There are a whole lot of people in this world that have been
waiting on a promotion for a long time.
I used to be one of those. I
continually worried myself about moving up the ladder of success. I’ve worked quite a few jobs, performing a
variety of tasks. But, here I am, 46
years-old and have learned the pathway to advancement and I want to share what
I have learned. My desire is for you to
learn from my experiences and from what I have found out by watching others
remain stuck in their positions. If you
will take the information I’m about to share with you and apply it to your
situation, you may not become top dog at your company but you will be in much
better position for your climb to a better life.
If you feel stuck in your present position in the workplace,
work these techniques into your approach:
1)
Stop complaining.
This one is first because it is the toughest. It is so easy to complain about not enough
money, or somebody else received the promotion that should have gone to you, or
I’m tired of working these hours. Our
complaints are one of the biggest contributors to our lack of advancement. We find anything and everything to complain
about. We wake up in the morning and
dread going to work. ‘I wish I didn’t have to go into that place today.’ ‘I dread what I’m going to have to do or who
I’m going to have to deal with.’ That
feeling of dread, that doom-and-gloom attitude will bring us down quicker than
anything. We must change our attitude if
we want to move up. Stop complaining
about everything. There is no room for
complainers at the top. When you get up
in the morning, make up your mind that it’s going to be a good day. Make up your mind that whatever you must do
on the job will turn out great, simply because you have developed a positive
attitude. Make up your mind that you
won’t allow anyone to deter you from this new outlook with their snide remarks
and childish behavior. Whether you
realize it or not, your boss is as concerned about your attitude as much as, if
not more, than your work. So, cheer up,
think positive, and speak positive.
2)
No matter what you do, do it to the very best of
your ability. When you do just enough to
get by, your supervisors are taking notice and look at you as someone who
doesn’t care. And someone who doesn’t
care will not be moving into any position of authority or influence. They will remain right where they have been,
unless they are shown the door. When you
put your all into a task or project, you are demonstrating a desire to see your
company succeed. You are proving to the
people around you that you care about the quality of your work, which is a
direct indication of the quality of life you want to live. Give it your all and you will be
rewarded.
3)
Show respect to the people around you. Don’t talk about others who work for the same
company and run them into the ground.
Don’t allow the rumor mill to be fueled by your tales of discontent and
revenge. Speak up and defend your
co-workers. Lend a hand if they need
help. Don’t spread anger and spite for
your supervisors simply because they made a decision that you didn’t like. Get over it and move on. Whether you are dealing with co-workers at
ground level or the CEO of the company, display the same amount of respect to
both. Goodness begets goodness, mercy
begets mercy, and respect begets respect.
4)
Let it be known, through your actions and your
appropriate conversations with management that you are open and willing to
learn new things. That shows them that you
have incentive to succeed. They want to
know that you want to build the company rather than just build your checking
account. A company can only grow as much
as its employees are willing to grow.
Your willingness to learn demonstrates growth possibility in you. When asked about work-related ideas or your
plans in the future of the company, be honest.
If you are looking to stick around and advance, tell them that. They want to know who is in it for the long
haul.
5)
Finally, become a problem solver. If there are issues that you may have noticed
concerning your job or something around you, don’t be afraid to approach a
supervisor and be straight with them; ‘Hey, there is a problem with this
machine over here and I may know a way that it can be fixed efficiently without
needing to call in a specialist.’ Try
that type of approach. If you can
demonstrate a willingness to help the company while saving them money, you have
become a problem-solver. That makes you
important to the success of the team.
You become an asset rather than an instigator.
These actions have been invaluable to me. I have been working for a company for seven
years and done everything that has been asked of me. I have not always been the easiest person to
get along with. I have come close to
quitting several times. But things
changed recently because I changed my approach.
I was offered a promotion to a position that I knew nothing about and
had no desire to even attempt. I was
angry for the way the ‘opportunity’ was presented to me and I complained like a
big baby. But I came to a decision. It occurred to me that I wasn’t giving this a
chance. I have been told repeatedly that
I had a lot of potential for growth in our company. So, I made up my mind that I was going to go
into this new position with a new attitude.
I decided to attack this job, head-on.
I determined to learn everything I could and grow quickly in knowledge
and performance. I did it. I put my all into it. I stopped complaining about the way it was
presented to me. I showed respect for
everyone I encountered, both co-workers and customers. Then, wouldn’t you know, after about two
months I was offered another promotion with a substantial raise. This position was something I was familiar
with and the opportunity excited me. I
firmly believe that had my attitude not changed two months earlier, I would not
have moved up again.
Sometimes we are our own worst enemy in this world. We can talk ourselves out of anything;
happiness, peace, job satisfaction, and dreams.
If you want to move up in this life, you must rise above a status-quo
mentality. Stop thinking and acting as
if ‘doing just enough to get by’ is good enough. Living a better life requires an attitude of
excellence. You can do it, if you want
to. Give these steps a try. You don’t have to do it all at once. Shucks, start with one step per week and work
your way through the other four. I dare
you!
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