more so because it validates our worth in the company. After all, we thrive by recognition and praise.
However, how do you nail down that coveted position when you are already working at your hardest? How do you make sure that this role will be given to you and not to eager-beaver Barbara? Missing a promotion that you think you deserve is painful (and is also a typical reason for folks to leave their jobs). Remember, working at your hardest to get that promotion should be easy. Getting people to promote you on the other hand is a different story. If you are that high-flyer who thinks that his options are confined to either getting promoted or getting promoted, here are some “unspoken” tips and pointers that you may need to seal the deal:
1.Show that you want it
My first call to order with my boss every time I land a new role or job is to vocalize my aspirations in the company: why am I here, and what’s my goal in the next 3, 5 and 10 years. I clearly state during my first one-on-one discussion that I’m the most absorbent sponge she’ll ever use, and that’s because I’m keen to climb the corporate ladder. Indeed, the first step to getting promoted is to make your boss fully aware that you are expecting it. Just like any marriage or business contract, the key is to be clear with what you want from the very start. When you show that you want something and work hard for it, people around you will behave with it in mind. They will pave the way, and the universe will happily conspire.
Of course, not everyone is a fan of assertive and vocal people. In some companies and cultures, people may find you too competitive that you start becoming a threat. There is a clear line between being "desperate to be promoted" versus "deserving to get promoted". In these occasions, be mindful to work even closer with your team because you will need them. Offer a helping hand with your counterparts when needed, and never keep information all by yourself. You want people who will support your promotion campaign, not crabs who will give you bad feedback when HR asks.
Finally, if you're stuck in companies that promote people based on nepotism or favoritism, channel the Harvey Specter in you and show your boss that you're his ally in getting the same thing he wants---to also get promoted. Good talent will never be easily brushed aside no matter how bad a company is. People will notice what you're up to, and if your boss realizes that he can only get the job done thanks to you, then the battle is already half won.
2.Agree on your deliverables
You’re fortunate if you work in world-class multinational companies that have advanced structures which quantify soft skills (leadership, influence) and hard skills (business acumen, achievement of sales targets). They use a point system that grades competencies from a junior to a senior role. However, if you work for a boutique or start-up company that doesn’t have a formal employee appraisal, you will likely need to set that up yourself.
In my personal experiences, I engage my boss (“ I see myself growing in this company and I’d like to know what will it take to get to a senior role”) and agree on a contract (“If I excel in #1, #2, and #3 deliverables, then I can be considered for promotion”). But don’t just stop with a one-time, big-time discussion. Catch up with your manager ideally every three months to check your progress (are you meeting his expectations? What do your other colleagues think about your work output)? Always keep score because it’s better to know early what needs to get fixed before it’s too late.
3.Don’t just be good today; show that you can be good tomorrow
The “Peter Principle” is a management theory by Laurence Peter which claims that a good-performing employee will keep on getting promoted up to the point that he becomes incompetent in the new position. Let’s take a Matthew, a hard-working designer dubbed as the most creative in the company and is well-loved by clients. The company promotes Matthew as a team manager but realizes months later that he is failing in his role. Matthew is a design deity, but he lacked leadership and business acumen which are required of managers, and not necessarily of designers.
Managers today are aware of the Peter Principle, and their goal is to stop that from happening. They promote staff not just because they are brilliant in their current job, but because they are ready for a bigger role. Promotable employees initiate tasks beyond what is needed, and with minimal supervision. They start showing signs that they can strategize, and not just execute. They start exhibiting behaviors of a leader, and not just of a doer. In every bit of their action, they start wearing a corporate hat and think about the company’s welfare, and not just their own careers. When vying for a promotion, your message should be clear: I am ready for the unknown.
4.Manage the politics
Your promotion doesn’t rest solely in your boss’s hands, especially if you are in a big company. The boss of your boss will need to approve your promotion. The boss of the boss of your boss will likely need to approve it too. Representatives from HR department will also be there on the day of deliberations (and yes, you should know by now that most companies have promotion boards in which department heads or managers deliberate and loosely vote).
Ask yourself: How much do these guys know about you? Do they know that you’re the department’s rockstar? Do they know that you’ve been managing your team well whenever your boss is on leave? These things matter because promotion boards decide largely on anecdotes—events and experiences that you have done in the past that indicate your readiness to kick ass in the new position. When aiming for the prize, make sure your visibility and presence are felt in the organization consistently. Consider these VIPs as your “sponsors” and you’re Katniss or Peeta in The Hunger Games. You don’t need to spread your peacock feathers to get yourself known, but taking a proactive role to engage them when the moment is apt—those short elevator moments, those opportunities to reply to an e-mail, and those moments of contributing meaningful ideas during a meeting—will helpfully remind them why you’re worth it.
5.Keep your boss accountable
I personally believe that there are two reasons why an employee fails to get promoted even when the time is due: his manager failed to develop him, or he was wrongly hired. The first case happens more often than not.
Here’s the gist: your boss should know if you’re ripe for promotion, but that doesn’t mean he’s just going to sit around and watch you grow. Ultimately, he is responsible for your learning and development. Just like Hollywood, your boss is a talent manager and you are his star. You are Luke Skywalker and he is Obi-Wan Kenobi. He should be able to identify your strengths and weaknesses. He should be exposing you to projects that will stretch your abilities so that you are ready for a bigger role (and so that you don’t become a victim of the “Peter Principle”).He should be increasing your visibility in the company (did you help him make some slides for a presentation? He should be tasking you to present a couple of those so that his boss will finally get a taste of your brilliance). The next time you have a one-on-one discussion with your boss, ask him about his development plan and his time frame.It’s an altogether different story (and different article) if he doesn’t.
At the end of the day
Never feel ashamed of talking about promotion because it is your right and responsibility to manage your career (and bosses love this because it means you’re out for the kill!). Remember, you’re not asking a favor from your company to get you promoted. You are simply reminding the responsible parties that you deserve career development. You deserve the credit for what it’s worth. And when you do get promoted, don’t forget to pass it on to the one next in line.
This post originally appeared on Linkedin by Jonathan Yabut

Mahatma Gandhi

 

For many working adults, life can be a long and difficult speedway that stretches from the instant they begin working to the moment they goes into retirement.
On average, an adult spends around thirty years working, with financial security and comfort as the main goals in doing so. Some may use up less time to accomplish these aspirations, while others take even longer than the typical three decades of employment; however, with the demands of our fast-paced lifestyles, the latter is more common. Moreover, the retirement age has moved past 60 in some countries, so most of them have to work beyond thirty years.
During this lengthy period of time, many employees, regardless of their profession, will be struck by moments of exhaustion and lack of interest. We are all familiar with that dreadful phase: frustration, then disillusionment, then the inevitable weariness of body, mind and heart. And then you find yourself dragging your feet to work every day.
More often than not, these feelings are caused by wrong motivation and a lack of direction in your career—how do we recover from such a slump or better yet, avoid it?
What is Great Work?
Steve Jobs left a legendary quote on what he felt about great work:

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet; keep looking, don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.

Passion and Purpose
This is where passion and purpose comes in. In choosing a (potentially long-term) career, it is important that we identify what we are most passionate about. Some discover it during colleges or universities, while others may start honing their interests only during later years. Baking pastries, getting involved in the advertising industry, teaching technology to impressionable minds—whatever your interests might be, constantly expose yourself to them and learn what you can about them. This will help motivate and inspire you. And by trying many things, you might have the Aha moment in know which one gives you the most important impression.
What Matters to You?
Pursuing your general purpose in life can also do wonders to your career.
Ask yourself:

• What are your values?
• What matters most to you?
• Who do you want to become?
• What makes you excited to wake up each morning to do that stuff?

Questions like this can uncover some significant insights that can help you to make better career choices or employment decisions.
Type of Motivation
While financial security is on top of everyone’s list of reasons for working, it is not the right type of motivation and it does not necessarily guarantee long-term happiness. For example, you might be having a high salary, but you really hated your job. Do you feel miserable or happy? Financials are important, but that should not be your primary driver to a purposeful and meaningful career.
Pursue Something You Love
The key to avoid losing interest is by pursuing something you love and working on something you truly enjoy. Improvement in performance is possible once you stick to what you know and like best, thus, giving you a rewarding sense of satisfaction that cannot be matched by any amount of money.
Furthermore, remember that given the right amount of positivity, direction and determination, every single adult has the inborn potential to be happy with and succeed in his or her career expectations. Stay focused and inspired, and your career is bound to reach new heights.

The thought of working by yourself for yourself can be very exciting – being your own boss, setting your own schedule, freedom to pursue your dreams. But actually doing it can be tough. It requires enormous grit and the ability to handle the many setbacks that may come along the way.

HERE ARE WAYS TO STAY MOTIVATED: 

Realize that you will encounter setbacks

To succeed, you have to be able to go from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm. The most successful people welcome failure. Even when something does not go according to plan, learn from each setback, fine-tune and keep going. Like Thomas Edison once said, “I have not failed, I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work”. Some people take a shorter time to achieve their goals while others take a longer time, but it doesn’t matter, because at the end of the day, you would still have made it.

Create a vision board 

Remember what first got you started on this path? Create a vision board, and take the time to visualize your goals once a day. More often than not, we lose sight of our dreams when we are deep in the trenches. Often, there is some other motivating factor other than money – it may be wanting to solve a particular problem, meet a particular need, helping a particular group of people. Remind yourself of why you are doing what you are doing to keep yourself motivated.

Stay in touch with your family and friends

Family and friends are the greatest source of support in the toughest times. Make time to stay in touch with them even if you may be busy. Having a meal together once a week, enjoying a board game together, will ease your stress hormones and give you the much needed energy replenishment to allow you to push ahead. Your family and friends may not fully understand what you are doing, but will help you remember the simple joys in life.

Take breaks

Sometimes, the best way forward is to first take one step back. Taking a break once in a while helps you maintain perspective and allows you to refocus on what is important. Pushing forward with little to no rest may lead to burnout, and that does not work in the long run. Pace yourself well, and your body will also thank you for it.

Celebrate the minor successes

Enjoy the little successes along the way. When your site reaches its first 1000 subscribers, celebrate. Celebrating each milestone along the way will give you something to remember and look back on when you encounter a setback. Get your spouse a small bottle of perfume, or an air purifier for your bedroom. Take good care of yourself and never beat yourself up too hard for whatever reason.

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover.” – Mark Twain

Have fun in what you do

Always have an upbeat attitude to your business. See what you are doing for others and how it benefits them in more ways than one. Embrace a light-hearted perspective to your business and its infectious quality would influence your customers as well.
As social mammals, we humans tend to get affected and be put down by failures or criticism from others when in fact, a positive attitude helps you balance the negativity generated and put you back on your feet in no time. Convert that negative energy into positive energy; a critical comment can always be converted into positive, constructive feedback.

Have a plan

When you work for yourself, there could be many things fighting for your attention and it can be easy to get distracted. Always have a plan and blueprint for what you what to achieve. Lay out the major milestones clearly and hold yourself accountable each step along the way. Whenever you get sidetracked, always come back to your plan to remind yourself of the next steps you should be taking.
Working for yourself, by yourself is hard, but it can be very worthwhile and fulfilling. Staying motivated along the way is key.