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What’s
Holding Up Your Promotion?
By Dale Kurow
You’re performing
well in your job. You’ve even been told that you’re up for
a promotion. Yet, getting the promotion seems to be taking a long time
and you’re getting impatient.
Are you wondering
how you could make it happen faster? Are you thinking about what else
you could do to make yourself the most likely choice for promotion?
Of course, there are
factors such as budgetary constraints, lost contracts, etc. that could
influence the timing of your promotion. You have little control over these
factors.
However, there are
things you can do that would set you apart and catapult your name to the
top of the promotion list. Wouldn’t you want to know how to improve
your odds of landing your promotion sooner?
Take this quiz to
find out where you stand in the pursuit of your promotion. Answer yes
or no to the following questions. Each yes answer counts as one point.
Compare your point total to the scoring key below.
1. I’ve
successfully executed projects beyond my current job responsibilities.
2. I’ve
gotten outstanding performance reviews for the last two years.
3. I’ve
recently discussed my desire to be promoted with key power brokers in
the company including my boss.
4. I’ve
mastered all aspects of my present job.
5. I feel
ready for, and excited by, new challenges.
6. I’m
handling the stress of my current life/job well.
7. I continually
seek ways to save the company time and money and raise the company’s
profile.
8. When a
project doesn’t go as planned, I learn from the experience.
9. When someone
receives a promotion before I do, I redouble my efforts to improve my
skills and standing within the company.
10. I have
a network of colleagues that I can turn to with questions, for support
and impartial advice.
11. I keep
my cool when faced with challenging people and situations.
12. I’ve
got a sense of humor and can laugh at myself.
13. I share
my boss’s vision and have made his/her goals my own.
14. I know
how to say no to protect my time and energy without alienating people.
15. I am
capable of managing multiple priorities and I juggle them well.
16. I am
optimistic and don’t complain, whine or engage in gossip about others
in the office.
17. I have
attended, and am comfortable at, office parties and social events with
my co-workers.
18. I keep
people’s confidences.
19. If I
manage a staff, I am fair and proportionate in giving praise and feedback.
20. I have
professional work habits (grooming, dressing for success, on-time to meetings,
organized).
21. I embrace
change and do not hold onto the old way of doing things.
22. I share
the credit and accolades with my team members.
23. I am
good at motivating my staff and team members to achieve their highest
level of performance.
24. I am
comfortable using technology (i.e. Blackberry, IM, the Internet) and it
makes me more effective.
25. I have
documented my successes and can present them at my next performance review.
Scoring
Key:
| 20-25 |
Congratulations!
You are doing everything in your power to move to the top of the line. Given your efforts, your well-deserved
promotion should be happening soon! |
| 16-19 |
This
is a very good score. Discuss the factors that might be delaying your
promotion with your boss and ask what you could do to eliminate them.
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| 11-15
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You’re
doing okay, but there’s room for improvement. Make note of the
factors that you need to work on and chose 2-3 that you can start
improving upon today. |
| 6-10
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You
have work to do. It might be time to go back to basics and insure
that you are reading your boss’s signals correctly. Confirm
with your boss that you are a candidate for promotion. Determine how
long it might take and what additional responsibilities you might
take on. |
| 0-5
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Okay,
perhaps you need to view the situation differently. If you’re
having trouble figuring out how to reframe your attitude and develop
the skills to move ahead, consider working with a career coach. With
a coach, you could focus in on exactly what you need to do and develop
a plan to make it happen. |
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