The current employment landscape can be a challenge to navigate, particularly when normal office politics are not playing their normal role in water-cooler chats and the like. But even with lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, many people are still trying to get a promotion. In the best of times, this requires determination, hard work, and often, persistence.
What is the best way to ensure you have the best shot at that promotion? We’re going to take a look. Not only at the #1 thing that will put you ahead of your coworkers, but at additional factors that can also give you a performance edge.
1. Strong Leadership Skills
The #1 thing you should be doing to get a promotion is to demonstrate leadership abilities. When you are evaluated as a potential candidate for a promotion, you are seen as having the potential to be groomed for management, or even higher. This means you need to be able to lead and motivate effectively.
2. Add Value
If your organization is going to invest not only time but more money in you, they must see the value that you bring to the table. This isn’t about coming in early and staying late to the point of burnout, that’s boomer value.
Nobody needs seat warmers. You need to bring value to the organization because when your employer invests in you, they are hoping to multiply that value and gain a healthy return on their investment.
3. Attitude is (Almost) Everything
Attitude in the workplace is crucial. Every office has a person or two that people simply don’t want to work with because they just don’t have a good attitude for whatever reason.
Rest assured that you will be constantly weighed and measured. People seriously considered are going to be people that are respected contributors and morale-builders. Future leaders almost always stand out to current leadership.
4. Skills To Pay The Bills
Anytime you are being considered for a promotion, your higher-ups will be evaluating your skill set in comparison to other candidates. You should be prepared to show that not only do you engage in personal or professional development but that you plan to continue such.
The habits of older generations were to become skilled in something, and then stagnate at that level. This paradigm is completely dead, and few things are more attractive to employers nowadays than individuals who invest in themselves and commit to growth.
5. Be Bold
When opportunities come up, jump on them. Be ready to trust a feeling that says “volunteer for that project” when it scares the hell out of you. Growth doesn’t happen in your comfort zone.
When you were hired initially, leadership saw qualities in you that they were confident would bring value to the team. In most cases, that will not have changed, and you will only have honed your skills further. You have the ability to be great, you just need to use it.
